City may ask for disaster financial assistance

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This article was published 04/06/2022 (1371 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brandon City Council will vote on a motion to request disaster financial assistance from the province after this spring’s flooding at its next regular meeting on Monday.

A document attached to the agenda for Monday’s meeting said that costs incurred by the city because of flooding include activating the emergency response control group, monitoring the river level, pumping water and assessing flooding in low-lying areas.

With the Wheat City Golf Course, Dinsdale Park, Queen Elizabeth Park, fat-tire bike trail and Red Willow Bridge pathway still affected by flood waters, the city has yet to be able to complete a full damage assessment and cost estimate for those areas.

In order for the province to consider granting a municipality disaster financial assistance, a council must pass a resolution asking for help. The city would be responsible for the first $3.25 per capita for any expenses being claimed under disaster financial assistance.

In April, the city’s planning commission held a hearing regarding a proposed beekeeping operation planned for the roof of Harvest Hall at Brandon University.

English Prof. Deanna Smid, representing the university, asked for a temporary land-use variance so that four beehives could be installed to improve biodiversity on campus.

The application was approved by the commission, but the city received an appeal on May 5 and must now hold a public hearing, which has been scheduled for the June 6 meeting.

The only person who had indicated disapproval for the project, Barb Strutt, told the Sun after that planning commission meeting that she intended to appeal the decision.

She disapproved of the project on the grounds that the bees could endanger children with allergies at Earl Oxford School and the BU Early Learning Centre. Both entities indicated to the Sun at the time that they did not share Strutt’s concerns.

A representative from Manitoba Provincial Assessment, Farrah Anderson, will make a presentation to council on how this year’s property reassessments will affect tax revenue.

According to a document attached to the agenda, the city’s overall taxable assessment has increased by four per cent from $2.929 billion to $3.045 billion.

Also at council, an application to subdivide the property located at 21 Willowcrest Ave. to create a new lot and a public road.

Rounding off the agenda will be a vote on whether to extend the 48-hour parking prohibition to 72 or 96 hours, a vote on whether to restrict the hours people are allowed to have outdoor fires to between noon and midnight, a report from the age friendly committee, second and third readings for changes to the tree protection bylaw and the first reading for a bylaw opening a new sidewalk on Maryland Avenue.

Before the regular meeting, council will hold a special meeting closed to the public. No topic for the meeting is listed, but the agenda states councillors will “discuss a matter that is in its preliminary stages and respecting which discussion in public could prejudice a municipality’s ability to carry out its activities or negotiations.”

» cslark@brandonsun.com