With the New Year and a start to a new decade nearly here, Town of St. Paul Mayor Maureen Miller says town council focused on visioning and looking to the future in 2019.
The wastewater treatment plant upgrade was definitely one of the highlights this year, and work on the project is now well underway, said Miller.
“This project has been extremely important because we did not want to compromise on the quality and our environmental responsibility for future generations,” Miller said. “The floor for the foundation is (complete), and the form for the concrete wall will be going up in the New Year.”
The project saw challenges earlier in the year when construction tenders came back with costs significantly higher than projected. In September, the province stepped in with the additional money the town required to move forward with the planned upgrade to the wastewater treatment plant, as originally proposed.
The purchasing of the land just east of Lakeshore Drive is also a highlight for 2019, said Miller. Due to existing infrastructure being in close proximity, purchasing the land places the town in a great position for further development.
Earlier this year, a family that owned approximately 30 acres of undeveloped land approached the town. The town paid just over half the assessed value. Main service lines run either right through this land or right by the land. The town does not plan to develop this land but rather sell it in chunks to developers.
The Town of St. Paul was also rebranded this year, which included the creation of a new logo.
Since being elected in 2017, Miller said her biggest lesson learned is knowing and respecting the individual roles and responsibilities of those involved in governance.
“An effective government runs to the best of its ability when council, administration, and staff know who is responsible to perform what job, which in turn promotes the best performance collectively,” Miller said. “I am proud to acknowledge we have learned to exemplify a good governance model.”
For 2020, Miller hopes to see the economy turn around and thrive, with local businesses prospering.
When asked what Council could improve on, Miller points to the fact that all councillors must juggle various responsibilities along with their roles as elected officials.
“(This) has challenged each and every one of us,” Miller notes. “It is important to get the best conversations and ultimately decisions by encouraging a variety of members to council and it could not happen without understanding partners, families and employers, however, the juggle is real and I thank each and every one of them for their commitment.”
While reflecting on 2019, and looking ahead to 2020, the mayor acknowledged how she feels about St. Paul.
“It is a wonderful community to raise families, and age at home, knowing your neighbours are there to there to support you,” Miller said.
According to Miller, the low point of the year has been dealing with all the rumours about funding cutbacks before the provincial election, and now waiting for the current budget.
“We were quite concerned about being unable to fund infrastructure upgrades that we really need,” Miller said. “However, though we may not be able to do them as quickly as we had hoped, we believe with proper fiscal management we can achieve our goals."
The year also saw the raising of the Métis flag at the landing pad.
"It was about time to acknowledge our true history with the raising of the Treaty 6 Flag and the Métis Flag,” Miller said.
Looking ahead, Miller believes there is always room for improvement in how things are being done.
“We always focus on the best possible decisions to leave the community in a better place, with the future in the forefront of those choices."
