A lack of communication may have contributed to a vote by residents of the RM of Weyburn against donating to the South Central Health District's new Tatagwa View long-term care facility.

The RM council heard at their monthly meeting on Monday that roughly half of the surveys sent out to RM residents were returned, and of those, 58 per cent said no and 42 per cent supported the donation.

The residents were asked if the RM should sponsor one of the housing units of the Tatagwa View project at a cost of $50,000.

"It was a little bit tough for us. I don't think there was enough information out there," said Reeve Dan Sidloski, which other councillors agreed was a problem.

Coun. Heather Cugnet said more publicity should have been done as residents didn't know about the work that has been done on the facility, and newly-elected councillor Carmen Sterling said people she talked to didn't know how to vote on the issue.

"Some people said they wouldn't send in their vote because it would've gone yes anyway," added Coun. Ron Lutz, who also sits on the SCHD board of directors.

The reeve said one argument he heard in opposition is that it would cost less for a private group to build such a facility than a public organization like a health district, referring to private care homes which have been built in the city.

It was noted the Tatagwa View facility will also include the SCHD's administration offices and a day care, which affect the final cost as well.

"We wanted to leave our offices in Souris Valley, but the government wouldn't let us," said Coun. Lutz.

Elections were held for the RM of Weyburn, with two new councillors to join as of January of 2002.

In the election held on Oct. 31, Carmen Sterling won Division 2 with 50 votes, beating out Jeff Gaab with 35 votes, and Neil Hastings with six votes. She replaces Jack Giroux who did not run for re-election.

In Division 4, Maurice Clark was acclaimed, replacing outgoing councillor Antony Brazenas, and Ron Lutz was acclaimed for Division 6. Both the new councillors were present at Monday's meeting.

The RM council deferred a request from the Weyburn Golf Club for an abatement of their property taxes, saying the golf course has to take the matter of their property assessment to SAMA, the Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency.

In a letter from the golf club executive, the RM was told they are looking at a tax increase of 40.4 per cent, due mostly to a higher assessment on their property. The golf course said consideration for a reduction in taxes should be made as the club is a non-profit organization.

RM administrator Kim McIvor said the golf course previously had each green assessed at $30,000, but now that has gone up to $45,000 each green, which in turn has led to an increase in property taxes.

The argument made for lower assessment was that the golf course is at different stages of development with their greens, yet all the greens were assessed at the same level.

The golf course still has the option open to join with Nickle Lake Regional Park, in which case they would be exempt from paying taxes, said Reeve Sidloski.

When councillors raised the possibility of setting a precedent if they granted a tax concession, Coun. Giroux pointed to the letter from the golf course executive which noted they are a non-profit organization instead of a private for-profit business.

Council decided to wait for a response from SAMA to the request, and if they revise their figures the RM can proceed on that basis to reduce the tax bill.

The RM received a letter from the province's Community Planning, which said the RM had only given six months' notice they would withdraw from the Tatagwa Planning District Commission, but they were still considered a part of that commission until their withdrawal was made formally by Community Planning.

Reeve Sidloski said according to the agreement with the City of Weyburn for the planning commission, however, the RM's notice of withdrawal meant they were not a part of the commission from that point on.

Part of the reason initially that the RM was involved was to help the city obtain a grant from the province, which required participation from all municipalities in the region. There is another grant request for the Tatagwa Parkway, a provincial Centenary grant of $150,000 over the next three years, which will include funding for more steel wheat sheaves.

"I wouldn't want to jeopardize their getting a grant, but there are other implications to this by being involved in that planning district. For example, if we do any development along the Tatagwa system, including Nickle Lake, we would have to notify this body and they would have to review it. The city would be able to come back and say you're too close to the water," said Reeve Sidloski, adding the body would just be one more level of red tape for issues like subdividing land in the RM.

Coun. Giroux, one of the RM's representatives who had attended planning commission meetings, said it was a "waste of time" for the RM to attend as almost none of the business was of any concern to the RM.

Reeve Sidloski said the RM would let the situation sit as it is, with the municipality not involved in the planning commission, and they would take a second look at the issue in the new year when the two new councillors take their chairs.