Policies and Procedures

Snow and Ice Removal

Background:

The Town of Minnedosa is responsible for the snow and ice removal from town streets with the exceptions of 16A, Main Street, 6th Avenue, N.W. and 2nd Avenue, S.E. which are maintained by the Dept. of Highways.

Goals:

The goal of The Town of Minnedosa is to provide reasonable snow and ice control on the streets it maintains, in a safe and cost effective manner.

Procedure:

The Town will:

  • monitor weather and road conditions
  • maintain streets in a reasonably safe driving condition
  • remove snow and ice in a timely manner as required
  • perform all maintenance tasks equally in the best interest of The Town of Minnedosa ratepayers

Policy:

Note: In the following “the town” refers to the Public Works superintendent or his/her designate.

The start of snow removal operations will depend on immediate and anticipated weather conditions. Snow removal will begin in the south west corner, progressing to the south east corner then to the north end of town. These routes may vary due to weather conditions. Some streets may be left unplowed until later in the plowing operation if it is determined that traffic volumes do not warrant immediate plowing. Back lanes will be plowed as time permits once main plowing operations have commenced. Under severe conditions streets may not be plowed full width or plowing may be stopped until it is safe to continue. Factors that may delay snow removal and sanding operations are severe cold, high winds, reduced visibility and rapid accumulations of snow. Under normal conditions snow removal and sanding operations will be completed within 48 hours of a storms passing. Accumulations of snow after normal working hours will be removed at the discretion of the town, when possible removal will be completed on the next regular work day. Factors for after hour call out include large accumulations of snow, excessive drifting or extremely icy conditions. Accumulations of snow from the plowing operations left in private driveways is the responsibility of the resident for removal, snow is not to be placed back on plowed streets. Operators will make every effort to keep accumulations to a minimum.

Equipment:

Town equipment will be utilized for the snow removal and sanding operations unless excessive work load requires contracted equipment to be hired or rented.

Dispatching:

Snow removal and sanding operations will be determined by the immediate or anticipated weather conditions at the discretion of the town.  Snow removal and sanding operations will occur during regular work hours of 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. or on a specific call out situation at the discretion of the town.  Work outside regular hours will be done in accordance to union contract.  For emergency situations (fire, police, medical) necessary equipment will be dispatched as soon as possible.  Emergency requests must be received directly from the police, fire or emergency services.

Snow Storage:

Snow and ice removal will require the use of town right-of-ways and property for snow storage.  Depending on volume of snow, storage of snow may create sight obstructions for motorists and pedestrians.  Snow piled on right-of-ways will be removed if deemed necessary by the town.

Sanding:

Sanding operations will use the routes opened by the plowing operations.  Some areas may be sanded prior to and following snow plowing if conditions deem it necessary.  A mixture of 5% to 10% salt to sand mixture will be used, this is designed for traction rather than melting to bare pavement.  Under normal conditions only intersections and hills will be sanded in residential areas.  Downtown areas are sanded at a higher rate due to increased pedestrian and vehicle traffic.

Right-of-Way Encroachments:

Landscaping including trees and inanimate materials that are installed by the resident on town right-of-way, will be the responsibility of the resident.  The resident will accept all risk and damage due directly or indirectly to snow removal operations will not be eligible for compensation.  The town will not assume any responsibility for damage to aboveground or underground sprinkler systems, exterior lighting or personal property stored on town right-of-way.

Sidewalks:

Sidewalks are cleaned as time and budget allow, the downtown area is first priority fanning out to the residential area if time allows.  The main responsibility for snow and ice removal on sidewalks is on the resident and business owner to clear their frontage.

Requests and Complaints:

Requests and complaints will be taken at the Town of Minnedosa office during regular working hours and forwarded to the Public Works supervisor for consideration.

Business Incentive Program

Background:

The Municipal Act Section 258 provides that: a municipality may encourage economic development in any manner it considers appropriate and that a council may make a grant for the purpose of economic development in the municipality, but the grant must not be used to directly or indirectly reduce the amount of municipal or school taxes payable to the municipality or to reimburse a person for taxes that are paid or payable.

Purpose:

The Town would like to initiate a business development initiative to stimulate the Town’s economy by attracting new businesses or encouraging the expansion of existing businesses.

Procedure:

  • That the incentive should be fair, consistent, and apply to all businesses that have located in the Town or undergone an expansion in the current year and in future years.
  • That this incentive shall not apply to government or institutions in the Town.
  • That the incentive shall apply to businesses that employ over 25 people, or increase their staff to more than 25 people, by December 15th of that year.
  • That the Town will remit by the end of each year to each employer of more than 25 permanent full time employees a grant for all employees in excess of the first 25 as follows:
    • $25 per person for the first year
    • $15 per person for the second year
    • $10 per person for the third year
    • no grant for following years
  • That  employers will be required to provide suitable documentation to substantiate their application for this grant.

