KIPLING — Kipling Town Council held their regular meeting on November 13. At that meeting, council decided to renew the trademark for the red paperclip that made the community famous.
The total cost of the renewal is $3,500 for the next 10 years, barring any changes to the 13 classes associated with the trademark. Initially filed back in 2006, the trademark was officially registered in 2009 after some “legal back and forth.”
Mayor Patricia Jackson noted how people continue to associate the brand with Kipling as she recounted reaction to the branded pin she wears.
“People still come up to me and say, ‘that’s the town with the red paperclip’ and they’re wildly excited,” she told council.
Council agreed unanimously with the decision.
“It is part of our branding, so it should be maintained,” noted Councillor Don Johnson.
The big red paperclip itself continues to be a local attraction, in turn bolstering local business as well.
“There are people at that paper clip in the summer multiple times daily,” explained Gail Dakue, CAO with the Town of Kipling, adding that tourists often linger in town visiting local businesses. “In the wintertime, I would say probably weekly. It is just amazing the amount of people that come to town and stop and get their picture taken with the with the clip.”
EMO appointed
Lyndon Dayman has been appointed as Emergency Measures Officer, replacing Bruce Dash who resigned from the position in February. The EMO is jointly appointed by the Town and RMs of Kingsley and Hazelwood. Locals may recall back in the substantial 2011 flooding in the area when the Emergency Measures Committee was activated.
“We were active for about three months with all the flooding and it worked very, very well,” CAO Gail Dakue explained. “It was exhausting and nobody ever wants to do it again, but it is an excellent thing to have in place.”
She also pointed out the importance of having an emergency plan in a community should disaster strike.
“Everybody knows their role and it really works well,” she said. “But if you don’t [have a plan in place], then it can be a bit of a nightmare.”
Under legislation, the Town is required to have an emergency plan and appoint an EMO.
Committee appointments
Committee appointments for councillors stayed the same for 2024 with the following roles.
Health Foundation Rep – Colby Sproat. Budget Committee – Council as a Whole. Joint Community Centre Committee – Devin Draper. SE Library Rep – Makyla Stender. Veterinary Board – James Gallagher. Human Resources – Mayor Patricia Jackson, Stender, Sproat, Gallagher. Leisure Services Committee – Gallagher, Tyler Vargo, Sproat. Communities Lotteries Grant – Gallagher, Vargo, Sproat, Stender. Kidsport Committee – Jackson, Don Johnson, Stender, and Gallagher. Joint Leisure Services Committee – Vargo and Gallagher. Planning and Development - Jackson, Johnson, Draper and Sproat. Police Commissioner – Jackson
Joint Fire Committee Reps – Draper and Sproat. School Community Council - Stender. Joint Airport Committee Rep – Vargo. South East. Transportation Committee (SETPC) Rep – Johnson. Joint Road Committee Reps – Gallagher and Sproat. Utilities – Draper, Gallagher, and Vargo. Moose Mountain Pipestone-Creek Watershed Association (MMPCWA) – Draper and Sproat.
The Mayor is ex officio on all committees of council, which means that he or she is a member of all committees with voting privileges.
Public Committees: Auditor – Dudley & Company. Building Inspector – Professional Building Inspections. Fire Chief – Ken Nordal. Pound Keeper – Public Works Department. SE Regional Library – Christina Weeding, Dawn Manns, Hilda Highmoor, DJ Palmer. Solicitor – Trobert Gilliss Law Office. RCWRA – Duane Leicht. Weed Inspector – Greg Pusch. Board of Revision – Western Municipal Consulting. Development Appeals Board – Western Municipal Consulting.
Variance approved
Council approved a reduction in a side yard variance, accommodating a development application for a garage on a property.
Motion to acquire house title
Council passed a motion to proceed with the request for title on a vacant house. Currently, it is unknown if the house is in shape to be habitable.
“Hopefully, in this day and age with the housing shortage we’ve got going on here, it would be great if it was livable,” Dakue noted.
Pump repair
The west lift station pump is in need of some attention, with the concern brought to the council table.
“An inspection by Municipal Utilities showed that there was some wear on it,” Dakue explained.
The cost to repair the pump is $7,470.66, which is less than half of the amount to purchase a new unit. While regular maintenance is performed on the pumps, Dakue doesn’t recall having to send one away for repairs for at least the past 20 years.
The lift station operates on two pumps and the east pump will be more than adequate to meet the needs of the lift station while repairs take place.
Sask Housing settlement
In a correspondence item, council was advised that the town will receive a surplus of $1,436.12 as the 2022 Municipal Share for the profit made by the Kipling Housing Authority.
Applications close for town job
Council learned that there were eight applications for a Public Works position available in the Town of Kipling. The deadline for applications was Nov. 8, and Dakue will be conducting interviews to fill the lone position.
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