St. Louis News

This page is available for community members to post any news items on a monthly basis.

If you have something that you would like to post on the website for the upcoming month, please drop off any items at the Village Office by the 25th of the month.

Submissions can also be made by e-mail:

St. Louis Bowling Alley now offers glow bowling. If interested, for information or bookings contact Ellen at 422 - 8237.

2019 Dog Licenses are now available from the Village Office. Please stop by and license your pet for 2019. Fees for 2019 will be:

Females- $10.00

Males - $10.00

Mass Schedule for May 2019

Roman Catholic Services

St. Louis - Sunday @ 9:00 a.m.

Domremy - Saturday @ 7:00 p.m.

Birch Hills—Sunday @ 11:00 a.m.

River’s Edge Villa—Saturday @ 3:30 p.m.

Anglican Services

Emmanuel Church Sunday Worship Services are at 9:30 a.m. Everyone is welcome.

2019 Waste & Recycle Collection Schedule is now available.

SPEED LIMITS

Please be aware that the Village has a speed limit of 40 km/h on all streets, including Riverside Drive. (except in School Zones, which are marked, where it is 30 km/h).

There is an increasing problem with speed on Riverside Drive and the Village will be installing more signage to educate the public. The RCMP will be enforcing speed limits.

Please ensure to drive with safety and within the posted speed limits on municipal streets. If the problem persists Council will be looking at further alternatives to controlling the speed on Riverside Drive.

Thank you for your cooperation.

St. Louis Housing Authority

· 3 bedroom family social housing units available.

· Rent is calculated based on 30% of gross monthly income

· In order to qualify for family social housing you must have at least one dependant

· Assets below $50,000

· An annual income below $48,500

· Contact info – St. Louis Housing Authority,

Box127, Phone 306-961-7654

, Email- stacyd@sasktel.net

· Application forms may be collected – Village Office,

SIGN CORRIDOR

Please be advised that the Village of St. Louis has been approved for an advertising sign corridor on the southeast side of the intersection to Provincial Highways # 2 & # 25, travelling north. Opportunities are now available for local businesses to advertise within the Sign Corridor. Any business or service club wishing to advertise in this corridor must be located within the municipal limits of the Village of St. Louis or within 10 kms of the Sign Corridor.

There is currently space for 20 advertisers at this location and advertising spots will be allocated on a first paid basis. Permit application will be available from the St. Louis Village Office beginning April 4, 2016.

Each permitted advertiser will be required to provide the Village with a 4’ x 8’ advertising sign constructed of approved material (at their cost). The Village must give approval of all sign proofs before you have it constructed and installed.

There is a $300 installation fee (materials and labour) and an annual advertising fee of $200 (administration, land rental and maintenance). This is payable to the Village of St. Louis at the time of application.

Contact the St. Louis Village Office for more information .

Disposals into Municipal Sewer System

With recent sewer line flushing completed by Municipal staff, it was noticed that many areas had flow issues caused by items that were placed into the sewer system from private dwellings. Please be mindful of what items are deposited into your toilets or plumbing system. The cost for clearing blockages and repairs can be charged back to individual property owners

St. Louis Village Council would like to remind all residents of some helpful information in the operation of the Village’s sanitary sewer system. Here are a few hints to help you prevent problems with your sewer service and all municipal sewer infrastructure:

Do not use the toilet as a garbage can. Do NOT flush rags, towels, dish clothes, diapers, sanitary napkins, plastic items, cigarette butts, etc., which may clog your sewer line. Sewer lateral lines are generally a minimum of 4 inches in diameter. Almost all of the Village’s sewer mains are a minimum of 8 inches in diameter.

DON’T DISPOSE OF GREASE IN THE DRAIN.

Don’t plant trees near your sewer lateral

Don’t connect French drains, downspouts, sump pumps etc. directly into the sewer line.

Do install a Backwater Prevention Device.

Property owners should be aware that many property insurance policies exclude damage from sewer back-ups. It is suggested that property owners check their policies and add this coverage. The Village’s insurance will only pay for damage caused by negligence on the part of the Village.

In order to maintain and ensure the proper operation of the sewage pumping stations it is imperative that all grease, harmful chemicals and detergents be disposed of in a safe and responsible manner.