Composting Program

Background: The town has recognized that the collection of yard waste has become a concern due to the high volume of grass clippings, leaves, trees and branches that are included in with the regular household garbage during the spring, summer, and fall months.  The bags of yard waste are difficult to compress and as well, the additional volume of waste fills the garbage truck much faster and requires more trips to the landfill. This concern along with the fact that this type of waste should not be put into the landfill has resulted in the development of a composting program.

Purpose:

To develop a new program that is deemed to be environmentally prudent as well as financially sustainable. The program consists of:

  • Diverting yard waste and organic material from the landfill.
  • Reducing the cost of garbage collection by separating yard waste and organic material from other residential garbage prior to collection.
  • Developing an alternative process for the collection and disposal of yard waste and organic material.
  • Developing convenient compost sites and appropriate procedures for the proper management of the compost process.
  • Producing compost material that can be utilized by the town for beautification purposes.
  • Reducing the cost of purchasing soil/wood chips by producing our own.

Method:

  • The Town will develop 3 compost sites that will be situated conveniently for area residents to drop off their yard waste
  • An additional large site will remain at the landfill
  • The Town will provide special collection or clean up days in the spring and in the fall for the collection and transportation of  yard waste to the compost sites
  • The rest of the time, residents are asked to support this project by hauling or having someone else haul their yard waste to the compost sites (Frontier Employment Services are available to assist residents at a nominal cost???)
  • The sites will be set up with an area designated for the proper disposal of the yard waste (i.e. branches in one-area, leaves and grass clippings in another, etc.)
  • Residents should empty any yards wastes transported in plastic bags (the bags can then be reused or placed in the container for used bags)
  • The Town will be responsible for the management of the compost operation that will include regular turning or mulching of the leaves and grass, chipping of the branches etc.
  • The resulting compost will be first utilized by the Town for beautification purposes and any additional material will be made available to the public

Grants to Organizations

Background: 

The Town receives a number of requests for donations, contributions or other types of monetary support from numerous organizations within the community.  All the requests and projects are worthwhile and the all the organizations are important and their work is very much appreciated.  These organizations and their projects have greatly enhanced the Town of Minnedosa.  However, it is becoming more difficult each year to grant all the requests and keep the annual budget in line.  To fund some requests and not others, to not discourage volunteerism by limiting the amount of funding to each organization, have become difficult choices for council to make.

Purpose:

To better administer the granting of money to various organizations, council has developed a new policy that is intended to establish guidelines that will make the granting of money to organizations fair, consistent, and keep the funding within budget limits.

Procedure:

a) Organizations are asked to submit funding requests and projects for the upcoming year by November 30th.
b) Organizations requesting financial support are required to provide the following information:

  • A report on the organization’s activities for that year including:
    • any projects they started and/or completed,
    • any change in the executive or the mandate of the organization, any significant change in the membership (e.g. Reduction in numbers, etc.)
    • a financial summary of their operations for the current year (specifically other sources of revenue that they have accessed or tried to access)
    • a report on the amount of work done by volunteers and by hired staff
  • For new projects that are being planned to be built on town owned property the organization must first submit construction plans for pre-approval to the Town. Pre-approval requests will require:
    • A full description and an explanation of the project
    • The proposed location, including a site plan that indicates drainage, servicing, and maintenance considerations.
    • A design of the project including measurements and any  other details available,
    • Total estimated costs of the project and proposed method of financing the project to completion,
    • And a proposed long-term maintenance and care plan for the project, detailing who would be responsible for the maintenance of the project, for the next 5-10 years.
  • Prior to receiving the actual funding in the next fiscal year, organizations requesting funding in access of $1000 will be required to submit to the town an audited financial statement or to have made other special arrangement with the CAO.

Industrial Strategy

Background:  

The Municipal Act Section 258 provides that: a municipality may encourage economic development in any manner it considers appropriate and create an environment conducive to business and industry within the Town.  Council may enhance this environment by developing a strategic plan for development and entering into agreements for the purpose of such development.

Purpose:

The Town currently owns approximately 37 acres situated in the north west portion of the Town referred to as the industrial park. 10 lots are zoned M2 (Heavy Industrial) and 2 lots zoned C3 (Highway Commercial).  Three other lots zoned C3 have been sold (2 have been developed) and one lot zoned M2 has been sold and is used to store equipment.  The area is readily serviceable with sewer and water.  Lines into the industrial park are 250 mm.  Major provincial highways (PTH # 10 and PTH #16) are situated less than one mile away.  Eight industrial lots back onto the rail line. Four of the lots for sale are currently services by sewer and water.  Access to these lots requires minor upgrade to meet gravel road standards.

Strategy:

To promote growth and development of the industrial and commercial tax base and to provide additional employment opportunities for the area residents, with limited impact or increase costs to the ratepayers.

