A warm reception from the Mayor and Council

After explaining the idea of working in tandem with the Mayor, Council and administration of The Resort Village of Little Manitou Beach, there were favorable and receptive comments made. It was agreed that there is a growing trend towards Councils working in co-operation with Environmental advisory groups to pull together on projects that underscore the importance of environmental stewardship.

It was pointed out that there is a conference coming to Manitou Beach on March 27th 2010 that is specifically geared towards this exact topic. There was interest expressed by Councilors in attending this conference, that will set out that process that is being undertaken by another Saskatchewan community to work together in this way.

The plan is for a MEGI delegation to attend this conference as a first step toward creating an atmosphere of joint stewardship of the very special ecosystem here at Little Manitou Lake.

More important than this, there was a general air of openness and positivity that was tangible in the Chambers. This leads me to believe that this really is a new era of enlightened leadership here at the Resort Village and for that I think we can be grateful.

MEGI's request for tangible support in the form of a written endorsement from Mayor and Council of our mandate was tabled and duly noted. I was left with the impression that this is a distinct possibility.

Should this occur, I feel that there is a great potential to work together where our respective mandates concerning the environment overlap. In my opinion, this spirit of co-operation is precisely what is needed for the organization to flourish.

Michael Gaudet
President
Manitou Envioronmental Group Incorporated

A New Era at the Resort Village of Manitou Beach

MEGI is sending a delegation this evening to meet with the new Mayor and Council here at the Resort Village of Manitou Beach. This has the potential to be a fruitful meeting as there is an unprecedented spirit of good will and harmony here.
The goal for this evening's meeting will be to leave with a written endorsement of strong moral support for the mandate of the group from Mayor and Council.
This group has always expressed an interest in working in tandem with Mayor and Council to apply our joint resources to generating tangible projects that emanate out of our respective mandates where they overlap and dovetail.
Looking forward to the meeting. We will get back to you with an update and hopefully an important announcement that we are really in a new era here with enlightened leadership and a strong, clear vision of a green, healthy future here at Manitou Beach.

Letter to Council, Letter from Council

MEGI sent the following letter to the mayor and council of the Resort Village of Manitou Beach on August 6th, 2008:

Dear Council Member;

Further to your letter dated February 21st, 2008, where you state, “ At this point there is nothing to report for the lagoon expansion as it is in the early stages of development”.

Our organization understands that there is a lagoon expansion time frame already established in order to comply with Saskatchewan Government regulations. So our question remains, what is the specific time frame that you must comply with, in order to keep the village lagoon within government regulations? Even if council is in the early stages of development with the lagoon plans we would like a report of what the plan is. Surely some decisions have been made by now. Our interest in this issue stems from our mandate to maintain and monitor the long- term ecological viability of Little Manitou Lake.

Please respond at your earliest convenience. We do look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Manitou Environmental Group Incorporated Board

MEGI received this response to our letter on August 21st, after their most recent meeting:

Aug 21, 2008

Re: Letter dated August 6th, 2008 - Lagoon expansion

The following statements are for your information as requested.

The 2007 Audited Statements show that $224,250.00 was kept for future
development, part of which was for the lagoon expansion. The 2008 Approved Budget contains $60,000.00 that will be spent on Engineering costs for the lagoon design and assessment requirements. The approved Five Year Capital Works Plan that is submitted to the Sask. Municipal
Board along with the Annual Budget, by accordance to the Municipalities Act, shows the $60,000.00 for the Lagoon expansion in 2008 and
$350,000.00 planned for 2009.

At the Villages request Catterall & Wright submitted a letter of upgrade recommendations and cost estimate in April 2008.

The following motion was passed at the May 7th, 2008 Regular Meeting of Council:

“119/2008 Davies That a PO be issued to Catteral & Wright to cover future engineering commitment on lagoon initial upset limit $50,000.

CARRIED”

The purchase order was sent to Catteral and Wright on May 20th, 2008.

A planning meeting was held June 6th, 2008 in which Bill Wright from Catterall & Wright explained the details of the lagoon design and fielded any questions and concerns Council members had.

An agreement provided by Catterall & Wright for Geotechnical service was signed on July 16th, 2008 with Machibroda Engineering Ltd. to perform Geotechnical tests required for the design and construction.

In August of 2008 Machibroda site inspectors reviewed the area and made arrangements with Keith Polley to ready the site for their investigation early fall.

Sask. Environment, Sask. Government Community Planning are kept up to date with our plans and are fully aware of the steps taken by the Village in this project. Every possible grant that can be applied for is being undertaken as well.

Any inquiries by the public are addressed when requested and it is the Village Administrations position that the majority of the population whether it be seasonal or permanent residents are fully aware that the lagoon expansion is in the works and that the project estimated timeline is to be finished completely by October 2009. (You can read about the Lagoon Expansion in the web site as well).

