Richard Froese
South Peace News
Big Lakes County will soon buy a pressure washer trailer and a post shed to store equipment for the agricultural services department.
At its regular meeting Feb. 12, council agreed to purchase the items as recommended by the Agricultural Service Board.
Council first approved a motion for the pressure water trailer for $17,000 and then approved a motion for the shed for up to $100,000.
The pressure water trailer will be stored in Kinuso while the shed will be located in High Prairie, Ben Letemplier, director of public works, told council.
Both items were proposed by the Agricultural Services Board before budget deliberations on Oct. 27, 2024.
The expanded intent of a portable pressure washer unit was discussed by the ASB meeting at its meeting Dec. 17, 2024 when the ASB directed administration to explore building design options, Letemplier said.
Options of building designs and costs were presented to the ASB at its meeting Jan. 13, with the ASB recommending council approve a fully enclosed pull-through- style post shed costing no more that $100,000.
“Final design will be determined by administration and proposed to the ASB with that expenditure cap in place,” Letemplier told council.
It will be presented to council for review and final approval.
“The cap is higher than initially envisioned for the items,” Letemplier said.
But it recognizes that the enhance items will increased the long-term use of the building, even if it slightly exceeds current ASB requirements of a storage and operational building, he noted.
“The ASB understood the rationale for having the items but had concerns about the location,” Letemplier said.
“As first proposed, the pressure washer was meant to be stationary and the post shed design was different than is now brought forward.”
With ASB concerns in mind, the agricultural department staff consulted public works departments in other municipalities about the use of a portable trailer in Kinuso for agriculture and other departments, he noted.
Similar discussions resulted in an expanded request for the post shed.
Both items represented an updated scale and cost to the item as presented to council that was different from what was first presented to council.