At the regular meeting for the RM of Woodlands, council designated that the 2025 tax sale will occur on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 6 p.m. at the RM of Woodlands, 57 Railway Ave. in Woodlands.
The Municipal Act outlines that a municipality must designate the immediate preceding year or any earlier year for which properties must be offered for sale to recover the tax arrears and costs. The RM of Woodlands council designated the year 2024 for tax sale purposes.
At the same meeting, council approved the 2025 purchase of a 2025 CAT 160-15 AWD grader for $301,606, including trade-in, and to be funded from the equipment replacement reserve.
In other council news:
- Coun. Lorna Broadfoot was appointed Deputy Reeve for another consecutive year.
- Council authorized the sale of the following Fire Department assets:
– 1981 Chevy Truck
– Mitsubishi generator
– Firetank portable water tank The proceeds from the sales go into the Fire Control Equipment Replacement Reserve. - Council gave third reading to a bylaw to provide for designation of a number for each lot in the LUD of Warren and surrounding settled area. This ongoing by-law assigns a civic address (street number) to each property. Every time there’s a subdivision, or if a house is built on a property that didn’t formerly have a home, council needs to amend the by-law so that the property has a house number or civic address.
- Silverbridge Land Developement Inc. and the RM of Woodlands entered into an agreement on Feb. 28, 2023, for a development in Warren (Silverbridge Drive). The agreement has been met, and the maintenance period ended; therefore, council authorized the issuance of the final acceptance certificate and the security of $20,000 being held by the municipality for the agreement has been released. The RM also entered into an agreement with the same company and Riddell Farm Ent. on June 25, 2013, for another development in Warren. For this agreement, the RM passed a resolution to issue a completion certificate on June 22, 2021, with the condition that the seeding of the ditches must be completed by Oct. 31, 2021, with the possibility of reapplication in the spring of 2022 at the discretion of council. If the seeding was not done by Oct. 31, 2021, the RM reserved the right to use the $20,000 security to complete the seeding of the ditches. The seeding of the ditches has successfully been completed; therefore, the security of $20,000 has been released. The acceptance certificate and release of security make it “official” that the developer’s duties are done.
- Council authorized Chad Green, Building and Development Officer, Coun. Valerie Stelck, and Coun. Carl Fleury to attend the 2025 Manitoba Planning Pre-Conference Workshop for $125 and the 2025 Manitoba Planning Conference for $500 per person from March 5-7.
- The RM of Woodlands entered into an agreement with RFNow, a fibre company, for an additional location to be serviced, located in the ditch along Road 81N to a house just east of Argyle.
- Council entered into an agreement with the Vintage Locomotive Society. They will be paying the RM to mow the grass on their property in Warren. They own the land on which the Warren elevator is located and the railway tracks.
- Council authorized the Northern Lites Snowmobile Club to use certain road allowances for their trails. The Club has been doing this for years, but approval has never been formalized. There are two agreements because one of their trails runs along a boundary road between the RM of Woodlands and the RM of St. Laurent. Therefore, a separate agreement is required for that trail, as both RMs need to approve the use (whereas the other trails just need to be approved by Woodlands). Bylaws for this also need to be passed, which will be discussed in council within the coming weeks.
- Council appointed TAXervice to conduct the tax sales for Woodlands. All costs are passed on to the owners of the properties that are in tax sale.
- Council adopted a life event policy change to include recognition for the death of a former elected official. This policy recognizes life events for staff. For example, when an elected official or staff member gets married, has a child, is hospitalized, or experiences a death in the family, this policy allows the municipality to recognize it with a gift or contribution.
- Council authorized Coun. Bryan Myskiw, Deputy Reeve Broadfoot, and Coun. Darrell Sinclair to attend the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Conference from May 29-June 1, in Ottawa. The municipality will pay flights, hotels, and conference fees and will confirm costs. The resolution allows them to start planning.
- Council authorized council, staff, and the municipal emergency coordinator to attend the Emergency Measures Organization’s 2025 Local Authority Workshop held at various Manitoba locations during January and virtually on Feb. 7 at no registration cost.
- Council entered into an agreement with the Electronic Products Recycling Association (EPRA). At the transfer station, electronics are collected and recycled through the EPRA.
- Council has authorized Building Inspector Lymen Mcleod to register for the following courses:
– Introduction to the Manitoba Construction Codes for $585
– NBC Section 9.36 Energy Efficiency in Housing and Small Buildings for $312, along with the exam for $200
– Manitoba Building Bylaws for $597, along with the exam for $200
– Part 9 The house for $830, along with the exam for $200
