A range of topics were up for discussion during a recent meeting between Municipality of Rhineland Council and Manitoba's Indigenous and Municipal Affair Minister.

Reeve Don Wiebe says Council requested an audience with the Minister shortly after the spring election that saw the Tories score a landslide victory. That request was granted last Wednesday when Eileen Clarke and Emerson MLA Cliff Graydon came through Altona.
 
"It was a great opportunity to dialogue about our municipal concerns," explains Wiebe, adding "We took this opportunity to talk a bit about our new municipality in terms of after the amalgamation...and reminded her that the policing issue, the special arrangement with Plum Coulee still is not resolved." Other discussion points included economic development, asset management, land use planning and healthcare.

Wiebe adds infrastructure was also a large focus of the meeting, including the urgent need for provincial drain improvements and maintenance.

"In that discussion we referenced the Rempel and St. Joseph drains, which are in progress. We also talked about the importance of the South Buffalo (drain) and doing a redesign. This year, of course, it shows up how inefficient those drains are."

He notes Council did compliment the Province on its effort to cut red tape and streamline provincial funding.  

"We appreciate that, it makes the process simpler for municipalities."

Meantime, a new website for the Municipality of Rhineland is nearly ready to go live. Wiebe says it's part of Council's strategic plan that began about one year ago.

"We thought it was important for the new municipality to create a new identity and a website is key to that."

Included in this cyber update is an app that people can download on to their phones for quick and easy information on what's happening in the municipality.

"This app will have wonderful features that can be used for local notices, upcoming events, business directory, notifications such as tornado (warnings) or water main breaks and includes other options that we can add to that list," explains Wiebe.

Administration has reviewed the website and the hope is to have it go live in September.