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Ponoka’s Community Market to take over former library

Market slated to begin in April with both indoor and outdoor vendors
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Starting next month, the former Ponoka Jubilee Library site will be buzzing with activity on Mondays.

Ponoka town council, during it’s Feb. 26 meeting, approved the Ponoka Community Market to move into the old library since the Kinsmen Community Centre has been sold.

The hope is to have all of the stored items removed and cleaning done so the market can have access for April 1. Tables and chairs will be made available for the market, as those will be coming over from the Community Centre.

CAO Albert Flootman told council that the request came from Debbie Lamey, one of the market’s organizers.

“There was a positive community response to the market last year and currently the building is being used for temporary storage,” he stated.

“The location downtown is good with outdoor options with the adjacent parking lot and green space.”

Flootman added that while the area is part of Ponoka’s future Civic Square plans, some considerable planning must still take place to decide future uses.

“It may well work out that it is a desirable end use, but that is something that will need to be determined through the planning process,” he said.

Coun. Carla Prediger questioned the initial motion’s use of the word ‘exclusive’ and Underhill allowed a friendly amendment to the word ‘primary’ just in case there come other requests to use the building.

It was noted that one local business has looked at the building as a potential relocation, but that business is also going to wait for the completion of the planning process.

Sidewalk fun

A motion brought forward by Coun. Teri Underhill to purchase some specialized paint and stencils for $500 to create sidewalk activities was approved.

The money will come from the community services special event budget. Underhill noted the painted games and activities done last year were created with borrowed items and that since the stencils are on sale, it was the recreation committee’s hope that they could buy their own.

“With the stencils on sale, it was hoped room could be found to purchase them and more paint in order to get more done around town this summer,” she said.

Public Forum

Resident Don Schimpf raised several issues with council, though chief among them was what he termed ‘excessive idling’ of a neighbours truck for hours.

“I’ve been fighting with this for a while and have called the police, but told to come talk to you,” he said. “The fumes come into my carport, my house.”

He also addressed issues with garbage and recycling not being picked up plus a nearby streetlight that he’s complained about several times, but it has yet to be fixed.

Flootman was able to provide a partial answer on the issue with the truck, noting that a public hearing on the proposed community standards bylaw will be before council on March 12 for a public hearing. That bylaw includes a section on anti-idling and may well help.

The other resident to speak to council was Warren Hart, who briefly spoke about the billing of garbage and recycling while also wanting to know where his applications for spots on some town advisory committees presently stand.

Flootman stated that the deadline for applications had closed by the time Hart had applied, but that a letter informing him of new open positions on other committees had been sent prior to the meeting and should arrive shortly.