Neepawa supportive of NADCO credit request

Details

Published on Saturday, February 17, 2018

By Eoin Devereux

Neepawa Banner & Press

Neepawa Town Council has approved supporting the Beautiful Plains Community Clinic Committee and Neepawa and Area Development Corporation (NADCO) in its request for an increase to their available line of credit.

It was recently suggested to NADCO, that they could raise their credit line at the Beautiful Plains Credit Union from $400,000 to $750,000. The change would reflect the current market of construction costs and ensure they can effectively manage their financial obligations in the short term, while they prepare for the 2018 Manitoba Farm and Leisure Lottery.

To do this, NADCO needs to ask the four municipalities associated with the organization (Town of Neepawa and the municipalities of Rosedale, North Cypress-Langford and Glenella-Lansdowne). Once all four supply approval, NADCO will be able to go to the Credit Union to seek the change. 

Tree services

The Town of Neepawa has approved the removal of six cottonwood trees on 4th avenue, south of Highway 16. Two companies brought forward a bid for the job, with Middleton Enterprises Inc., of Neepawa, winning with a bid of $11,000, excluding taxes and stump removal. The town itself will be responsible for removing the stumps. The reason for the tree removal is due to their size and expansion of branches and tree roots becoming too unwieldy and starting to become a safety concern. Plans are in place to replace the trees in the future. 

Worries about tree removal

The Beautiful Plains Horticultural Society has expressed its concerns to council about the number of trees at the former Eastview Lodge site that could be dealing with potential long-term damage. The property is being prepped for development, which has required a large mass of dirt to be transported to the location. The Society fears the trees in the area will succumb quickly to having their roots buried well below such a large pile of earth. 

In a letter replying back to the Horticultural Society, the Town noted that further work and alteration to the appearance of the site will happen this year; and that with the completion of the services and the roadbed, site landscaping will occur. This would entail proper sloping on hills and seeding of the site to minimize erosion. Plans to plant trees in new subdivisions are also ongoing and will occur. 

Invitation from the Salvation Army

Neepawa’s Salvation Army has scheduled a strategic planning session for early March. As part of the process, which will allow them to set priorities for the next three to five years, the organization is inviting notable stakeholders from throughout the region to the discussion. The Town has been identified as one of those stakeholders. A representative from the town has accepted the invitation and will participate in the gathering, scheduled for Thursday, Mar. 8.

Fire protection review

The Town of Neepawa and Municipality of Glenella-Lansdowne have clarified their roles in fire protection for the region. Due to improvements to the Landsdowne Fire Department’s  equipment and other technology, the R.M. has forwarded a request to E911/Police Emergency Communication to change it's paging procedure. Previously, Neepawa was listed as the First Mutual Aid Partner call in any emergency. Should a major emergency occur within the region, Neepawa Fire Department will still offer aid; they will simply not be the first mutual aid call for every situation, large, small or otherwise. 

Meanwhile, the Town of Neepawa is examining its options for cost recovery on these types of service calls.