Any correspondence, contracts, purchase orders or minutes pertaining to this matter or any other is available for inspection by the general public. Please don’t hesitate to contact the office if you have any other questions or are interested in any further information.

Bobbi Crittenden
Administrator

Resort Village of Manitou Beach Lagoon Expansion

In case you missed it, the Resort Village of Manitou Beach posted this notice in The Watrous Manitou newspaper August 25th 2008 issue on page 3:

Resort Village of Manitou Beach

Lagoon Expansion

The Resort Village of Manitou Beach council is continuing with the Lagoon Expansion Project that has been in the works since 2007 in which reserve funds were set aside and budgetary and infrastructure planning commenced.

Engineering conceptual plans and design have been ongoing since January of 2008 and geotechnical site assessment was done this summer for test drilling to be completed this season.

Currently the Long Lake REDA staff and Catteral & Wright Engineering are assisting the Village Administration and council in applying for the Building Canada Fund Grant in hope to alleviate the costs of the project on the village.

The new sewage management system is of high priority to the resort village’s community planning and development strategy with regard to environmental and economic sustainability.

Comments from our mayor

Warning: This blog post contains language that some readers might find offensive. Don't blame us, I am simply quoting our duly elected mayor, Ken Dalgleish here. As I politely explained to the mayor at the time of our discussion dated August 18th, 2008, he was not only speaking to me personally, he is addressing the members of Manitou Environmental Group Inc. and all of the ratepayers here at the Resort Village of Manitou Beach.

Michael Gaudet.


The board has a meeting this evening and the issue of a public meeeting around the lagoon issue is on the agenda.

I ran into Ken Dalgleish yesterday at the mail boxes here at the beach (he was busy measuring them for some reason) and politely asked him if we could count on his support to put a good word in to Council about hosting a public forum to discuss the sewage lagoons. He said "it has nothing to do with me" and then said "there will not be a public meeting". I asked him why not and he just said "F**k you!". I was a bit surprised at how he reacted. I asked why, as our elected mayor, he was saying the project had nothing to do with him. To which he replied "F**k you!". I then suggested to him that he wasn't simply talking to an individual, he was speaking to a larger group of concerned citizens, both members of MEGI and all of the rate-payers. I was very calm, knowing that this group has facts on it's side in this discussion. He replied "You heard what I said. F**k you!" So I just walked away, shaking my head.

Anyway, doesn't sound too promising that the present mayor is willing to come clean with the Resort Village's plans (or lack thereof) regarding the sewage lagoon upgrade/expansion through a public discussion. Which leads one to ponder...why all the secrecy? What have they got to hide? If there actually is a plan in place, why are they not eager, excited and proud to share it with the rate-payers?

Petition for Public Forum?

Hello MEGI members and friends.

A request was made to Bobbi Crittenden, administer of Resort Village of Manitou Beach, for the Village to hold an open public forum to discuss what plans, if any. are in the works to expand and/or upgrade the Village sewage lagoons. Here is the response from Ms. Crittenden to the request.

Attached is Sec 129 of the Municipalities Act regarding the process to have a public Meeting.

You have two options, one, you can write a letter to council for their August 20th meeting requesting that they hold a public meeting, you cannot dictate the time or place due to requirements that must be followed for a public meeting to be held (advertising time etc.).0r number two get the petition together as stated in the attachment.

Bobbi Crittenden
Administrator
Resort Village of Manitou Beach
Box 1 RR#1 Watrous SK S0K 4T0
(306) 946-2831 phone
(306) 946-2017 fax
manbe@sasktel.net
www.manitoubeach.ca

Page 78

cm-36.1

Municipalities Act

Public meeting

129(1) The mayor or reeve, when authorized by resolution of the council, may call a public meeting of the voters for the discussion of any municipal matter.

(2) The mayor or reeve shall call a public meeting to be held within 30 days after the receipt by the council of a petition requesting that a public meeting for the discussion of a municipal matter be held, if the petition is signed by:

(a) in the case of a resort village, 8% of the voters; or

(b) in the case of a municipality other than a resort village, the greater of 20 voters or the number of voters equal to 5% of the population of the municipality.

(3) The administrator shall determine the sufficiency of the petition and that determination is final.

(4) The council shall give public notice of the meeting.

(5) If a public meeting is held pursuant to subsection (2), the council may refuse to receive any further petition on the same or a similar subject filed within one year after the date of the public meeting.

2005, c.M-36.1, s.129.

Is a petition in order?
Thoughts?

Publishing a comment

The comment moderation on this blog allows for anyone to post. We have decided as a board to post any comment that is signed by the writer. Sorry, no anonymous posts will be published. However, if you wish to include your contact information with your comment while requesting that your post remain anonymous, we will honor your request. Look forward to hearing from you!