The Sunday Morning Sports Bylaw, in place since 1988, was repealed by city council on Monday evening by a vote of 6-1.

The final vote on the issue had been held over from Jan. 10, to allow Coun. Ray Hamm the opportunity to vote and state his opinion, as he was on vacation for the first vote.

He noted he was in support of keeping the bylaw when it came up last June, but has had time to think over his position and how the bylaw is working, and decided to change his view, although reluctantly.

"I have supported retention of the bylaw, and a part of me still supports that notion, the part that has nostalgia for the quiet Sundays of the past," said Hamm, adding he now has two reasons to support repealing it.

Hamm feels the bylaw isn't working, as its original intention was to help support families to set aside Sunday mornings as a quiet time, and would help parents who struggle between having to choose between sports and going to church.

His second reason is that he believes in the separation of church and state, and that the state has a responsibility not to dictate moral or religious activities.

"If this bylaw in any way interferes with that right to choose, or parents feel unduly pressured, let me know and I will act on their behalf," added Hamm.

Mayor Don Schlosser also noted a meeting had been held between Weyburn Minor Hockey and the Weyburn Ministerial Association to work out some of the issues between them.

"They're hoping when they do the scheduling that if at all possible, each child would only have play once on a Sunday morning in a month. I definitely feel the discussion that took place was very very good, and I hope things can be worked out," said the mayor.

Council approved increasing the environmental fee on city utility bills from $2 to $3, with the money to be set aside in a reserve to improve and expand recycling services.

Coun. Rob Stephanson of the Environmental Resources Committee noted the $2 charge was to help offset the cost of refuse collection and running the landfill, but no monies have been aside towards recycling; the new $1 addition will now be set aside for that purpose.

He noted the Wor-Kin Shop has been able to keep 4-500 tonnes of paper out of the landfill annually, but that they are at their capacity right now of how much materials they can handle.

"If we're serious about a long-term recycling program, we need to put some money into it. We can develop a program to do that, but we need some money," said Stephanson, adding he can guarantee citizens that this extra dollar will not go to general revenues but will be kept in a reserve.

If the city decides not to go further into recycling, Stephanson said the city will then need to find another landfill site in a few years, and will need funds for that.

"The committee is committed to trying to develop a workable recycling program. This fee is quite low compared to other communities, but it's a starting point," he said.

He earlier reported that the former manager of the Wor-Kin Shop, Dean Ror, has been contracted to review the options for expansion, and will have a report back to their board by February, and subsequently to city council.

Stephanson said the committee was also told this will be the last year that the SaskTel Pioneers will do the paint recycling program, and hopes another volunteer group will be able to step up and take it over, as it has been beneficial to the community.

Weyburn council added their voices to other municipalities who oppose the proposed available-hours legislation by the province's Labour department.

Mayor Schlosser, who is also president of SUMA (Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association), noted the SUMA board opposes the legislation, saying it would hurt the summer students and other employees with the city.

"I read the information from the government, and I still see there are more negatives than positives," said Coun. Hamm.

Coun. Gary Frederickson said the government is probably getting a lot of negative feedback on the legislation, and noted the Weyburn Chamber of Commerce opposes it.

"It's quite obvious it was bad 10 years ago when it was first proposed, and it hasn't got any better with age. I encourage business people to write and call. This is ridiculous as far as what they say it will do, and what it will actually do," said Coun. Stephanson.

Council voted unanimously to oppose the legislation, and to inform the government of their concerns.

Council also approved supporting a new federal bill to amend the Income Tax Act, which would allow an athlete from a non-profit club to be excluded from taxation up to $8,000.

The bill, C-285, is designed to address the concerns raised by the taxation of SJHL league teams and players, the only league in Canada to be so targetted by the federal government.

Communities with SJHL teams were sent notice about this bill to let Finance Minister Ralph Goodale know of their position, and Weyburn council joined that list.

"This stems from the inequities around the SJHL. No other league across the country at the same level or above have been treated in the same manner, which has left a bad taste for teams in Saskatchewan who are put on a non-level playing field to the rest of Canada," said Coun. Bill Rudachyk.

In other council business:

· Council approved a new four-way stop which will take effect downtown at the intersection of Fourth Street and Souris Avenue; city manager Bob Smith said there will be a warning of some kind set up so motorists will be reminded of the change. Up until now, motorists on Souris Avenue did not have to stop between Third and Fifth Streets.

· The IOOF Hall and Lions Club buildings have both had an agreement with the city extended for this year, for a tax abatement for 50 per cent of the municipal portion of their property taxes.

· Local improvements for 2005 were introduced, and will later come up for bylaw when local residents have the opportunity to petition out if they don't want the projects. The proposal is for $426,100 in street recapping, $54,000 in water main replacement, and $6,881 for new concrete sidewalk replacement for the new medical clinic. The cost to property owners will be lower this time, as council changed the funding split from 60-40 to 40-60, where the property owner will now pay 40 per cent instead of 60, in the hopes of preventing petitioning out of projects. Last year a large number of the proposed projects were petitioned out.