By Kevin J Sabo
For the Advance
Castor town council increased the base salary of employees by 4.8 per cent. This includes a 2 per cent cost-of-living increase and a 2.8 per cent increase to wages that the town has built into their budgets every two years.
Castor arena sees opening delay
The grand opening of the Castor arena is delayed.
Originally scheduled to open Dec. 1, due to some work yet to complete in the kitchen and the scheduling of the required permit inspections, the opening may be delayed until mid-December.
“These reports must be in our possession before we can open,” said Coun. Lonny Nelner during the Nov. 26 council meeting. “The permits must be in this town office hands before we can physically put people in that building.”
“We may allow some practices,” said Mayor Richard Elhard. “The mezzanine will have to be taped off until the glass comes in next week.”
The arena was granted a partial open on Dec. 3 where skaters were able to take to the ice for the first time this season, though the remainder of the facility remained closed to the public. It is expected to be fully opened by mid-December.
Highlights of the Nov. 26 meeting:
• Council has directed the CAO to budget a reserve for the arena in the 2019 budget if possible. This is to help prepare for the cost of repairing, rebuilding, or replacing the Zamboni in the next couple of years. Public Works Foreman Arajan Van Hienan told council that the current Zamboni should last another season, but it will be needing replacement or rebuilding afterward.
• Council was told that no one showed up for the tax sale for a property in town. CAO Sandi Jackson gave several options to council in regards to the property, though no decision was made during the Nov. 26 meeting
• Due to increasing costs of purchasing flowers, council has decided to quit paying for flowers in the memorial pots. If people would like to pay for flowers in the pots themselves, they can contact the office to make payment arrangements.
• Foreman Van Hienan said that his department is still sourcing a used low-hour generator, that gas meters are still being installed, and they have been accepting resumes for a town public works staff position.
• The town has extended a job offer to a prospective CAO candidate. If accepted, the individual would start effective Feb. 1, and train with CAO Jackson until her Apr. 1 departure date.
• Water and gas have both shown increased losses. This could be due to some households having the new meters but being unable to check them as the reader required is not yet returned from being programmed to read them. Households with the new meters are being billed based on typical usage patterns for the residence.
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