Mayor’s Message
Hello to our residents and visitors in the Municipality of Russell Binscarth!
It is wonderful to embrace the spring season and the new beginnings it promises: warm weather, snow disappearing, trees beginning to bud, grass starting to grow, Canada Geese returning, people cleaning up and beautifying yards, farm equipment moving around, outdoor sports to enjoy - bicycling, baseball, soccer, golfing - and roads in need of repair after the long winter!
As the condition of the Russell Main Street and what is being done about it, is one of the most-asked questions of Council, we are reporting that we have hired Samson Engineering to do in-depth examinations of the aging water and sewer lines beneath Main Street, and to provide the plans and costing required to upgrade the systems, which will have to be completed before any repaving can be undertaken. This will take a considerable amount of time from the initial inspections through to the replacement of sewer and water lines. When it eventually comes to paving Main street, please remember that the driving lanes are the responsibility of the provincial government, and the shoulder/parking lanes are the responsibility of the municipality, so we will have to effectively partner with the Department of Infrastructure and Transportation to complete the finishing touches of this massive undertaking. A public meeting will be held later in the summer, when the engineers can present their plans to our ratepayers, so please watch for announcements as we move forward with this project.
Council realizes that there are many streets in both Binscarth and Russell, as well as municipal roads, that require major maintenance, upgrades and repair. Please be assured that our Public Works staff are working hard to keep our streets and roads in good condition, which is highly dependent on weather conditions. Our crew has been working extended hours recently, to clear snow, alleviate over-road runoff and washouts, thaw and flush out frozen culverts, and to clean up the winter salt and sand buildup. The patch-paving projects identified last fall and unfortunately not completed due to an early snowfall, will be undertaken this spring as soon as the weather conditions are suitable. Council thanks all of our Public Works staff for their extra efforts at this time, and for their dedication to the well-being of our ratepayers!
Besides streets and roads, there are many improvements to watch for throughout the municipality! The Russell Multiplex facade is getting its long-awaited face-lift this April, which will make our Main Street look great. The buildings in Binscarth that were damaged by severe hail almost two years ago, will finally be getting their exteriors repaired. There are new business developments, as well as business re-locations to watch out for, as we move through the next few months.
Spring is also Budget Season for all levels of government, and Council is in the final stages of preparing our financial outlook for 2024. A public Budget presentation will be held on Monday, May 6, 7:00 pm in the Council Chambers at the Russell Municipal Office. Everyone is welcome to attend and hear how our tax dollars are used to improve our municipality and to operate on a day-to-day basis.
On behalf of the Council members and staff of the Municipality of Russell Binscarth, I wish everyone a happy Spring!
Judy Snitynsky, Mayor
Email: jsnitynsky@mrbgov.com
C: 204-773-6347
