Kenneth Brown
of The Clarion

Kindersley Minor Ball (KMB) has an ambitious plan they’ve presented to town officials.

Chad Miller, the KMB president, shared plans with town council on Feb. 12 and detailed the organization’s proposed expenditures for 2018.

He noted that the budget for capital improvements already included $40,000 in the approved preliminary budget for 2018. The money is to be used for bleacher maintenance at Berard and Flanagan fields, and to complete upgrades to the ticket booth at Berard Field. Miller said KMB received three quotes and the organization went with the lowest quote.

The lowest quote was $38,000 and Miller said the bleacher improvements would also include new railings at an estimated cost of $3,200. The total cost for the bleacher and ticket booth upgrades would be $41,200 in total.

Council heard of another project to build a new concession booth at the Longhorn Oil & Gas and Lynco Hot Oilers fields. He said an old booth at the fields would be converted for other uses and the new building will be a full-service food booth. The $15,000 project will access funds from a $2,500 grant, along with advertising revenues and money from the organization’s capital budget.

[emember_protected for=”2″ custom_msg=’For more on this story, please see the Feb. 14 print edition of The Clarion.’]

Miller also highlighted the need for new capital purchases including a Toro Sand Pro 2040Z and an aerator. The Sand Pro is a multi-function machine that is used to groom diamonds, and the delegate shared a video about the machine with council. He said the diamonds need to be aerated, so an aerator would come in handy.

The KMB president also mentioned the future need for a top dressing machine, but he said other work needs to be done to the fields before it would make sense to purchase a machine. The discussion continued and various options were discussed by Miller and council.

Aspects of the town’s parks department budget that relate to the ball diamonds were also discussed. The need for a suitable drag for the diamonds was bolstered by discussions and there were discussions about sharing the equipment.

Council members pointed out that they want to focus more on maintaining parks. The Sand Pro would be used often, but there were concerns about buying an aerator because it might not be used as much. An option to share the equipment between the parks department and KMB was also discussed.

Miller also told council about his long-term plan to serve with the organization while his eight-year-old son is involved in minor ball. He told council KMB has also secured a project manager to ensure certain projects are completed in 2018.

Councillor Randy Ervine said he could attest to the usefulness of the Sand Pro and it would be a good piece of equipment to acquire. He told council he is going to meet with Miller at the fields to investigate the need for new bleacher boards.

There was a discussion about the last time the bleacher boards were replaced, and council heard it was done in about 2009 in preparation for the first Baseball Canada Cup. Miller said the boards have been repainted over time and the paint just flakes off, so he wants to go with unpainted, treated lumber instead.

An option to replace the bleacher boards with other materials such as plastic to extend the life of the boards was also discussed. Council reserved the decision to further discuss all options regarding the expenditures.

Mayor Rod Perkins, along with other council members, commended Miller and the organization’s volunteers for the work they do to help operate and maintain the town’s ball diamonds. The mayor said council would discuss the improvements and purchases, and notify KMB of its decision.

Other council meeting highlights:

• Council passed resolutions to set dates for a municipal byelection and to approve items in relation to filling a vacancy on council.

A byelection has to be held to replace former deputy mayor Ken Francis, who is running in a byelection to elect the next MLA for Kindersley. The dates for the town byelection have been set, along with remuneration rates for byelection officials among other items.

The vote will take place on April 11. Nominations open on Feb. 21 and close on March 7.

Council passed a resolution requiring byelection candidates to complete a criminal record check. Mayor Rod Perkins said council candidates had to complete a record check in 2016 before the general election. A resolution was also passed to appoint Bernie Morton, the town’s chief administrative officer, to serve as returning officer.

A new deputy mayor has also been appointed to finish the two-year term Francis was serving. Perkins nominated Councillor Shaun Henry to be the deputy mayor, and council members passed the resolution to make the appointment official.

• Council has passed a resolution to approve a new agreement with Jody Deiana to operate the lounge at the West Central Events Centre. According to town officials, all parties were in agreement with the contract and everyone is pleased with the operation of the lounge.

• A resolution has been passed to proceed with a task order for the town’s engineering firm of record, AECOM, to complete the next stage of work for lagoon upgrades. Council heard the resolution was required because the budget is not approved until the spring. Council adopted the preliminary budget in December.

• The town’s elected officials have given the final readings to adopt a new Animal Control Bylaw. Amendments were made to the definition section of the bylaw between the first reading and the final readings, so the amendments were also approved.

[/emember_protected]

kmb