The City of Weyburn has asked the police commission to investigate the cost of having the city policed by the RCMP.

Coun. Bill Rudachyk gave a lengthy report from the commission to city council on Monday evening, including the request that the cost of RCMP coverage be explored.

"It does not mean we are going in that direction," said Coun. Rudachyk.

Asked later what the purpose of the information is, Mayor Don Schlosser said the city has never obtained the figures before.

"We've had a lot of people question us over the years, if we were ever to have the RCMP police the City of Weyburn, what would the costs be? I don't have a clue," said the mayor on Tuesday.

Asked what the city would do if the RCMP turned out to be less expensive than the current city force, he replied it would have to be a decision by council.

"I think there pros and cons to having your own police force as opposed to being policed by somebody else," said the mayor, noting autonomy would be one loss if they went with the RCMP. Centres as large or larger than Weyburn with RCMP coverage include Yorkton, North Battleford, Swift Current and Melfort.

"We can get the costs from them, but we have to talk to the RCMP on the specifics," said Mayor Schlosser, adding the city wants up-to-date information, including any recent regulations that might have a bearing on the cost.

In other business from the police commission, Mayor Schlosser noted he received a new contract offer from the police association on Monday, and has passed it on to the city's negotiator, who will in turn make a recommendation to the police commission as necessary. The commission doesn't meet again until Dec. 20, but the mayor said an emergency commission meeting could be called before that if needed. The police are currently working without a contract in place.

The commission also had a delegation from the Police Complaints Investigator's Office, who informed the commission that any complaints about police officers will now be reviewed by a five-person panel.

Coun. Rudachyk also informed council the Weyburn Humane Society submitted a vet's bill for $2,661, far in excess for the annually-budget amount of $1,500, mostly because a large number of cats had to be euthanized, including 33 cats from one location, along with a number of cats from outside the city. It was recommended that the Humane Society ask the RM of Weyburn for a grant to help offset the cost of dealing with animals brought in from the surrounding area.

Council voted to stay with the current practice of snow removal, rejecting a request from a resident to clear city sidewalks during the winter.

The city had received a letter from resident Claire Kuhn at the previous council meeting, in which she requested that the city not pile snow on the sidewalks, saying to do so "contravenes my legal right to use sidewalks for the purpose they were intended."

She also said if the city continues to "violate my rights as a pedestrian" she would not write more letters, but "will take other measures."

Director of engineering Blaine Frank provided cost figures to council if the city's sidewalks were cleared.

He said if a bylaw were introduced making it mandatory for property owners to remove snow, the city would then have to pick up and haul away the snow, particularly from streets where there is no boulevard so the snow isn't piled on the sidewalks. This scenario would cost the city $225,000 a year, based on current costs of snow removal. It is for this reason the city does not have a bylaw requiring residents to remove snow from their sidewalks.

If the city removed the snow from all sidewalks, along with removing snow from the streets and hauling it away, the cost would increase to $275,000.

The costs were calculated on Weyburn's 100 kilometres of sidewalks, with approximately 25 km on streets with no boulevards, with snow removal being required an average of five times over the course of a winter.

Coun. Rob Stephanson asked if it were possible to strike a balance, and on streets with no boulevards only pile the snow on one side of the street.

Frank said this could be done, but the windrow of snow would be twice as high, plus parking room would be lost on one side of the street.

Coun. Dick Michel said the city could spend the $225,000 to haul away all the snow, but only if that amount could be found in the budget and removed. The other option, he said, would be to add the amount to the $400 base tax, which would add about $75 for the $225,000 option, or $90 for the $275,000 option.

Council members noted that paths in Jubilee Park and Tatagwa Parkway are kept clear as time permits, providing pedestrians with spaces to walk in the winter. The new running track at the Comp could also be kept clear of snow, added Coun. Stephanson, providing another option. Mayor Schlosser said even in the summer he sees all kinds of people walking on the street rather than the sidewalks, and could not believe there would be greater use of the sidewalks in the winter if they were cleared. "I just could not support adding the expense to keep sidewalks open during the winter," added the mayor.

In other council business:

· Coun. Michel said the Weyburn Ag Society will revisit its decision not to stage the Farm, Home and Leisure Show in 2005 after some members have had second thoughts about the move; also, the society will be moving the Catholic fair booth about 15 feet from its current position, and signs for the new grandstand are being discussed.

· The city's tourism committee is trying to decide whether to enter the Communities In Bloom competition in 2005, and if so, whether to enter at the provincial or national level. The national level is possible after Weyburn won its population category for 2004 in Saskatchewan.

· Coun. Gary Frederickson said the new track area of the Comp has had three, very heavy cast iron manhole covers removed, and asked if anyone could help with their return or knows of their whereabouts to contact him.