Public Transportation on the table for discussion at Winkler's annual planning session

Over the next 2 1/2 days, Council and senior staff for the City of Winkler will gather for their annual planning session.
    
Mayor Henry Siemens says they will be conducting a "deep dive" of their budget that includes the city's upcoming projects, and planning for the next several years as well.

On an annual basis, Siemens said this is the busiest time of year for council and senior staff as they complete the year-end for 2023.

As Council builds Winkler's operating budget for 2024, Siemens says they want to be very careful it's sustainable, by funding the city's Asset Management Plan and ensuring the money that's needed today, is also there.

Up for discussion at this year's sessions will be to come up with a plan for some kind of public transportation.

"Some of the things that we know from over the last year, in particular, the Transportation Study showed that we really should be doing something to help people move throughout Winkler," said Siemens. "So that's something that's there that we're going to consider, that we're going to take a look at. The hope and expectation would be that we will have a public transportation option of a kind sometime in 2024."

Siemens said he believes that we can achieve this. "It's on the table for discussion and I believe Council is supportive of that, and I hope that we're going to be able to come out of planning with a thought towards that."

~ With files from Chris Sumner ~