Ratepayer's Info 2023

R.M. of Cote No. 271

RATEPAYER INFORMATION 2023

528 Third Ave. South, Box 669, Kamsack, SK  S0A 1S0, office: 306-542-2121, fax: 306-542-2428

E-mail: rm271@sasktel.net

Website: rmofcote271.com, or see us on Facebook

 

Office Hours:

Office hours are Monday to Thursday, 8:00 a.m. – noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The office is closed statutory holidays.

 

Municipal Council:                                                              

Reeve:  Kim Pennell                           306-542-7493         

Division 1: Amanda Burback             306-597-2115         

Division 2: Vern Bowes                     306-597-4502                   

Division 3: Craig Salahub                   306-542-3337                              

Division 4: Dale Schwartz                  306-597-4535

Division 5: Glen Becenko                  306-542-7647

Division 6: Murray Horkoff               306-542-2259

 Staff:

Administrator:    Sherry Guenther

Operators:           Russell Rauckman (Foreman)

                            Devon Burback

Council Meetings:

Council meets the second Wednesday of the month unless otherwise changed at Council’s discretion beginning at 9:00 a.m. If you wish to address Council or attend a regular meeting, Council requires a brief written letter regarding your concern(s) to the office the Friday before the meeting to have your delegation placed on the agenda. (Bylaw No. 3/2016 Council Procedures Bylaw).

 

Payment of Taxes:

The office will accept payment of taxes by cheque, cash or e-Transfer. The office does not have a debit/credit card machine. Remember: payment is received the day we get the cheque not the date the cheque is dated or envelope is postmarked. You can always mail a post-dated cheque early and it will be processed on the date.

 

Contact Numbers to have close by:

Control Burn #: 1-866-404-4911

Report Wild Boar: 1-888-935-0000

Welfare of livestock, companion animals and wildlife: (Animal Protection Services of SK) 306-382-0002

Hunting/trapping violations: SK Environment 306-567-4224 or 306-667-7561

Rabies Response Line: 1-844-772-2437

Hay Salvage & Ditch Mowing (local district office): 306-786-1658

Suspicious behavior, theft, or other concerns: contact the local RCMP detachment or R.M. office

Defacing of municipal signs or signs missing: contact R.M. office

Division 4 Plant Health Officer: Katey Makohoniuk CCA, Tech Ag 306-594-7683. For questions/concerns regarding: clubroot, insects, weeds and plants. She is a fountain of knowledge!

TIPP: Saskatchewan.ca/tipp, 1-800-667-7561, SaskTel cell #5555. If you suspect, wildfires, fishery/forestry violations, illegal dumping and burning of plastics, tires and other waste.

 

R.M. Mowing:

Friesen Mowing has been contracted in 2023 for ditch mowing in the municipality.

 

Gravel Crushing/Loading and Hauling 2023:

Gravel tenders for crushing/stockpiling and loading/hauling were placed on Sask Tenders for this year. The tenders were awarded to Kam-Crete Ltd. from Kamsack.

 

Beaver Control Program:

The R.M. is participating in the BCP 2023-2024 with SARM. Contact the office for more information. A valid fur trapping license is required to participate in the program.

 

R.M. of Cote’s Runnymede Transfer Station Site:

Open the third Saturday of each month from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. From the May long weekend to October long weekend the site will be open the first and third Saturday of each month.

Location:  PT SE 12-29-31 W1. One mile north through Runnymede.

NO GRAIN BAGS AND TWINE IN THE BINS!!! The twine gets tangled in the compactor and loader. For agriculture plastics such as pesticide containers and fertilizer bags check out Cleanfarms website for more information and collection sites.

The City of Yorkton Landfill is accepting clean, rolled grain bags free of charge. Please contact them ahead of time for guidelines and hours. Silage bags are not accepted. Call 306-828-2470.

The R.M. has recycle bins at the R.M. shop in Kamsack and two at Runnymede. Please make sure ALL lids on ALL bins are closed.

 

Green Center:

Is a family owned recycle facility located at the front of the City of Yorkton landfill. This facility offers a lower price rate for the dumping of used concrete, wood, asphalt and asphalt shingles into landfills. Contact their office at 306-620-8338 or greencenter@gmail.com for further information, rates and hours of operation.

 

Parkland Regional Waste Management Authority Regional Landfill:

The PRWMA owns and operates a regional landfill located approximately 12 km’s west of Preeceville. Contact the R.M. office for hours and further information.

