by STEPHAN BURNETT of the Weyburn Review
Last week's council debate concerning the glare coming off the galvanized steel roof from the Weyburn Ag Society's new barn was either much ado about nothing or the deciding factor prompting the Ag Society to opt for self-financing the purchase of a new coloured roof.
On Thursday, Weyburn Ag Society president Jeff Gaab said it was both.
The Ag Society was made aware of the glare coming off the galvanized roof near the beginning of May when Gaab spoke with Armand Delanoy, who is associated with Weyburn Minor Ball.
Gaab then solicited the opinion of Don Kraft with the Weyburn Beavers Baseball Club and also spoke with Mayor Don Schlosser. He was advised by Mayor Schlosser to write a letter to council stating the Ag Society's concern over additional costs for changing the roof from the galvanized steel to the coloured tin.
At the next council meeting on May 10, councillors broke into debate over whether to assist the Ag Society in painting the roof.
The vote to support a council resolution to provide $1,000 assistance to the Ag Society for painting the east side of the barn roof was approved 5-1, with Councillor Ray Wahl being the lone dissenter.
The glare off the roof could become a serious hazard, city commissioner Bob Smith said at the outset of the debate.
But Councillor Wahl argued the timing of the added expense was wrong, especially after City Hall's recent property tax increase.
"Really, I thought it wasn't up to us to tell them what to put on their roof," Wahl said in an interview on Friday.
Mayor Don Schlosser was happy with the result.
"I'm led to believe that they're paying for the new roof. The City of Weyburn had volunteered to put $1,000 up to help change the colour and the indication is they've decided to do it on their own, and I'd say thank you very much... We're very happy and I'm sure we'll be able to help them in some other way," said Schlosser on Monday morning.
Originally most councillors were reluctant to support the motion but they also theorized the glare might cause temporary blindness in passing motorists which could lead to a motor-vehicle accident.
At the council meeting on May 10 Mayor Schlosser said if an accident occurred, legal action might be directed back toward the City because the barn is on land leased from the City.
The hubbub surrounding the Ag Society's funding-assistance request was overblown, said Gaab.
Because of the reaction, the Ag Society has decided to purchase a sandstone-coloured tin roof, matching the barn siding. The coloured roof will add an extra $4,000 to the Ag Society's costs for financing the barn project.
Gaab said he understood the problems the Weyburn Beavers Baseball Club would encounter while attempting to play baseball while facing the glare off the new barn.
The Ag Society also expressed concern that if an accident did occur along Highway 13, the possibility of a lawsuit existed even if the glare wasn't truly a factor.
The society has rejected financing assistance from the City and the Beavers.
"We were proactive in responding to this situation. No one ever came to us directly, and we're a little disappointed," said Gaab.
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