Council for the Municipality of Rhineland is looking for new ways to utilize the municipality's secondary administration office located in Plum Coulee.

According to Reeve Don Wiebe, the facility, which served as the former headquarters for the Town of Plum Coulee, was kept open following municipal amalgamation as part of Rhineland's commitment to personnel. However, things have changed with the recent retirement of the office's lone staffer.

As a result, the Plum Coulee office has closed with all duties shifted to existing staff at Rhineland's head office in Altona. A drop-off box has been set up at the building in Plum Coulee for residents to deposit items that need to get to the Altona office. Those items are picked up every day. The Altona Police Service continues to operate out of a space in the office building at certain times during the week.

Because Plum Coulee is the largest L.U.D. within the Municipality of Rhineland, Wiebe says it is a priority for Council to find a way to make use of the facility.

"There's lots of development going on there...and so we're trying to be strategic about this," he added.

As well, officials have dusted off a recreation and cultural needs study that was conducted shortly after amalgamation to see if there are any possible uses for the building in that capacity.

Further discussion on the future of the building will take place at the Council's annual strategic planning session planned for December.