The controversy over the Coteau Street Bridge highlights the need for Moose Jaw city council to perform more scrutiny, more pointed questioning, of city administration.
Some months ago a review of the bridge resulted in city management asking council to demolish the old structure.
Apparently, without council’s knowledge, city management had made a deal with CN Rail to obtain $150,000 for demolition.
Council in the puppet-like rubber stamping performance it has adopted since the 2020 election was ready to approve demolition.
Only protests by residents of the area pushed council to ask for a second look.
The second engineering report conflicted with the first, and council has agreed to leave the bridge until 2027.
Reading between the lines, it seems city management wants to rid the city of what managers deem to be unneeded assets and reduce maintenance budgets.
Their resumes look better if they can show they have eliminated costs and reduced budget needs.
What councillors and voters sometimes forget is that interests of city managers and the city residents are not always aligned.
Once upon a time, managers stayed for long periods of time and became part of the community. Their personal interests were more aligned with Moose Jaw residents.
The current generation of civic managers often hops jobs for what is considered more prestigious, better paying positions.
Our current city manager was manager at three smaller cities before arriving here from Estevan. Other civic department heads similarly move around regularly.
As much as he was often [a person who scrutinized and questioned everything], former Councillor Brian Swanson is missed for his digging and disclosures of behind the scenes discussion from closed door meetings.
Current city management relies too heavily on the Privacy Act to keep discussion of issues in-camera, out of public view. True, management and council can say no decisions were made behind closed doors.
But taxpayers don’t know if a consensus was reached behind closed doors. Or was some opposition brow beaten until caving in? We don’t know. Voters deserve to know how decisions were reached or if “handshake agreements’’ were made in-camera.
In another vein, the plans for one-side parking only on the narrow streets in the Avenues districts show the need for a Member of Parliament with Moose Jaw interests at heart.
Under federal safety law, the streets must be made wider to accommodate fire engines.
The proposed solution, subject to more consultation with affected homeowners, is parking on one side of the street only until such time as streets can be widened.
Widening streets would destroy most of the beautiful trees decorating and shading the avenues.
An MP with keen interest in local issues would be advocating the federal government carve out a heritage neighbourhood exemption for cities with old narrow streets like Moose Jaw.
Most people living in the avenues chose the sites for the heritage and treed environment.
Perhaps our $185,500 a year plus expenses MP could get off his duff and earn his salary.
Ironically, speedy access by fire engines makes no sense when water pressure in the avenues isn’t strong enough to put out major fires.
Retiring firefighters years ago said the water pipes in the area don’t have enough pressure.
Until about 35 years ago the city never scoured water pipes. The consequence: decades of scales built up reducing water flow and pressure
Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
