The Town of Bonnyville will once again be sponsoring the annual Lakeland Career Expo after the municipality set aside $3,000 to go towards funding the event, taking place at the Centennial Centre on April 29.
After partnering up with both the City of Cold Lake and MD of Bonnyville to partially fund last year's Lakeland Career Expo and Job Fair events, council felt it would be a good idea to step up once again so as to provide what they see as a necessary service to the community.
After making the motion to approve the donation, Coun. Ray Prevost said he hoped to see the MD of Bonnyville and City of Cold Lake step up and match the urban municipality's contribution to the event.
Last year's Lakeland Career Expo was a joint-held venture, with separate events taking place both at the C2 and the Energy Centre in Cold Lake. This year's expo will be held in its entirety in Bonnyville.
Local residents should start to see some improvements to the lighting along Main Street over the coming months after Town Council set aside $72,000 to go towards replacing 30 streetlights on the west side of town.
In line with the municipality's streetlight replacement program, which states the Town must replace 50 streetlights per year until all streetlights in Bonnyville are up to current standards and regulations, 30 lamps along 50 Avenue between 55 Street and town limits will be restored.
In correspondence with the Town's franchise agreement with Atco Electric, the responsibility of maintaining and replacing all 30 streetlights will be handed over to the energy giant upon project completion.
Currently, the Town of Bonnyville has 1,521 streetlights, owned and operated under two different systems. 713 are what is known as ‘non-invested', which means the Town wholly owns the lights and is responsible for all maintenance and upkeep. The other 808 lights are ‘invested', which means Atco has a dollar investment in the streetlight, thus rendering the company responsible for any repairs and maintenance.
All ‘non-invested' streetlights in the Town of Bonnyville will eventually be converted to ‘invested'.
Following the success of last year's “fun” mini council meeting at Dr. Brosseau School, the municipality will once again be heading back to the facility for a second meeting sometime before the end of February.
Mayor Gene Sobolewski, who first introduced the idea to council back in early 2014, said he would like to hold something similar to last year's meeting, which saw councilors discuss a municipal enforcement bylaw centering on snow removal and the brand-new splash park site out at Little Leap Park.
It is expected that council will discuss plans for the second phase of the splash park project at the meeting.
As a part of the Town's ongoing equipment replacement program, council last week approved the purchase of two new zero turn mowers to add to the municipality's fleet.
The mowers will be bought locally after Dynamo Small Engine was selected as the lowest and best bidder to tender the purchase.
The machines will come at a cost of $22,399.
Our local RCMP detachment received a boost from Town Council last week after the municipality agreed to fund nearly $20,000 worth of new equipment.
$7,000 was set aside for the purchase of special camera equipment and a spotting scope to be used by municipal enforcement officers on special cases and initiatives.
A further $12,750 will be used to buy two radar speed signs, which will be situated at key pressure points within Bonnyville so as to carefully remind and encourage drivers to stick to the designated speed limits.
Council will be looking to meet with local MLA Genia Leskiw sometime in the near future so as to discuss potential funding issues for several local projects expected to come as a result of dwindling oil prices.
Sobolewski said he would like to press home the importance of securing funding through the provincial government's Water for Life program, a move that could potentially see movement in the construction of the regional waterline from Cold Lake.
He also wants to discuss MSI and Building Canada funding arrangements.
Council made the decision to increase its dog impound fee to $90 last week, so as to keep in line with the impound rates charged by the local SPCA.
