KIPLING — In an update to a concern originally brought forward last month, Kipling town council further discussed the question of how to curb speeding on 4th Street during their regular meeting on Sept. 9.
Councillor Devin Draper presented the concern as neighbours noticed an increase in speeding motorists, particularly between the 200 and 400 blocks of 4th Street. Town staff had investigated one possible remedy Draper proposed, that of portable speed bumps, which could also be funded through an SGI traffic safety fund grant. Instead of the temporary speed bumps proposed, the area would require speed humps, which are much wider and more costly.
“Those were $1,500 per hump, and you would need four of them to do two locations,” Acting Administrator Andrew Rygh said. “You would put two on the street because you need to have it allow for water drainage.”
The cost of four permanent speed humps would come to around $6,000 and could complicate snow removal in the area they are placed.
The discussion then turned to speed signs as a deterrent, which could also collect data while reminding fast drivers to slow down.
“You can move them from place to place, and the discussion was had that if we got radar signs, we could actually monitor the speed in several different locations, collect data on it, and then once that data is collected, then we can determine whether we need to move to next steps,” said Rygh. “The hope is that the radar signs will help suppress the speed in locations.”
Council made a motion to move forward with the purchase of portable speed signs, contingent on total project funding through the SGI traffic safety fund.
Paving work completed
Kipling residents may have noticed increased paving activity recently as Southwest Paving came to town a few weeks ago.
A large portion of their activity was patchwork due to regular wear and tear, plus water main breaks, but they also repaved a few blocks as well.
“They did one block of 8th Avenue, one block of 3rd Street, and then one block of 3rd Avenue, and then patchwork,” Rygh explained. “Several residents benefited from having Southwest Paving in town, and they took the opportunity to get their driveways either resurfaced or paved.”
The cost for all the paving work comes to $250,000, which is budgeted for the work.
Signage and visibility
In his Acting Administrator’s report, Rygh updated council on several items of interest. Firstly, signage for the Curling Club and Arena is ready and has been delivered.
The town is still waiting to replace the crosswalk sign at the intersection of 6th Avenue and Railway Street. Responsibility for replacing the crosswalk sign falls on the provincial Department of Highways, who Rygh noted has been notified of the issue.
“We have been in touch with them quite regularly to get our crosswalk sign replaced, and we keep being told that it’s going to be looked after, but it’s been several months now,” Rygh said.
One block over on the corner of 7th Avenue and Railway Street, hedges have been blocking line of sight for motorists. The hedge-trimming item was brought to council’s attention last month, and Rygh was pleased to report a positive outcome thus far.
“That’s gone well, and we’re going to assess the progress this week,” he said.
Election meeting on Wednesday
Municipal election season is fast approaching with the Call for Nominations officially posted in Kipling on Sept. 13. Mayor Pat Jackson is not planning to run again, and for many weeks has spoken of holding a public meeting about serving on town council.
“It’s to encourage people to ask questions and get a better understanding of what it takes so that they’re willing to volunteer or step up and put their name in,” Rygh explained.
The Sept. 18 meet and greet will be held at the Community Centre from 6 to 8 pm and hosted by Mayor Jackson, who has 20 years experience on council.
Ballpark shelter almost complete
Work on a shelter at the ball diamonds is 95 per cent complete according to Rygh. The only real work right now is deciding on serving doors — either go ahead with the current design or go with a new aluminum roll-up style.
“The ones that were put in place will require a little bit of work to make them functional, and there’s discussion of whether or not we abandon that style and move to an aluminum roll-up door,” Rygh said.
A space was also created for an air conditioning unit in the cooler room, which will be installed after winter.
“We’ll pull it out, we’ll keep it probably in storage at the arena, and then put it in place next spring, when we get started with that season,” Rygh said.
Ash trees safe
After a Dutch elm disease survey was conducted on local spruce trees in July, the suggestion of an ash tree assessment came to the town, citing concerns about the emerald ash borer beetle. Fortunately, the tree studies noted neither Dutch elm disease nor the beetle prevalent in Kipling. However, there is one issue still facing a few trees in town.
“Zero evidence of emerald ash borer was found, so our trees are safe,” Rygh said. “They did note that they saw some frost cracks and mechanical damage that we might want to monitor.”
Frost cracks can cause damage and compromise the strength of affected trees, making them less likely to withstand high winds.
“Depending on the wind, what kind of force it puts on, it can actually torque the tree and tear it right down,” Rygh said.
Seasonal Wi-Fi
An item from the Foreman’s Report noted the need for Wi-Fi at the arena, but it will travel during the off-season. A pair of installations will be made — one at the arena and another at the pool — only used when the season dictates.
“We’ll disconnect it at the arena and save the six months' worth of cost, and then disconnect it at the pool and save that so really, we’re paying for one connection, and there is minimal extra cost for the setup,” Rygh explained, citing the price tag as being $60.
