Residential irrigation to remain closed for 2011

Shannon LeClair

Times Reporter

 

The issue of residential irrigation was added to the agenda at the June 15 regular council meeting. Sign up for the 2011 irrigation season was much lower than council was hoping for. Only 39 users paid the $200 fee to keep the system running, falling far short of the potential users. 

For the $80,000 operational cost to be shared among the users, it would cost each of the 39 residents $2,000. 

Mayor Steve Grajczyk said he thinks users may have been confused as to what the costs per household were going to be, whether it was $100 or $200 they were being asked to pay.  He said if council were to say yes to start the system back for 2011, more residents would sign up. 

“I think it’s a sad day for Strathmore that we don’t have more people interested in this valuable service that we have here to offer, but if there’s nobody interested in using it, then what’s the point of starting it up again?” said Councillor John Rempel 

“I’m not saying that we should just shut it down and say we’re done with irrigation. I still believe that irrigation should be an option that we could look at. If we don’t need it this year, we might need it next year,” said Councillor John Rempel. 

After two defeated motions, council took a short recess before coming back with their final motion for the evening. 

The final motion, made by Councillor Dave Hamilton, was to not reinstate residential irrigation for the 2011 season, but that it would be brought forward in the fall workshop for discussion for any further budgeting for 2012 

Council voted unanimously in favour of the final motion.  

 

Crosswalk lights 

Council debated relocating the crosswalk lights located just east of Thomas Drive, to the intersection of Thomas Drive and Brent Blvd, due to the number of pedestrian incidents which have occurred. 

The cost to relocate the lights would be $35,000, and the main reason for the request was to try to get the students coming from the schools along Brent Blvd to cross the street properly, the crosswalk. making things safer for the kids, and drivers.  

Many of council didn’t feel that moving the lights were going to make a difference. Councillor Dave Hamilton made a motion for two additional stop signs to be put up at Thomas Drive and Brent Blvd for the fall, prior to the beginning of the school year for a school year trial. While this didn’t satisfy all of council, the motion passed with only councillors Earl Best and Pat Fule voting against it.