Procedure:

The 10 Town owned lots zoned M2 (Heavy Industry) and 2 lots zoned C3 (Highway Commercial) will be offered for sale for a minimal price of one dollar ($1.00) to bone fide developers conditional to the following terms:

  • That the Town enters into an agreement with the developer, subject to but not limited to the following terms;
  • That the development of the property is done in accordance with all zoning and building codes and by-laws, or any other relative by-law;
  • That development must occur within an agreed period of time, but in any event no longer than eighteen months from the date of the agreement, or the Town may take such action that would be necessary to regain title to the property;
  • That the developer would be responsible for the payment of such capital and general levies that are established to provide services to the industrial park.  Such services extension of the sewer and  water system to the remaining lots in the industrial park, and the necessary roadwork and drainage required by that area;
  • That the capital and general levies shall be calculated on the basis of the recovery of the estimated costs of construction to fully service the Industrial Park area (being $108,382.50) divided by the total acreage of the 10 industrial lots and the 2 commercial lots (being 37.95 acres) and assessed to each lot based on the actual acreage of each lot (i.e. $2,856 per acre).
  • That serviced lots will be offered for sale first, unless other specific arrangements are made with council for extending services;
  • Crerar Road will not be paved until at least 70% or nine lots fronting onto the road have been developed.  The cost for pavement will be born by the properties fronting onto the road as a local improvement.
  • Installation costs for hydro, gas, and telephone will be the responsibility of the developer, however if the costs are excessive for an individual developer, the Town would be prepared to set up a cost recovery from other developers.
  • That every effort will be made to restrict the area from any other use, especially residential use, as the industrial area will have operational characteristics such as noise, dust, traffic, etc. that may not be acceptable or compatible with the other uses.
  • That council may request as a condition of sale that appropriate impact and environmental  studies be conducted to assess the potential impact to the environment or to town services that the proposed type of the industry may create.   An example of a use that may require an environmental study would be an industry that produces excessive or unusual emissions or waste by-products.

Schedule To Industrial Strategy Policy:

Legal desc. of lot Lot acreage Capital levey
Lot 1 Plan 6617 5 acres $14,280.00
Lot 2 Plan 6617 3.4 acres $9,710.40
Lot 3 Plan 6617 3.2 acres $9,139.20
Lot 4 Plan 6617 3.2 acres $9,139.20
Lot 5 Plan 6617 3.1 acres $8,853.60
Lot 6 Plan 6617 3 acres $8,568.00
Lot 7 Plan 6617 2.9 acres $8,282.40
Lot 9 Plan 6617 3.1 acres $8,853.60
Lot 10 Plan 6617 3 acres $8,568.00
Lot 11 Plan 6617 3 acres $8,568.00
Lot 13 Plan 6617 2.55 acres $7,282.80
Lot 14 Plan 6617 2.5 acres $7,140.00

 

Residential Development Incentive Program

Background:

Housing is an important feature in every community. It is expected that there will be a demand for more than 5 housing units per year in Minnedosa based on the recent growth trends of the community.  Affordable housing opportunities are necessary to make Minnedosa competitive with other communities.  Growth and expansion of residential areas may be somewhat restricted by the local terrain conditions and a long term strategy is necessary to meet the housing demand in an affordable way.  Infilling and revitalization of existing built-up areas should be recognized as the most economical means of accommodating residential development as the infrastructure is already in place.  These lots may not be as desirable for new housing as the newly developed areas but should be promoted as being more economical for the town and more affordable for residential developers.

Purpose:

The Town will initiate a single-family housing development initiative to address the predicted demand for housing in the community and to stimulate the Town’s economy by attracting new construction.  Two types of  residential development subsidies are provided.

Procedure:

TYPE A  (New residential development)

  • The incentive must be fair, consistent, and apply to all new single residential housing developments within the limits of the Town.
  • This incentive shall not apply to commercial housing or institutional housing.
  • The Town will refund to the homeowner, the dollar value of the building permit upon proof of final inspection and clearance from the building inspector.
  • That homeowners will be required to complete an application form for refund of the building permit fee as well as to provide any other documentation required to substantiate their application for this grant.

TYPE B (Infill residential housing)

  • That new residential infill housing will receive the benefits of Type A housing and,
  • New residential construction on in-fill lots (that is lots that have not been developed or subdivided within the past 10 years) shall not be subject to added taxes in the current year of construction.

Land Use Policy

Subject: Town Land Use, Lease, Sale
Authority: Resolution 04-25
Date Approved: February 10, 2004

Purpose:

To provide for a consistent procedure for the sale of, lease of, and use of, all Town owned, unoccupied, unused land.

Procedure:

For all town owned land either serviced, pre-serviced, or un-serviced the attached Schedule “A” will be followed in regards to price, legal, survey and transfer costs. All offers will be reviewed based on the particular detail of the land, location and proposal.