Voices Heard At First KPMG Public Meeting

A small turnout but some lively discussion at the first public consultation hosted by KPMG on the ongoing operational and service level review.
14-people attended the Dryden Go-Getters Centre last night to hear from the consulting firm.
After a short presentation the group opened it up to the floor, where a number of suggestions were tossed around.
The main recommendation was implementing manageable non-resident user fees for out-of-towners who come into town to use the Arena, Rec Centre, Museum, Ball-Diamonds, Library and even land-fill site.
A majority of the crowd, including one from Wabigoon, were in favour of the recommendation.
Other talk last night centred around reducing hours at the Library and Museum and maybe getting volunteer groups to run some of those facilities.
Another plea was for the freeing up of crown land to allow for future development.
Others also debated the need for beautification efforts, with some saying its a key part of attracting visitors.
KPMG stressed that they are looking to cut $2-million over the next 3-years and want to avoid total service cuts as much as possible.
Failing to eliminate $2-million would result in another tax hike of over 20%
Additional public consultations are scheduled for Thursday.
A draft reported is expected to be presented to Council in late October, early november.