MELFORT — Rehabilitating roadways, replacing sidewalks, reviewing the Broadway Avenue South truck route, and installing local traffic safety initiatives are among the goals set in Melfort’s new four year strategic plan.
Approved at council’s August meeting, the plan will influence the city’s budgets and the work the city does until 2025.
“Our strategic plan is broken into two main components,” said Adam Homes, Melfort’s city manager. “The first is just kind of talking about who we are: our vision, our mission, and what our values are. The second component is really kind of listing out the activities and tactics we want to accomplish over the next four years.”
For parks, the city seeks to develop one or more new off-leash dog parks, a water reservoir park master plan, a Windsor Waterfowl Park concept plan, and refresh Burke Playground and Spray Park.
For Spruce Haven Park specifically, the city seeks to install a fitness circuit, explore short-term camping options, install a pump track for bikes, design and install new lighting, and install an outdoor stage and park pavilion.
The city is also seeking to expand and upgrade all walking trails.
For transportation, the city seeks to rehabilitate roadways, replace sidewalks, review the Broadway Avenue South truck route, and install local traffic safety initiatives such as speed humps and radar speed signs.
For utilities, the city seeks to accelerate the water main replacement program, water reservoir replacement concept plan, implement a sewer lining program, implement a landfill closure and new engineered landfill, review curbside organics program, and build a new compost facility & rehabilitate land farm.
For fleet and facility renewal, the city seeks a city hall and fire hall refresh, a Northern Lights Palace rehabilitation plan, public works & community services yard master plan, a Melfort Fire training site master plan, install a fire hall ventilation system, a Historic Post Office and library feasibility study and concept plan, as well as replace the fire department’s fire rescue, ladder and engine trucks.
Homes said there isn’t any timeline set on the Historic Post Office and library feasibility study, but long-term they want to look into it as an option for relocating the library.
“Right now we have a library that’s in an older building, space is an issue in there and that building needs repair as well,” he said.
“Previously the city did a high level review of the post office and if the library could move in there. This would take it to the next step and come up with a high level cost estimate and make sure the programming of the library would fit in the building.”
For supporting frameworks, the city seeks to refine their asset management plan, complete condition assessments for major assets, review size and type of fleet, review leasing vs purchasing vehicles, refine a WorkSafe program, update procurement policy and procedures, as well as implement a city and SaskTel collaborative strategy.
For community and region, the city seeks to enhance their relationships and partnerships with neighbouring rural and urban municipalities, enhance their relationship and partnerships with First Nations, advocate for the development of underutilized properties at Highway 3 and Saskatchewan Drive, partner with local organizations to beautify the city, partner with local organizations to promote art and culture in the City, as well as implement Veterans Way along Saskatchewan Drive.
The strategic plan also contains a section for their strategy to increase Melfort’s population to 10,000 that includes developing a master plan for city utilities, develop neighbourhood plans, and update council policies and city bylaws.
For tourism and economic development, the city seeks to develop a tourism and economic strategy, as well as ensure supply of serviced land for residential, commercial, and industrial use.
The full strategic plan can be read on the city’s website at melfort.ca.
“It’s a pretty big list, are we going to get to all of them? Probably not, but we want to kind of zero in on some of these key areas,” Homes said.
“Really this strategy is a way for the city to communicate what our priorities are.”