Fats, Oils, & Grease (FOG) are a major contributor to sewer back-ups and overflows and hinder the ability for sewage pumping stations to perform properly. Users should never discard fats, oils or grease into a drain. The Village has a re-cycle container for used cooking oils and grease located adjacent to the Community Arena that these items can be safely discarded into. If re-cycling is not an option, FOG can be discarded with regular trash provided that it is properly cooled and secured in a non-leak container. The build-up of FOG can lead to blockages and maintenance issues for the sewage pumping stations.

The following excerpt from Village of St. Louis Municipal Bylaw Number Five, 2008 outlines all contraventions regarding disposals into the municipal sewer system:

(c) No person shall place, deposit, discharge or suffer or permit or cause to be placed, deposited or discharged into a fixture, building drain, sanitary sewer connection or the sewage works system any of the following:

(i) liquid or vapour having a temperature greater than 65 Centigrade;

(ii) gasoline, benzene, fuel, oil, paint, solvent or any other flammable or explosive liquid, solid or gas;

(iii) garbage;

(iv) ashes, cinders, grit, sand, stone, cloth, clothing, plastic bags or plastic sheeting or any other solid substance;

(v) any noxious or malodorous substances capable of creating a public nuisance in or damage to the sewage works system or hazard to the health of personnel carrying out the duties in relation to the sewage works system;

(vi) wastes having a pH lower than 5.5 or higher than 9.5

(vii) radioactive waste;

(viii) wastes containing any of the exotic communicable diseases listed by Health Canada as requiring special handling; or

(ix) wastes containing microbiology laboratory waste consisting of: laboratory cultures, stocks or specimens of microorganisms, live or attenuated vaccines, human or animal cell cultures used in research and laboratory material that has come into contact with any of the same.

Everyone’s co-operation in following these guidelines will ensure the long term operation of the municipal wastewater system and help prevent costly repairs.

Thank you for your co-operation.

COMMUNITY GRANT PROGRAM

Community service groups, please be advised that the Community Grant Program is now accepting applications from local service clubs and groups that require funding for sport, culture and recreation programs that they are planning between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020.

Application forms are available from the St. Louis Village Office. Groups that received funding last year will be sent the application package.

This grant program is available to all groups in the community, especially programs or events that target sport, culture and recreation programs that represent under-represented populations, such as: seniors, indigenous people, economically disadvantaged, women, persons with disabilities, youth at risk and single parent families.

For more information or to see if your program will qualify, contact the St. Louis Village Office.

DO NOT PRUNE ELME TREES FROM APRIL 1 THROUGH AUGUST 31

To reduce the risk of Dutch elm disease, pruning of elm trees is prohibited throughout Saskatchewan each year from April 1 until August 31. Fresh cuts from pruning attract the beetles that can spread the disease, increasing the chance of an infection. Pruning remains an important part of regular elm tree care and is encouraged, before and after the annual ban period. Proper pruning helps keep trees healthy and better able to resist disease. The removal of dead and dying elm wood through pruning also helps to reduce beetle breeding habitat and control the beetle population. Prompt and proper disposal of the pruned wood is also essential to keep Dutch elm disease from spreading.

Provincial regulations also require commercial pruners of elm trees to have taken a recognized training program or be under the supervision of someone who has. Improper pruning techniques can contribute to the spread of many tree diseases, including Dutch elm disease.

For more information about the Dutch Elm Disease Control Regulations and safe elm wood disposal, contact 1-800-SASK-ELM (727-5356).

WATER & SEWER UTILITY ACCOUNTS

Please be aware that St. Louis Village Council is reviewing the payment process for water and sewer utility accounts, as there continues to be more and more delinquent and past due accounts. St. Louis residents have a long history of keeping their utility accounts current for a number of years and it would be appreciated if that trend could continue moving forward.

Currently, water and sewer accounts are due when rendered and if rates remain unpaid after 20 days from the date of mailing, the Village has the right to discontinue service without notice and a fee of $10.00 will be charged for re-connection. Disconnection was seldom warranted in the past but will be more strictly enforced in the future. The Village does not currently charge interest on past due accounts but is looking at this as a future option. Unpaid utility accounts can be added to taxes on a property and collected through tax enforcement procedures, if required. These are not options that the Village wishes to explore, so it is asked that all consumers please keep their accounts current. The Village is not in a financial position to carry outstanding balances on accounts for customers.

The Village has considered monthly invoicing, but administration costs would triple to carry out this action and that is not feasible. Customers can make monthly payments on their accounts, if this option is better suited to their financial needs. The Village can accept e-transfers, on-line banking payments, electronic fund transfers directly from bank accounts, cheques, cash and debit payments on accounts. Please contact the Village Office to discuss any monthly payment options that you may be interested in.

