The District of Houston council has approved a permit so that the Pleasant Valley Horse Club can play host to a May longweekend rodeo at the Four Seasons Park.
Called May Days, the rodeo takes place from May 20 to May 22 and features barrel racing, cattle sorting and other equivalent events.
“This local community event has been held annually for a number of years and expects to bring attendance of up to 100 people. No admission fees are charged,” leisure services director Cassie Henrickson outlined in a memo considered by council at its April 19 meeting.
Council’s permission includes camping at the park with estimates of betwee 30 and 40 people doing so.
The club has requested the District turn the water and power on, open the washroom facilities and make sure they are in working order, cut the grass within the rodeo grounds and inner track and supply the District’s water truck should there be a fire risk that weekend.
Credit card limit increased
Council has doubled from $40,000 to $80,000 the limit that’s on the District’s credit card account.
That’s because the number of people holding a credit card has climbed to eight and since each can charge up to $10,000, with the exception of the chief administrative office who can charge up to $20,000, $40,000 could potentially be exceeded.
“It is reasonable that individual cardholders should be assured of having the approved limit available on their card regardless of the activities of the other cardholders and therefore an increase in the overlimit is now needed,” reads an explanatory memo from interim finance director Jennifer Larson.
The eight people are Mayor Shane Brienen, chief administrative officer Michael Dewar, corporate services director Holly Brown, interim (and soon to be permanent) finance director Jennifer Larson, leisure services director Cassie Henrickson, operations director Michael Cooper and fire chief/protective services director Jim Daigneault.
Library/District agree to five-year deal
The Houston Public Library is to have a five-year financial deal with the District of Houston, a move that provides certainty for the library and reduces the time District staffers and council will need to spend reviewing and then renewing the grant of assistance each year.
That grant has stood steady at $122,000 since 2017 and will now rise by 2 per cent a year to meet wages, supplies and operating costs.
For this year, the library’s operating budget is $182,325 of which about 20 per cent comes from the provincial government.
“Public libraries continue to provide free access to essential services which is particularly important in small communities like Houston,” a memo from interim finance director Jennifer Larson to council indicated.
The library also leases its building from the District of Houston.