The total number of criminal offences investigated by the Weyburn Police Service increased slightly this year, while some charges decreased, notably charges for impaired driving and driving while suspended, according to the 2003 annual report from the police department.

Police Chief Rod Horsman told city council the total number of actual crime reports increased to 1,134 from 1,122 last year. This number does not include reports of crime which turned out to be unfounded, of which there were 133 this past year, compared to 119 in both the previous two years. Of the total, the police department cleared 49 per cent or 558 files in 2003.

Broken down by charges, simple assault charges (no injury) were up to 99 charges from 55 the previous year, while assaults causing bodily harm were down, as were sexual assaults. Thefts under $5,000 went up to 264 from 236 the year before, but break-and-enter charges were down slightly from 85 to 72 charges this year.

Charges which were up included mischief (wilful damage) and causing a disturbance, while charges which saw decreases included possession of stolen property, theft of vehicle, fraud, arson, drugs, indecent acts and bail violations.

In traffic offences, impaired driving went down by 57 per cent from last year, the third year in a row with a decrease; the charges went from 50 in 2001 to 35 in 2002 and 15 last year. Driving while suspended also decreased by 49 per cent from last year.

"Although Saskatchewan still has the highest per capita number of impaired driving charges, I'm pleased to see the decrease in Weyburn," said Chief Horsman, adding that his department still kept busy, with the total number of complaints up in 2003 to 5,307 from 5,065 last year.

The chief noted Weyburn has had an integrated position with the RCMP to investigate serious and organized crime, and there were a couple of notable arrests made. In one instance, an adult and two young offenders were arrested and charged with more than 30 break-and-enter offences, with over $10,000 in electronic equipment recovered.

In another case, 70 marijuana plants were found in a neighbouring community with charges laid. The serious crime officer is also watching a trend coming across the prairies, that of the drug crystal meth becoming more prevalent in smaller communities; currently it is a large problem in the neighbouring jurisdictions of North Dakota and Alberta.

In a report on the Alternate Measures program, the Weyburn police dealt with 77 youths, which included 52 extra-judicial measures where police were informally involved, and 25 matters which went to alternate measures where the offence is dealt with outside of the courts. There were also 29 agreements for adults entering into alternative measures.

In the Crime Stoppers program, from the 18 press releases sent out, the city police received 11 tips, nine of which were used to help in investigations. One tip resulted in a Highway Traffic charge being laid, and one tip led to the recovery of a stolen vehicle.

The city's Environmental Resource committee is concerned that recyclable items, particularly cardboard, are still going into the landfill, and the city may act to ban it from the landfill.

In his report to council, Coun. Rob Stephanson said even though SARCAN recycles cardboard, the volume of cardboard going into the landfill is still increasing.

"Our goal is in the near future we're going to eliminate cardboard from going into the landfill, because it doesn't need to be there," he said, adding the committee will look into the matter further.

The committee is also looking into the possibility of recycling electronic items, such as old televisions and old computer monitors and systems. Part of the difficulty with old computer equipment is that there is little dollar value in the material, he said.

With the city doing an internal competition for the cleanup campaign, Coun. Stephanson noted that coupons will be sent out to approximately 3,500 households in the city for one free dropoff that can be made to the landfill some time during the month of May, rather than setting one or two weekends as free dropoff times and having poor weather interfere with those dates.

City council confirmed that municipal taxes will be going up by five per cent in 2004, as they passed the budget for the year.

The preliminary tax notice sent out earlier this year set a preliminary increase of five per cent, with the final budget document waiting until the federal and provincial budgets were brought down.

The final budget includes the benefits of the GST rebate from the federal government, the revenue-sharing allocation, and the one-per-cent increase in the provincial sales tax.

The increase on the municipal side does not set the tax policy for the year, however, said city manager Bob Smith, as the city's school boards have yet to pass their budgets, where an additional tax increase may come if the boards decide.

Smith also noted that four of that five per cent is going towards paying for the first phase of the Colosseum renovations, with only one per cent going to city operations this year.

On the issue of tax policy, Coun. Stephanson noted the proposal for a base tax is still on, with two public meetings set this year for June 16 and Sept. 15 to discuss it with the public. He said the city was looking at levying taxes in a fairer way through these meetings.

Additions or improvements were approved by council for two companies this year.

The Federated Co-op feed mill applied to replace their receiving leg at a cost of $155,000. The new leg will be 40 feet higher than the current leg, and the company hopes to alleviate some of the dust problems currently being caused.

Coun. Ray Hamm noted that the long-term goal is that the feed mill will relocate at some point, and he was told most of the equipment, except for the base of it, will be moveable.

The other approval was given to the Branch Office Bar and Grill to build a 40-foot by 20-foot deck on the north side of their building. The establishment will maintain its current allotment of 18 parking stalls.

One area resident complained that parking has been a problem at times, and engineer Blaine Frank said he would talk to both the resident and the establishment about the parking difficulties.

In other council business:

· The city was asked to handle the byelection to be called for the Holy Family Separate School Division, as long-time trustee John Nikolejsin resigned from the board. The byelection has been set for Wednesday, June 23, and city clerk Cheryl Rommann has been appointed as returning officer.

· Council's representative to the library board, Gary Frederickson, noted Weyburn's circulation is almost double that of Estevan's, and the circulation for the month of March was up 10 per cent of March of last year. The library has also received a grant for the summer reading program, and will hire a student coordinator to run the program.

· From the Police Commission, in response to a concern about the speed of large trucks along First Avenue North (Highway 13) through school zone areas, Coun. Frederickson reported there is legislation on the way which may lower all school zone speed limits in the province to 30 km/h from the current 40 km/h.