When Mayor Rodney Perkins sees Kindersley, he sees potential and progress. Doubtless, this is one of the reasons Mayor Perkins has quickly gained popularity with Kindersley residents.
“Kindersley is a community that deserves to grow,” stated Mayor Perkins in a recent interview, “the council and I have made it our goal to see that it does.”
Recently elected to office in October 2016, Mayor Perkins and the council jumped into their new roles with both feet. Some of their projects include plans for Kindersley’s new swimming pool.
“The need for a fully functioning pool [in Kindersley] is very obvious,” said Mayor Perkins, citing the number of families who have been forced to travel to surrounding communities for swimming lessons and family fun days. “It’s actually a downright embarrassment for our community, so the council and I are giving this project high importance.”
Continuing on the project originally started in 2012, the Town plans to move on the recently submitted “Requests for Expressions of Interest” (REOI). The deadline for submissions was on February 24, therefore the Town will soon open all REOIs received and make their decision. Mayor Perkins hopes the decision-making process will be quick, saying that he would like to see “the shovels in the ground” by June, with the project completed by April 2018.
In addition to the pool, the Mayor and council have set their sights on various other projects such as further development of the industrial area, furthering community enjoyment of parks, and addressing the need for competitively priced housing in Kindersley.
The Industrial area is in need of better traffic flow and drainage systems; so far the Town has been able to address some of the issues and hopes to increase its development over the summer months. They have also been closely working together with the RM to relocate the landfill to the more appropriate location of Teo Lake.
The rebuilding and the support of various parks in Kindersley have also been an object of interest. “Kindersley has young families, and we want to encourage them to build a community where they feel at home,” says Mayor Perkins. The council has recently made an agreement with the Friends of Kinsman Park to match all incoming donations for the second stage of remodeling its rink and outbuildings.
Mayor Perkins put a strong emphasis on the need for increased housing options in the Kindersley area. He says he hopes to attract builders and companies from around Saskatchewan to invest in affordably-priced housing for Kindersley residents. Plans have not yet been officially released for this project.
With so many projects on the go, the Mayor says his last four months in office have been a healthy learning curve, but not without some satisfying moments. “The council has been great to work with; the members are diverse, and represent a fresh cross-section of the Kindersley community.”
Overall, Mayor Perkins feels that Kindersley is headed towards greater stability and growth as a community and plans to walk beside it every step of the way.
Image Source: Steven Lund/ Kindersley Social
For the latest information and for more updates on everything Kindersley ‘Like’ the Kindersley Social Facebook page below…
