The council also held a first reading of a by-law setting out the terms of reference for the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum.
ESTEVAN – Estevan City Council members received an update on the initiatives of the municipality’s Innovation Council during Monday evening’s session.
In a correspondence, Coun. Rebecca Foord wrote that 2022 was a busy year for the Innovation Council. A highlight was the successful bid for Intelligent Community designation by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF), a global network of cities and communities focused on economic development. and seek to solve challenges through innovation and new economic development opportunities through technology.
Estevan placed in the top 21 communities worldwide, which attracted worldwide attention.
They have applied again and hope to finish at least in the top seven this year.
“Our 2023 bid has allowed us to refocus on what we do in the education sector, from primary to post-secondary education,” Foord wrote. “We were able to share links with the ICF to connect them to our city pages, newspapers and partners in our community, which allow us to showcase the work that has been done in Estevan.”
They also looked at areas of the community where they could find more attention in terms of technology, innovation, and ways to make the community a great place to work and play.
Last year, alongside the Southeast Innovation Business Development Center, a rural technology center also opened, the first of its kind in Saskatchewan, which Foord said allows the community to diversify technologically, start and attract new businesses, and support local businesses in their journey through technology and expansion.
Foord said they’re excited about all that 2023 has to offer, showing the community that technology and innovation can be fun and are critical to diversifying the economy.
She noted that many communities around the world are going through challenges similar to Estevan’s.
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The council this year approved $300 to become part of the Hudson Bay Route Association. It runs all the way to Churchill, Man., and as the Northwest Passage thaws, Mayor Roy Ludwig said more cargo could transit that route.
Councilor Tony Sernick said it would be a good way to ship coal from the area.
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Western Municipal Consulting will serve as the board of auditors for Estevan in 2023. The previous agency for the panel, Nor-Sask. Board Services says it will no longer be available.
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Two $150,000 building permits were granted in January. Both were for commercial permits.
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The council gave a first reading of a charter setting out the terms of reference for the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum.
Board member Kathryn Gilliss explained why the changes are happening and answered questions from the council. She said this is essentially an update of the current statute as some of the provisions are a bit outdated.
For example, the bylaws state that the board must have representatives from certain groups in the community. Now there will be broad-based membership and a council representative.
“It’s just difficult to hire other agencies because the positions are volunteer,” Gilliss said.
They also outlined the duties and expectations of board members. They also want to see a leader as some members have been on the board for some time.
The Articles of Association also provide for measures to fill vacancies in the event that someone resigns from management.
It also calls for the EAGM to remain “the cultural perspective of the community” as the voice for arts, culture and history.
There are also fundraising clauses, how someone can approach the EAGM with a donation, and steps to follow if the EAGM ever has to fold.
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The council gave a second and third reading to stop the sending of tax assessments in non-assessment years. The city will continue to mail the forms during tax years or any other time a taxpayer has a tax change. The move is expected to result in cost savings for the city.
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