Council was told of a preliminary study underway on the feasibility of setting up a sunflower seed processing plant in the Weyburn area.

A preliminary study was approved by the Southeast Regional Economic Development Authority (SEREDA); if the preliminary study is favourable, the REDA will take part in a full feasibility study.

The idea for such a processing plant came about through a rural strategic planning sessions held by SEREDA in late April. The plant would have a focus on producing sunflower seed oil, bird seed, seed for confectionery use and as high-protein livestock feed.

Sask. Ag and Food advised the REDA that soil conditions in the Weyburn area are good for growing sunflowers, but not many producers grow it due to transportation costs to get them processed. Members of the REDA also feel that if a plant were available in the southeast, more producers would grow sunflowers.

A feasibility study would look at such factors as availability of market and of feedstock, pricing structures, production, design and capital costs.

The project is dependent on funding from the government's REDA Enhancement Fund Grant program, and is a joint project between SEREDA, Cornerstone REDA, Mainline REDA and the Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation.

With the civic election four months away, council approved the initial plans for the election put forward by the city's returning officer Cheryl Rommann.

Voters will see a few changes when they go to the polls in October, including extended voting hours, and the addition of a mobile poll this year.

The changes were made by provincial legislation, but not all the changes will be instituted this year; one change is to provide for mail-in ballots, but returning officers from across the province want to have more study on how it would work and are recommending it be available for the 2006 election instead.

Voting on the main election day, which is Wednesday, Oct. 22, will run from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., an extension from the previous hours of 10-8 p.m.

The mobile poll, which will be new for this election, is to provide the opportunity to vote to those with a physical disability or limited mobility who cannot attend a polling station, and for a care-giver of a person with a disability or limited mobility.

With this service, an election official will come to the home of the voter. Voters at special care facilities that are too small to warrant a poll will also be eligible for this service. The poll will be offered the same day as the advance poll, which is Thursday, Oct. 16 and Saturday, Oct. 18.

A special poll will be set up in three locations, at Souris Valley Extended Care Centre, the Weyburn Special Care Home, and the Weyburn General Hospital. The regular polling stations on election will be held in the following locations; polling area 1, which includes the northwest and north-central portion of the city, will vote at St. Dominic Savio; area 2, which takes in the residential area north of First Avenue N.E. and east of 16th St., will vote at Weyburn Junior High; area 3, which goes from Fifth to 16th St. south of First Avenue, will vote at St. Michael School, and the South Hill area will vote at Souris School.

Two issues were brought up by councillors, including that of notifying residents that they are eligible to vote, and deciding the order of names on the ballot.

Coun. George Kalman pointed out that during the byelection he ran into several residents of rental properties who held the mistaken idea they were not eligible to vote; he suggested an enumeration be held in order to make sure all those who are eligible vote will do so.

Rommann noted that Weyburn hasn't done an enumeration for a civic election for over 20 years, and estimated this has saved the city about $7,000 each election time. She said the current system of registering at the poll has been working well so far, and suggested some extra advertising prior to the election may help let people know if they are eligible to vote.

On the issue of the order of candidate names, the provincial act provides four options for the municipality to choose from. Rommann suggested going in alphabetical order, but council members decided they would rather have the names chosen at random.

Asked how this would be done to the satisfaction of the candidates, it was suggested the candidate or a representative be present when the names are picked for the order on the ballot.

Coun. Kalman asked how a slate or group of candidates would be handled in such a system, and he was informed provincial legislation doesn't allow for candidates to run as a slate in municipal elections. Also, the change of the order of candidates' names only applies to council, not to the school boards, who have jurisdiction over their own election of board members.

Members of the city's parks board are working on keeping and maintaining funding levels for its projects and personnel, council was told.

In one recent meeting, parks board representatives Coun. Ray Hamm, Mayor Don Schlosser and Marlene Nedelcov hosted minister Buckley Belanger in a tour of the Tatagwa Parkway, mainly to show him one dangerous component of the park's path system.

Due to how the paths are set up, one part of the loop goes over the Souris River bridge on Highway 39, which puts pedestrians in danger of the highway traffic.

"It was anticipated the Centenary grant funds would go towards an addition to the bridge, but because Highways has postponed the project to 2005, it put our funding in jeopardy," said Coun. Hamm.

The board is lobbying ministers, including Belanger, for their help so Tatagwa Parkway can preserve the Centenary grant they have available. Under terms of the program, that money will be lost if it isn't used within a certain time frame.

Hamm said the board was able to secure funding for four students' positions this summer, two for Tatagwa Parkway and two for the Heritage Village, the same as last year.

A grant from the Young Fellows Club in the amount of $5,000 has also been confirmed, he added, which will go towards the construction of a new gazebo in River Park.