Infrastructure upgrades, crime prevention part of plans ahead in State of City Address

Bater presented the city’s achievements in 2019 as well as some of its projects planned for the years ahead during his address.

One of the larger projects coming up is the upgrade work for the twinning of the city’s sanitary sewer main. The portion runs from behind the Allen Sapp Gallery to the wastewater treatment plant. The $13.6 million multi-year project will be funded with support from the federal and provincial governments along with the city through a partnership agreement.

The city plans to undertake upgrades on Carlton Trail near the Walmart entrance in the year ahead.

“We’ll be changing the traffic pattern there,” Bater said.

The work will involve creating right-in and right-out access roadways from what is now a full intersection. As part of the project, a new lighted intersection will be created located just east of Walmart. The aim of the project is to improve safety and also accommodate future growth in the area.

“It will provide access to the Frontier Mall and allow for commercial and public developments in the entire Yellow Sky area of North Battleford,” he said. “It’s allowing economic development in that part of the city.”

The city is also focused on continuing downtown development this year.

Bater said there will be construction for new underground upgrades, roadways and sidewalks covering two blocks on 100 Street between 12th Avenue and 14th Avenue.

Looking at some highlights of the past year, the Battlefords Regional Community Coalition – a partnership made up of the city and town mayors and five area First Nation leaders – was among the biggest achievements. The partners signed the Sacichawasihc Relationship Agreement which commits them to work collaboratively for the socioeconomic benefit and vibrancy of the region. Bater said the partners also want to engage the provincial and federal governments in the process so all four layers of government can be involved in addressing issues.

“It’s very exciting, but it’s also a lot of work,” Bater said. “There is a reason this [type of partnership] hasn’t happened anywhere else in the country. We’re looking forward to getting some results for the people of our region.”

He also discussed the city’s new Gang Task Force in North Battleford to deal with crime.

The four-member task force is currently running as a pilot project, using city RCMP officers. Administrators would like to have a five-year program for the task force that would be funded by local municipalities as well as the province.

“We’re in talks with our neighbours and the province on how we can achieve that,” Bater said. “The data to support it is very strong. There has only been one shooting in the city since they started in November. We would like to see it continued.”

Bater said this is a priority for the city and “hopefully we can see something come together.”

Looking back on 2019, the mayor discussed some of the projects that were highlights.

“We are most proud of the financial reforms that took place in the city – the half a million dollars in efficiencies that were found, getting the city on very strong footing financially,” he said.

“We are all very proud of that; we positioned the city well,” Bater said. “We are in a very solid, strong position now. I think that was the big story of 2019. We did that while still maintaining momentum with downtown [upgrades] and replacing our underground infrastructure.”

Bater said 2019 was a year of a lot of hard work involved many difficult decisions.

“But it’s well worth it because the city is more sustainable now than it was before,” he said.

Bater said there are always challenges – whether it be financial ones, such as the commercial assessment appeal process, or challenges related to crime and community safety. He said sometimes there are factors that can’t be controlled, but the city tries to be proactive.

“I think if nothing else we have positioned the city so that all these external risks, we’re in a better position to be able to deal with them than we were before,” Bater told battlefordsNOW. “Life happens and things can happen in a community, and we want to be responsive, to be able to act to them quickly, and effectively.”

The city will also take part in the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce’s Power Hour on Friday that will have a regional focus. Both the city and town mayors, Indigenous representatives, MLA Herb Cox and MP Rosemarie Falk will participate.

—

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW

by Angela Brown

Infrastructure upgrades, crime prevention part of plans ahead in State of City Address

What's Trending