WEYBURN – City of Weyburn’s Public Works crews have been busy clearing the streets of snow, and the aim is to be mostly done by the end of this week, council was told on Monday night.
City engineer Jennifer Wilkinson said the residential Area 2 has just been finished with Area 3 to be started Tuesday.
“Our hope is to finish by the end of the week. Kudos to the workers, I know they’ve been putting in longer hours trying to get it all done,” she said, adding there was a significant amount of snow on the streets that fell in late December.
Mayor Marcel Roy noted that the city workers have been very busy with the snow clearing, and has been getting a lot of texts from residents from people thankful for the cleared streets.
Coun. Laura Morrissette raised the issue of roof leaks in the library, noting there has been a lot of freezing and thawing which has contributed to the problem.
“We’re taking it very seriously,” said city manager Mathew Warren, noting the City is aware of the water issues at the Weyburn Public Library and is working to mitigate the situation.
Heavy snowfalls and freeze-thaw cycles this winter have created major ice damming on the facility’s roof. The roof is currently beyond its expected lifespan and these weather conditions have caused leaking conditions.
Warren pointed out the City’s long-term plan and priority is to address some of the roofing issues, which also include the Tom Zandee Sports Arena, and later on, City Hall and the Leisure Centre. The City has had a contractor look at what can be done, but he said this isn’t the best time to try fixing the roof.
“At this time of year, you can’t fix these roofs, it’s just not a good time to do it. It would do more harm than good,” said Warren, adding, “I understand there’s concerns from residents.”
The Public Library roof is included in the City’s three-year roof replacement plan, involving a total of five City facilities. The library is to be addressed in 2024 with Council approval.
The City takes the health and safety of all who enter and work within its facilities with upmost priority. The library will be monitored and addressed, as necessary.
On a related note, Wilkinson pointed out to council that the City’s new tendering process would be rolled out on Tuesday with their first tender to be posted, as the City aims to ask for Requests for Proposals since the 2023 budget was passed in December, and projects are lined up to go.
“I think through the budget consultations, it was clear infrastructure was a big focus for the citizens of Weyburn,” she said.
• In other council business, the building permits report was provided for November and December, showing seven building permits were issued in November, worth a total of $1,185,000, and three in December, worth a total of $36,000.
The biggest part of the November permits was a new house and attached garage with a construction value of $1 million.
As of the end of December, the City had issued 60 building permits with a total construction value of $6,230,000. This compares to the year before, when the City had issued 64 building permits worth $6,535,900.
In the Weyburn Builds program, the City issued 18 building permits as of the end of December through the program, compared to 24 by the end of 2021.
