ENTERPRISE
The hamlet council in Enterprise has passed its budgets for the fiscal year 2013-14, along with a five-year plan.
On March 26, council unanimously approved the 2013-14 capital budget with expenditures totalling $1,399,000, along with a five-year capital plan.
The proposed spending in the capital budget and the five-year plan often overlap with some projects being planned or starting in the new fiscal year.
One idea put forward is to buy a staff house for the community's senior administrative officer (SAO).
Coun. Mathew Gauthier said that might lead to buying housing for other staff members and he suggested it be removed from the plan.
However, Coun. Jim Dives said the current SAO is lucky to have housing in the community with extremely limited accommodation options available.
Dives said the hamlet wants to attract qualified SAOs and requires them to live in the community. "Then we should be providing suitable housing. Hay River does it. A number of other communities do it."
In the end, the idea of a staff house was left in the plan for one year to explore options.
Couns. Alan Flamand, John Leskiw II and Tammy Neal did not participate in the discussion about staff housing because of a possible conflict of interest involving
rental accommodation.
Another issue of discussion was a road upgrade program.
Some councillors think it would be a good idea to piggyback road paving with Hay River businessman Brad Mapes' proposed wood pellet plant just north of the community.
"Even if Brad Mapes does go and start doing his paving, our roads aren't ready for paving," said Gauthier. "We probably have to tender out just to get our roads fixed up."
The dream of the community having its own water treatment plant will also take a step forward with the drilling of a well in the fiscal year to test water quality.
An operation and maintenance budget was also passed unanimously.
It has expenditures of $1,182,092 between April 1, 2013, and March 31, 2014, with equal offsetting revenue.
Prior to the passing of the operation and maintenance budget, one of the major topics of discussion was a written request from the Gateway Jamboree Society for a $25,000 grant to purchase a second tent for the annual music festival.
However, Terry Testart, the hamlet's senior administrative officer, told council that the Hamlets Act limits the total of all grants in a fiscal year to two per cent of a hamlet's total unrestricted revenue in the previous fiscal year. That means Enterprise can grant up to $15,100 in the 2013-14 fiscal year.
The request from the Gateway Jamboree Society was tabled.
Fact file
Enterprise five-year plan priorities
The following planned projects or purchases are in Enterprise's annual budget and/or its new five-year plan.
- Fire pumper
- Community centre renovation for emergency reception
- Water supply work; drilling of well in 2013-2014
- IT and communications
- Road upgrade program; design in 2013-14
- Community fire break
- Parks and trails
- Landfill improvements
- General Plan review
- Human resource manual and plan
- Energy plan
- Residential development; land use plan
- Develop of new residential and industrial subdivision
- Staff house
- Gravel truck
- Hamlet office renovations
- New hamlet office
- Public works cold storage building
- Cemetery
- Ford Regular Cab 4x2
- Sports activity space addition to the community centre
Source: Hamlet of Enterprise
