good job Brad

[bucket]

After being on council it was clear the reason the algamation didn't happen years ago was the existing council couldn't lose their little power trips.....


Had that happened then I think rural Saskatchewan would be in better shape in all areas .... education, health care and recreation facilities....ran by involved people from local communities within a larger county or rm.

And I think the end game of this health region consolidation will follow thru to the RMs very quickly.....Reiter and Marit are both from sarm.. .....

[farmaholic]

Our RM is 18 miles by 24 miles, 6 councilors a reeve and administrator and assistant administrator. If there's not enough councilors and there could be TOO much consensus and that isn't good either. Too big and I do think they can lose sight of some issues. Too much urban influence in a rural municipality and that can be a recipe for a disaster. Too many Squatters have the city mentality.... "why isn't my road cleaned of snow before I have to leave for work?" ...maybe because it isn't a school bus route or main thoroughfare.... it's like emergency room triage.

I think the guys do a fair job of managing the RM overall. There is a road crowning issue in parts of the RM but that isn't something that couldn't be changed. We are lucky enough to have two main pipeline corridors running right through our RM plus a couple of pumping stations and a spattering of oilwells.... sure helps keep Ag land taxes in check.





These pictures were taken within minutes of each other..... the road that has basically no water on it is our private driveway and the other is the municipal road to our driveway (road is only good up to our driveway, beyond that isn't passable in the winter or after big rain events). I would say 90% of the traffic down the municipal road also comes down our driveway! Hence my issue with the crown on the roads.... flat roads don't "shed" water! Which do you think is the better driving experience under these conditions?

[farmaholic]

Farma ! Beautiful pic of your private driveway !

# paradise !

Thanks wiseguy, but nuttin special..... although it was a hell of a pea crop for the slum of the Ghetto!

[Guest]

Our RM is 18 miles by 24 miles, 6 councilors a reeve and administrator and assistant administrator. If there's not enough councilors and there could be TOO much consensus and that isn't good either. Too big and I do think they can lose sight of some issues. Too much urban influence in a rural municipality and that can be a recipe for a disaster. Too many Squatters have the city mentality.... "why isn't my road cleaned of snow before I have to leave for work?" ...maybe because it isn't a school bus route or main thoroughfare.... it's like emergency room triage.

I think the guys do a fair job of managing the RM overall. There is a road crowning issue in parts of the RM but that isn't something that couldn't be changed. We are lucky enough to have two main pipeline corridors running right through our RM plus a couple of pumping stations and a spattering of oilwells.... sure helps keep Ag land taxes in check.

[ATTACH]1053[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]1054[/ATTACH]

These pictures were taken within minutes of each other..... the road that has basically no water on it is our private driveway and the other is the municipal road to our driveway (road is only good up to our driveway, beyond that isn't passable in the winter or after big rain events). I would say 90% of the traffic down the municipal road also comes down our driveway! Hence my issue with the crown on the roads.... flat roads don't "shed" water! Which do you think is the better driving experience under these conditions?

Best thing is Get on the council and straighten it out . Thats what i did . Until i got tired of the same people bitching all the time and they were the ones that did sfa

[jamesb]

In our RM (not that far from you oneoff) we normally have a ratepayers supper at some time during the year. Very well attended and enjoyed. Time is always given for questions and concerns. Usually those who have a lot of issues are encouraged to run for council. Some do run but some just like to throw stones. Councillors are not highly paid. I think around $5000, expenses in. We have had a fairly good turn over in councillors so nobody's been there too long.
I do think that RM amalgamation would be a good thing but you cant drive a grader 30 miles to work every day. Better to amalgamate amicably though than the forces process that went on in Manitoba, boy are they fighting over there in some of the new RM's.

[oneoff]

Well from personal experience I can say that last fall resulted in wholesale council turnovers at several adjoining RM's. New reeves and mayors, some incumbants not contesting and actual elections that gave clear overwhelming victories.

All excellent signs of change.

Now the new elected officials need some time to get their feet under themselves...and they are being given some necessary time with the usual big gap between their council meetings and admittedly not much visible interaction (on at least some fronts) with their electorate.

Now those councils have some big overdue issues to tackle on many fronts. Will they be up to it? There haven't been any ratepayers meetings yet...but as said they deserve time to get up to speed.

But if that new blood loses track of the majority that gave them their chance...its evidence that it's the "too small local situations "that needs to be changed and if the issues of importance can't be dealt with...what we need is another vision of better governance that replaces treating problems on an individual basis with setting goals and policies and bylaws which aren't routinely coarsely tuned depending on who you are.

[oneoff]

Every council in the province...no matter how efficiently run...no matter how good the goverance ...should or will be allowed to ignore the history of past attempts at changing the "SARM-100 year old model" we are familiar with in Sask. Next to no change in the model is desired by those council members. In today's world that is not saleable to those who are in charge and hopefully not the RM electorate.. Examples should not be needed.

Its undeniable that the establishment involved (in "amalgamation" was and still most likely is interested in maintaining every current local position and "personal discretion" which is very often confused with a "council's discretion"

Amen