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Some important updates after the storm this past weekend:
Morden Park: Closed until further notice based upon the risk of falling branches and trees. Access is limited due to soft ground conditions and snow levels.
Livingston Park: Closed until further notice based upon the risk of falling branches and trees. Access is limited due to soft ground conditions and snow levels.
Stephen, Thornhill, and driveway access have been addressed. Based on the extent of damage, priority will be the 100, 200, 300 blocks of 1st through 15th, 400 block of 10th St. with main arteries to Minnewasta, Maple Leaf, EMMS and Morden Collegiate Schools. Crews will be conducting a city-wide sweep of every street over the next several weeks.
Do not park under, and limit travel (walking/biking) under or in proximity to trees with broken limbs. Children walking to school are at risk until designated routes have been addressed.
If you have a city owned tree near your property that was affected, our crews will be working diligently over the next few weeks to deal with all of the damage from the storm.
If there is damage to privately owned trees, shrubs, etc. that is the responsibility of the property owner. For Morden residents, there is room at the Willcocks Road Compost Yard if you have branches or other yard refuse. Visit mordenmb.com/city-services for more details.
Please note that our crews will be cleaning up Stephen Street and North Railway this week, clearing sidewalks and hauling away snow.
This week was supposed to be fall clean up, however this has been delayed because of the storm. Fall clean up will be pushed to the last week of October to give everyone (including our crews) a chance to deal with the storm debris.
During the budget cycle for 2019, Mordenʼs City Council became aware of significantly higher costs to deliver Morenet which deviated from the $100k of operating cost and $300-400k of capital costs initially approved by
In May, 2019, Morden City Council decided that the new cost combined with the report provided by our consultant, meant that we needed to terminate the service. At that time, we were approached by the Morenet network administrator and former city employee who offered to purchase the utility. Council felt it was important to explore this avenue as a means of cost recovery. Unfortunately, we were unable to come to an acceptable agreement.
The negotiations included the exchange of various drafts but also contemplated additional agreements in respect of which no drafts were yet exchanged. It is inaccurate to suggest the negotiations were close to conclusion or that even the complete agreement was on the table. Regardless, the city advised the opposing party the negotiations were concluded in advance of the press conference on the morning of September 30th, 2019, when the city informed the interested parties through their legal representation. We have affirmed that the city does not use public platforms for contract negotiations as this is inappropriate and leads to significant misinformation.
Given that former Deputy City Manager Dave Haines and Sergii Polishchuk of Infotec Manitoba –both of whom are currently contractors for the city- have made public that they were the potential buyers, we can now share some more information regarding their proposal and why it is not in the best interest of the city of Morden.
The city administration is actively in discussion with all local internet service providers and will do what is needed to ensure that Morden has access to quality internet. These ISPs are investing in our community. Now that we have made it clear that Morenet is indeed shutting down on October 30th these ISPs are more willing to increase their investments and meet the needs of our citizens. Many have already increased their available speeds and lowered their prices now that there is competition in the marketplace.
We remain committed to the success of our local businesses as well as our citizens and to that end we will actively pursue solutions to the need for fast and reliable internet in Morden.
Be careful where and when you park this winter! The City of Morden’s Parking Ban is currently in effect.
From October 1st through April 30th, cars parked on the street between midnight and 8 a.m. can be towed and the owner fined $150 plus towing fees.
Please see the following by-laws, Traffic Control 17BL10 and By-Law Enforcement 17BL02, on mordenmb.com for more details.
Meet the Mayor will be cancelled this week, Wednesday, October 2, 2019 as Mayor Burley is out of town on business.
Please join us next Wednesday, October 9, 2019.
Thank you.
On behalf of the city of Morden we are announcing that as of October 30, 2019, Morenet will be ceasing all operations. After examining the technical viability, costs, regulatory requirements, and associated risks we did not feel that as a long-term solution Morenet would be a fit for the City of Morden to operate as a public entity, particularly as the city continues to grow. The city of Morden will continue to explore opportunities to recuperate or redirect the initial investment to maximize the connectivity of city-owned buildings and facilities so we can continue to provide efficient public services.
Effective immediately, there will be no new
Another successful Sport and Leisure Expo has come and gone. The event on Wednesday September 4 had 30 organizations present to share information about programs, volunteer opportunities and services. Organizations were given the opportunity to make a donation toward helping give all kids a chance to be involved in recreation. A donation of $365 was collected and will go toward Canadian Tire Jumpstart, KidSport and Chance 2 Grow. Information on all of these programs can be found at mordenmb.com/recreation-funding. If you have extra funds at this time of year, consider making a donation to help kids in sport and recreation. It helps all kids access excellent programming. Donation information can be found online.
If you missed the Sport and Leisure expo there are still opportunities to register as long as spaces allow. See a full list of local sport and recreation opportunities and mordenmb.com/sports-groups.
See a program guide for City of Morden programs including fitness programs, first aid courses, adult drop-in sports, youth basketball, youth badminton, kids world dance, youth kickboxing, rec hockey, and more at mordenmb.com/programs. Or pick up a guide at the Access Event Centre, Civic Centre, Thornview Grocery, or Agassiz Medical Clinic.
Stephanie Dueck, Rec Programmer for City of Morden noted that, “being involved in programs and activities helps people of all ages to get active, boost self-esteem, improve well-being, and connect in the community. We are fortunate to have so many great opportunities in our area.”
See the full release here (PDF)
The next Morden Police Board Meeting will be held on September 24th, 2019, at 3:00 pm in the Morden Civic Centre Meeting Room – 195 Stephen Street.
All those wishing to be on the agenda to speak must register at the beginning of the meeting.
