Jessica Burtnick

Multimedia Journalist

Well pump, pump house and well supply main upgrades in Rosebud will be delayed, following the opening of tenders at the Wheatland County Council meeting on June 5, which ranged from 30-60 per cent over budget.

Only one bidder tendered for upgrades to the Rosebud well supply main, which will also be re tendered, in the spring when the new budget is available.

In addition to the Rosebud project coming in over estimates, the work scheduled for Carseland was also higher than staff projected.

In order to allow a price comparison between open-cut or tunnel excavation beneath a Carseland playground, bidders were given the opportunity to tender for either or both methods.

"Typically, (open-cut) is a little cheaper but it causes more disturbance," said Dave Churchill, manager of transportation and infrastructure. "(But) the bid prices are unusually high."

He suggested that in combination with three other projects, a better price might be negotiated for the Carseland project.

Fishing allowed at Gleichen Reservoir

An "if you can't beat them, join them" attitude at last Tuesday's meeting also resulted in a motion being passed to develop a parking area and allow fishing at the Gleichen Reservoir.

Existing signage, which prohibits trespassing, fishing and warns of thin ice in winter, in combination with area fences, have proven insufficient and difficult to maintain, said Public Works Superintendent, Gerry Van Oostwaard.

Councillor Ken Sauve also noted the need for enforcement. He pointed out that liability issues could ensue if someone were injured while on the reservoir property, which is public land.

The motion includes provisions for new signage as specified by legal counsel, as well as the installation of a washroom and garbage collection area on site. There was no mention of a perimeter fence, although fencing was thoroughly discussed prior to the decision.

Hydrant will not move

But change cannot be affected everywhere, it seems. A letter of denial will be sent in response to a complaint from a Carseland resident, who requested the removal of a fire hydrant blocking his driveway.

"The fire hydrant was there first, and they're there for a reason," said Van Oostwaard, who pointed out that to cap and relocate the hydrant could cost upwards of $13,000.

The council also established that the housing development had been designed with a backlane, and that the driveway was added later.

"We can't go around changing everything for everybody if they've made a mistake," said Councillor Sauve.

A motion was passed, however, to explore the cost of implementing a storm sewer in the resident's backlane, which is often subject to flooding due to poor drainage.

"It's definitely an issue, there's no doubt about that. It's uphill in all directions," said Van Oostwaard, who indicated the lane is about two metres lower than the surrounding fields.

Councillor Alice Booth suggested a catch basin might be a possibility, but Van Oostwaard felt the cost would be prohibitive, especially due to its close proximity to a high pressure gas line.

Jennifer Deak, chief administrative officer, recommended a local improvement levy could be applied to only the affected houses. Van Oostwaard agreed to investigate the costs further.

Roadwork around Namaka

Van Oostwaard reported that there were a number of soft spots on roads this spring, resulting in patchwork on Township Road 244 and Namaka Road. Upon completion, the oil crew will move on to Rosebud before attending to Duck Lake Road.

The posted speed limit on Range Road 261 will be reduced to 60 kilometres per hour and a hidden driveway warning sign added on the approach. The decision follows an engineer's safety recommendations, as there is no line of sight upon approach of the industrial area.

Recently, machinery parked in Carseland was broken into on May 28. The tools inside were stolen. An on site camera did get a photo of an unidentified, hooded person holding bolt cutters. All tools will be marked with the county brand henceforth, to make resale of stolen equipment more difficult.