Christmas shoppers in downtown Weyburn will be able to park for free in city-owned lots, and without fear of the two-hour limit on the streets, following a 5-2 decision by city council Monday night.

The Weyburn Chamber of Commerce has requested each year that the city-owned parking lots in the downtown area have free parking to encourage shoppers to shop there, but this year they also included a request to remove the two-hour parking limit for street parking.

Mayor Don Schlosser and Coun. Dick Michel opposed this move, predicting that staff of downtown businesses will be filling the street stalls, thus removing any benefit to shoppers.

Coun. Gary Frederickson, council's representative to the Chamber, asked his fellow councillors to just try it for the month of December, and if the move doesn't work, he said the chamber would not make the request again.

Mayor Schlosser asked what the city staff should do who monitor parking for such infractions as improper parking in handicapped stalls, or parking in alleyways.

Coun. Bill Rudachyk suggested the staff person go out as they usually do, and give tickets for those infractions, but also monitor the use of street parking to see if it is abused or not.

"There's a lot to be said for helping level the playing field with the big-box stores. Whatever method is being used now to monitor the handicapped zones should be done. I'd really like to see this tried for a month," said Coun. Frederickson.

The mayor pointed out that the big-box stores pay taxes on their parking lots, so it's not like they're getting a free ride from the city.

"I certainly support free parking, but by parking on the main street, it throws it wide open for store staff to park there," said Coun. Michel.

"Couldn't we just try it for a month?" asked Coun. Frederickson, adding that downtown businesses pay a higher tax rate, so providing this for one month "I think is a small thing we could do."

He also pointed out that the chamber feels the downtown businesses will police the situation themselves to ensure employees are not all parking on the street during December.

"You may be right, but all I can tell you is the chamber wants to try it. They feel there is collective support amongst the businesses, they'd like to try it," he said.

Unionized city workers with CUPE negotiated a new three-year deal and was passed by council a month and a half before the current contract runs out.

The contract, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2006, affects 76 CUPE workers with the city and will run to Dec. 31, 2008.

The city workers will see an increase of 2.25 per cent on Jan. 1, a further increase of 2.5 per cent on Jan. 1, 2007, and a cost-of-living increase on Jan. 1, 2008, capped at a maximum of 3 per cent.

City manager Bob Smith said the city had a union-management committee that resolved many issues through the year as they came up, so when negotiations began on the new contract, the process went quickly.

Council also approved an increase for exempt staff at the same level as for CUPE workers.

The Weyburn Oil Show Board presented a cheque for $50,000 to the City as part of their proceeds from the Saskatchewan Oil and Gas Show held in June.

Prior to presenting the cheque, oil show chair Darcy Cretin the 2005 show was the biggest and best show yet, particularly with the Centennial luncheon with Premier Lorne Calvert bringing in much extra traffic for the exhibitors.

The Oil Show Board is suggesting that the monies be used in two ways; one, to help expand the area for outdoor exhibits on the fair grounds, and two, for improvements to the runways at the Weyburn airport.

Cretin noted the last few shows have been sold out, and extra capacity for outdoor exhibits would help alleviate this situation, along with a recent trend of bigger and larger equipment being brought to the show.

For the airport, the board would like to see resurfacing of some of the runways, as much of the movement at the airport is oilfield-related, said Cretin.

The city's environmental resources committee will meet on Nov. 21 to possibly make a decision on the city's new long-term recycling program, after the committee received more information on the four proposals they were given earlier.

Coun. Rob Stephanson said the four proposals for recycling were all so different they had to get more information so they were more comparable. After this they were able to narrow the proposals down to two, and a meeting was held with the two proponents, with the hope a decision can be made at the committee's meeting.

In the meantime, the interim paper and cardboard recycling centres are being well-used, although volumes are not at the levels they were when SARCAN handled all paper and cardboard recycling. The non-profit group had to give up this service as it grew too big for their clients to handle.

Stephanson said concerns continue to be expressed to them about the heavy lids on the recycling bins, but he said these will be addressed in the long-term plan, not at the current time. He also noted the East Avenue location is not a good one, located next to the street, and an alternate place for that location will be considered.

The Weyburn Ag Society will soon hold auditions for their spring dinner theatre production, said Coun. Michel.

The society will do a performance of the comedy, Dry Streak, on the new performance dates of March 24-26.

Auditions will be held at the Ag Society office on Nov. 29-30.

Michel also said the society considered a plan for a cash lottery, but it has been tabled at this time. The lottery was planned as a fund-raiser for the grandstand project.