 

Garbage Bins:

Report garbage bin abuse to the R.M. office. NOTE that the bins are for household garbage only!! When other items are thrown in it fills up the bins and causes a mess before the truck comes back to the area to empty them. If you find the bins full please take the garbage home and bring it back once the bins have been emptied. The garbage bins are emptied every two weeks when roads bans are not in place. If you see someone who should not be dumping at the bins please contact your councillor or the office. Remember it is your tax dollars that pay for this essential service!!!

Visit: saskwastereduction.ca for information on recycling, reducing waste and other great information. Click on the “recycle” tab for info in your area. You may need to expand your search to larger communities. 

 

Farmers Mental Health:

Farmers continue to suffer from higher rates of mental health challenges compared to the rest of the national population and compared to five years prior, farmers have an increased worsening in mental health. There are many stressors that agricultural producers face such as weather, animal or crop diseases, commodity prices, financial insecurity and many more. These stressors contribute to higher levels of overall stress, anxiety and emotional exhaustion among the farming population. The pandemic piled on additional stressors for farmers including increased costs, supply chain uncertainty and public scrutiny.

 

Women’s Mental Health:

The results of a recent survey highlight that women in particular face additional mental health challenges on Canadian farms and were reported to have higher stress and mental health problems. The stress experienced by women on the farm stems from  “role conflict” as women often have responsibilities both on and off the farm.

  

Farm Stress Line: 1-800-667-4442, confidential and no call display.

Sask. Suicide Hotline: 306-525-5333

 

Whole Body Vibration (WBV):

WBV comes from machinery vibration that moves through the feet, legs or seat and can cause low back pain and muscle and joint soreness.

The health effects of WBV are: speech interference, increased hear rate & blood pressure, muscle fatigue & cramping, reduced concentration, increased breathing rate, disruption of balance & perception, low back pain & damage to the spine and slower reaction times.

To reduce your risk when spending long days operating machinery remember to: maintain your equipment, adjust the seat, be aware of terrain, stop and take breaks (every 2-4 hours for about 5 minutes).

 

2023 Mill Rate:

Council has set the 2023 mill rate at 9.5. The years 2019 to 2022 saw the mill rate unchanged at 8.3.

 

2022 financial statements are available at the R.M. office. If you wish a copy e-mailed to you please contact the office.

 

Tax Arrears:  Municipal arrears as of June 26, 2023 (before 2023 tax notices were sent) are: $30,360.00.          (Municipal arrears at December 31, 2022 were $232.31!!)

 

2023 Municipal Budget:

Main revenue sources for the rural municipality comes from the general municipal levy and revenue sharing from the Government of Saskatchewan. The revenue sharing for the Hamlet of Runnymede is $4,110 and for the R.M. is $224,190. Revenue sharing is calculated by: ¾ of 1% of PST from two years previous. Other sources are from custom work, fees and charges, grant-in-lieu’s, interest revenue, grants/funding applied for, etc.

 

Here is a brief breakdown of some of the bigger expenses of the municipality and what was approximately budgeted for 2023:

 

Gravel: gravel, royalties, pit stripping                                                                        $160,000

Gravel crushing: three pits (crushing for a two-year period)                                              $164,000

Police requisition                                                                                                        $35,920          

Eaglestone Lodge Capital Contribution                                                                     $5,000

Assiniboine Valley Health & Wellness Foundation                                                   $6,160

Library requisition                                                                                                      $8,500

Fire agreement with the Town of Kamsack & fire dispatch                                      $24,330

Culvert work for six divisions, culvert purchases                                                      $45,000

Bush/Patchwork for six divisions                                                                               $30,000

Insurance/benefits                                                                                                       $50,000

Amortization                                                                                                               $157,000

SAMA                                                                                                                        $13,100

Wages: employees/council indemnities                                                                      $281,000

Utilities: office, shop, Hamlet of Runnymede                                                            $16,100

Oil and Gas                                                                                                                 $105,000

PRWMA (garbage), transfer station maintenance                                                      $50,520

Mowing contract                                                                                                         $70,000

Extended warranty on 2018 870G                                                                              $34,000

Municipal Mulching                                                                                                   $10,000

Transfer to Reserves & asset management                                                                 $162,900        

 

The three- year loan on the 2020 772G grader was paid in full in June of this year. Council decided not to trade in the 2018 870G grader this year and chose to purchase a two- year extended warranty. The municipality runs two graders and the costs in 2023 to replace one grader can be from $525,000 to $600,000 plus. The amounts depend on the make, model, extra features, etc. Council is in the planning stages for a municipal shop.    

In 2013 council (at that time) purchased 8 lots for a potential shop construction. The lots were consolidated this year and the shop committee is working on bringing the shop to fruition. Funds have been set aside for a majority of the expenses that will be incurred.


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