RM contributes $91,100 to recreation upgrades

By Ian MacKay

The Rural Municipality of St. Andrews is contributing more than $91,000 toward local recreation upgrades.

A letter from the RM, received in time for the April 20 town council meeting, advised that St. Andrews would provide $32,000 toward installing siding on the southeast side of the AGT Centre, $30,000 toward repairing its front entrance and improving drainage in the area, $25,000 to cover half the estimated cost of resurfacing the deck around the swimming pool and $4,100 to cover the entire cost of a new sound system at the Elks hall.

The sound system has been installed “and it’s working wonderfully,” recreation director Kelli Emmons said during the meeting. The RM has “always been very good” in helping with local recreation projects, Emmons said.

Its council was responding to a letter from Emmons suggesting where the RM could help.

“We appreciate the detailed submission as the RM has a longstanding history of contributing to capital projects within the town’s recreation infrastructure that is of importance to our ratepayers and a benefit to the entire community,” said the letter from St. Andrews administrator Jill Palichuk.

“It’s an important partnership and we appreciate their help,” Mayor Trevor Hay said after councillors agreed to send a letter of thanks to the St. Andrews council.

Its council had previously contributed $500,000 toward recreation improvements, including $400,000 for replacing the arena’s ice plant and refrigeration system and $100,000 for upgrades at the swimming pool, Emmons said.

Meanwhile, a letter to the town criticizing the appearance of flower pots on Main Street drew some reaction.

The town chooses “hardier” plants and her department has “a budget that we have to stick to,” Emmons said.

“It is a kind of gamble,” she said. “Last year was not a great year, the season was kind of rainy through May and June,” and people complimented the pots’ appearance at the swimming pool, she said.

School students help plant the annuals that go into the flower pots, many of whom “have never planted flowers before,” Emmons said.

The town plants and maintains “36 hanging baskets, 50 big planters as well as numerous other planters throughout the community,” she said.

Staff choose plants “that are adaptable to weather and wind and that sort of thing, so they need to be a hardy plant,” Hay said.

Having leaves or stems hanging down from baskets, one of the letter’s suggestions, might prove “more inviting” to those who occasionally pull an entire basket down, Emmons said.

Many of last year’s planters had decorative grasses planted in their centres, she said.

The letter also mentioned the state of the sidewalk near the town office “and we do have that on our list to repair this year through budget,” said Amanda Bors, the acting chief administrator.

“That was done with that design in it, different coloured, and it just disintegrated,” Hay said. “It didn’t wear well” and will be returned to “a regular sidewalk,” he said.