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Policy vote

Council in Nipawin to vote on new Professional Unit Lease Policy

Feb 7, 2025 | 4:00 PM

The Town of Nipawin is looking to establish a new Professional Unit Lease Policy regarding their town-owned duplex.

CAO Michele Sorensen told northeastNOW the duplex was built over a decade ago to attract physicians to the community, to give them a “landing place” when they came to town to set up practice.

The buildling was originally leased by the town to the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), who then provided the housing to the physicians. Last year, the SHA told the town they weren’t interested in continuing the lease. Ever since, the town has been leasing one of the units to a local physician. They have also had other doctors requesting to rent the units, which council approved. Sorensen said the new policy outlines the purpose of the duplex and the process for leasing the units.

The new policy has been reviewed by the Governance Standing Committee and will be presented to council for them to vote on at their Monday meeting.

“Just because the policy was reviewed at the Governance Standing Committee doesn’t mean it will pass council approval,” explained Sorensen. “Council could choose to amend the draft policy, and they could choose not to adopt any or all of it.”

Sorensen said all decisions require approval by the entire council, and the standing committees are only able to make recommendations.

Council passed a resolution in December to rent the units to incoming physicians for periods of up to 3 years total at a rate of $1,200.00 per month. The leases will be for one-year terms, with annual extensions up to 3 years. After the 3-year period is up, should there be no other applicants and the current tenant wishes to stay, the rental rate would be market rate.

Both units are currently occupied, with one tenant moving out at the end of June, and a new tenant moving in in August.

Cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com

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