Animal control, bike helmet resolutions pass at SUMA

Leaders from communities across the province have gathered in Saskatoon this weekfor the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) Convention.

The meeting runs from February 1-4 at TCU Place. The group will hear leaders' presentations on various resolutions aimed at improving individual communities and the group of communities as a whole.

Here's a list of resolutions that passed Tuesday.

• Animal control officer training

The Town of Shellbrook currently has no designated Animal Control officer. Mayor George Tomporowskiexplained that in the pastsome members of the town's Public Works staff oversaw the task, but said it is an area that needs more attention.

"We've had issues with aggressive dogs and that kind of thing," Tomporowski said. "If you get a large animal, that's at large and is aggressiveyou need to know what you are doing."

Tomporowski explained that his community is hoping to identify Animal Control training opportunities in Saskatchewan in order to give someone from Shellbrook the skills they would need to oversee an Animal Control officer position on a part-time basis.

"We expect there are a number of, particularly smaller municipalities, that are in the same situation as we are," Tomporowski said.

• Fuel tax exemption for municipal police and fire

The Town of KelvingtonaskedSUMA to lobby the provincial government to enable police and fire emergency response vehicles to apply for a Fuel Tax Exemption Permit.

• Motor vehicle collision rates for fire departments

Representatives from SUMA's Board of Directors presented a resolution that would ask SGIand the provincial government to "adopt fair call-out compensation, limit non-productive call classification to situations where no services are provided; and provide cost recovery for consumables and STARS attendance."

According to the resolution schedule,SUMA members believe the current compensation rates are "insufficient to provide full cost recovery"for fire departments thatprovide essential services including attending to vehicle collisions, assisting with extraction, fire suppression, traffic control and wreckage removal.

• Expanded golf cart use

In 1991, municipal bylaws in the Town of Kamsack were filed that allowedthe use of golf carts on roads within the community. However, the use of the vehicles on the highway is illegal.

Leaders from Kamsack askedSUMA to aid in the lobbying of SGI to allow broader user of golf carts within the community.

• Northern road maintenance and repair

Members from SUMA's board of directors also asked the provincial government to make annual investments into northern highways in the province as part of a broaderplan.

The resolution states that because northern highways are often "the sole means of connectionfor isolated northern communities" and because parts of the north are currently undergoing development,these roads which "are generally maintained to a much lower standard than roads in Southern Saskatchewan" should receivefunding to improve from the province.