St. Louis Village Council thanks you for keeping your utility accounts current. This allows the Village to meet its’ utility infrastructure financial commitments without putting strain on other revenue sources that are not targeted for utility services.

Your cooperation is appreciated. If you have any questions about utility billing and payment services , please contact the Village Office.

VILLAGE OFFICE CLOSED

Please be aware that in observance of the Victoria Day Holiday the St. Louis Village office will be closed on Monday May 20, 2019.

Thank you for your understanding.

BYLAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES

The Village will again be contracting with a private firm to provide help in the area of Bylaw enforcement May through September this year. EPS Management, who has provided bylaw enforcement services over the past number of years has ceased operations and the Village is in the process of securing another contracted service provider. It is anticipated that this will be done by mid May and that service for our community can begin sometime in May.

Initially, they will be targeting the Nuisance Abatement Bylaw and the Dog Licensing and Control Bylaw.

The Nuisance Abatement Bylaw deals with any yards or properties that are “untidy” or “unsightly” including overgrown grass and weeds, solid waste accumulations, old vehicles and any other waste materials kept on a property or encroaching onto municipal property or road allowances. The Dog Licensing and Control Bylaw deals with unlicensed dogs, dogs running at large, dogs barking or howling constantly so as to create a nuisance and dogs defecating on property not that of their owner and not being cleaned up.

Bylaw officers will be in the community and they will have full authority to enforce the regulations of the Bylaws and issue violation notices as required. If you have any areas that you think may be a concern, please rectify at your earliest convenience or you may be subject to a violation notice. This includes maintaining your yard and property and ensuring that your dogs are licensed. Thank you for your cooperation.

You cooperation with these enforcement officers is expected and appreciated.

2019 MUNICIPAL OPERATING BUDGET

At the April 8th meeting of Village Council, the 2019 Municipal Operating Budget was approved and passed, as presented, and the 2019 Mill Rate was set at 6.00 mills. This represents the same mill rate as last year, with no increase. The 2019 levy will generate a 5% increase in tax revenue over 2018. The base tax applied to all parcels with improvements will increase by $45 from $315 to $360. Tax payers can expect their overall tax bill to increase approximately $45 on average over last year. Provincial Education Property Tax rates have also been set by the Provincial Government, with school taxes collected by the municipality and submitted to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education. School tax rates remain the same as in 2018 with no increases.

The Village has presented a balanced budget for 2019 that utilizes various granting programs that will help deliver upgrades to municipal services and facilities. 2019 will see the Village complete additional street repair, as well as deal with various maintenance issues. The Village will be completing some required upgrades to municipal buildings, sidewalks, as well as some needed repairs to Maintenance equipment and machinery. There will also be some upgrades to Fire Department equipment and increased training initiatives. The Village will continue with the development and implementation of long-term asset management plans for all municipal capital assets, with support from Catterall & Wright Consulting Engineers and funding from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Government of Canada. With funding from the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program (PDAP), further slope remediation work will occur in the Lions Park to help with erosion concerns.

The Village strives to maintain cost effective management and administration without affecting the basic services provided for tax payers.

Property taxes will be levied and notices sent to property owners in late May. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Village operating and capital budget, please contact the Village Office.

SUMMER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The Village of St. Louis is now accepting applications for the position of Summer Worker within the Village Maintenance Department, with duties to commence on July 2, 2019, running for 8 weeks, ending on August 23, 2019. This position is being made possible with the contribution of the Federal – Canada Summer Jobs Program.

The successful candidate will be expected to work 35 hours per week, 7 hours per day, Monday through Friday. (8:30 AM – 4:30 PM with an hour off for lunch)

Responsibilities include all aspects of overall general maintenance for the community, as directed by Village Maintenance Foreman and Administrator.

Duties include but are not limited to:

Waste collection/removal – Grass cutting - weed control - Minor building repair & maintenance – painting – facilities cleaning – street and boulevard maintenance - Other related tasks as assigned by the Village Maintenance Foreman or Administrator.

Qualifications and assets;

Must be between the ages of 15 – 30

The ability to work with minimal supervision.

The ability to work well with others and as part of a team.

The ability to interact in a positive manner with members of the general public.

The ability to do physical labour

Minor yard work skills and equipment experience

Valid driver’s license required

Please submit a resume outlining current education level, future education plans, any prior work experience and two personal references to:

Village of St. Louis

c/o Summer Employment

Box 40