By Thia James

City employees to volunteer time to work on section of Rotary Trail

May 14, 2013 | 6:28 AM

Unionized city workers in Prince Albert will volunteer their time after hours and on holidays to work on a section of the Rotary Trail after council approved the use of the city's equipment for it on Monday.

During Monday evening`s council meeting, director of community services Greg Zeeben said now that council has approved the Local 160 workers' use of the city equipment on their volunteered time, work on the trail at the Alfred Jenkins Field House will start soon.

“From the multi-use trail committee, we're looking forward to seeing some trail built this year and getting around the city and the faster that happens, the better we're going to feel,” Dave Fischl, chair of the Rotary Trail committee said during the meeting.

Fischl had met with Mayor Greg Dionne prior to Monday's council meeting. Dionne, after the meeting, said that discussion went very well.

“We continue to get more donations and we are going to move the Rotary Trail ahead this year,” Dionne said. “I'm excited because it`s certainly well used in our community.”

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But the trail's completion does face a number of roadblocks that the city has to overcome, as outlined in a report to council put together by Zeeben.

One of the items that became a discussion topic during the council meeting was the opposition of some business owners along the uncompleted portion of the trail to having it cross in front of their property.

Dionne – after the meeting – said the city has sent these owners a letter and they have checked these locations.

“We own the property,” he said. “It's our easement and the Rotary Trail is going forward.”

During the meeting, Coun. Ted Zurakowski thanked Fischl and the committee for their work to bring the trail into existence.

“But, it's been very tough on them … and not as tough on us to carry the momentum forward. To be quite honest, I am frankly tired of hearing we can't move forward because of the reasons in the report.”

He went on to pose questions related to the specific challenges outlined in Zeeben's report.

“I'm just concerned – and I appreciate the update – but I guess I would say frustrated, that we keep seeing the same roadblocks coming forward and without a plan to deal with them. And if it's a lack of willingness on council, or a lack of plan, I guess I'd like to know that.”

The director of community services will be preparing future updates for council, with potential solutions to problems standing in the way of the trail`s completion. Also, the mayor plans to attend all future Rotary Trail committee meetings.

Zeeben's report also highlighted that more than $577,940 of $864,025 is still required to fund the trail`s completion.

Over the weekend, the B&B Asphalt made a $50,000 cash commitment to the trail and it will provide two years of free maintenance for the entire trail.

Where council is concerned, it will deliberate again in 2014, Dionne said.

“But you know we've got a big chunk this year going and we're getting more and more donations, so in 2014 it'll be interesting to see what we have left.”

Watch paNOW for more updates on the Rotary Trail's progress.

tjames@panow.com

On Twitter: @thiajames