Key Decisions from Gull Lake Town Council: May 28 – Infrastructure Repairs, Staffing Updates, and Community Investments

The Gull Lake Town Council convened on May 28, 2025, in the Town Council Chambers at 2378 Proton Avenue. Mayor Nasser Zanidean presided over the meeting with Councillors Karen Turton, Brandon Wessner, Steve Haithwaite (via phone), Terry Stevenson, Neal Boutin, and Administrator Emella Waiser present, ensuring a quorum. Councillor Tyson Migneault was absent.

Gull Lake Town Council Meeting Minutes and Financial Approvals

The council approved the minutes from the May 14, 2025, meeting. Financial approvals included:

• Cheques #25307 to #25338: Totaling $102,338.10

• Education Property Tax: $121.89

Staff and Committee Reports

Staff Updates:

• Doug Vold (Waterplant Operator): Presented the January 2025 Waterplant Report before leaving the meeting at 8:15 p.m.

• L. Alliban (Economic Development Officer): Delivered the April 2025 written report.

  
  

Committee Updates:

• Gull Lake Tourism/EDC: Report provided by Councillor Wessner.

  In a recent development, the Gull Lake Tourism Committee and the Economic Development Committee are merging their committees. This strategic move is intended to streamline their focus on the shared goals of boosting the tourism/visitor economy and strengthening the local Gull Lake economy.

  
  

• Gull Lake Ambulance: Report provided by Councillor Turton.

Correspondence Reviewed During the Meeting

The council reviewed and filed correspondence from:

• Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council (AGM notice)

• Blake Campbell – Transparency & Accessibility

  • In a letter addressed to Mayor Zanidean and the Council, local resident Blake Campbell congratulated the Council on its first-term progress and stressed the importance of enhanced transparency. Prompted by an October 31, 2024 online poll hosted by Gull Lake Events—where 95% of respondents supported posting council agendas online—Campbell urged the council to consider a phased approach: start with online agendas, then explore options for adding supporting documents, and eventually consider live-streaming meetings—to foster community involvement and accountability. Further updates on this will be shared to keep residents engaged.

Key Decisions Made During the Meeting

Several community-focused initiatives were approved:

• Financial Statements:

  The council approved the April 2025 financial statements along with the 2024 draft financial statements prepared by Stark & Marsh.

  
  

• Infrastructure Repair:

  Repair work was approved for the south side of Cell 1, with a stipulation of up to $6,000 for berm repair.

  
  

• Event Permits:

  The Gull Lake & District Kinette Club was granted permission to secure a liquor permit for their street dance scheduled on July 19, 2025.

  
  

• Property Development:

  Authority was granted to the administrator to sign the Gull Lake Property Development Cooperative Membership Agreement.

  
  

• Summer Program Staffing:

  After a brief temporary exit due to a declared conflict of interest by Mayor Zanidean and Administrator Waiser, the council approved the hiring of summer play program staff at $15.00 per hour:

  • Kamyrn Dietrich

  • Greysen Waiser

  • Suri Harvey

  • Mazin Zanidean

    
    

• Safety Equipment:

  A quote from Rocky Mountain Phoenix was approved for one G1 Cylinder (45 min/4500 LP Carbon Fibre) at $2,136.75.

  
  

  The “G1 45-min carbon-fibre cylinder” is the high-pressure air bottle used on MSA’s G1 Industrial SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus) platform. It holds 4,500 psi of breathing air—enough for roughly 45 minutes of use.

  
  

• Pool Staffing:

  Hiring for pool staff was confirmed with new lifeguards:

  • Sadie Nelson: $19.00 per hour

  • Cade Mitchell: $15.00 per hour

    
    

• Town Operational Staffing:

  The council approved the hiring of M. Vaughan at step 2 of the Town of Gull Lake Salary Guideline at $23.12 per hour.

  
  

• Regional and Environmental Initiatives:

  Additional decisions included:

  • A $1,000 contribution toward the Regional Investment Website.

  • Authorization for the administrator to sign the reclamation acknowledgment for Well Site 111/03-26-013-19W3.

  • Approval of Wyatt Engineering’s proposed 2025 groundwater program.

Meeting Extension and Adjournment

To ensure all agenda items were covered, the session was extended past 9:00 p.m. The meeting adjourned at 9:43 p.m.

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