By Chris Jaster
Swift Current
Jerry Knipfel is confused by Swift Current mayor Jerrod Schafer wanting legislation to "force co-operation" for land disputes between the City and RM of Swift Current.

Schafer expressed this view to Deb Higgins, the NDP's municipal affairs critic, while discussing how the city will run out of land in five years and how it wants to expand west along the Trans-Canada Highway during an informal meeting on July 28.

The City and RM fought last year over the developed land on the west edge of the city that currently belongs to the RM, but Knipfel, the RM of Swift Current's reeve, doesn't understand why Schafer would want to force co-operation when the RM is willing sit down with the City to talk about the development on west edge of Swift Current.

"We're prepared to sit down right now over a cup of coffee and give them a complimentary resolution and give them the whole bloody works if they'll give us 22.5 times our tax rate for this piece and 15 on (the unimproved land)," said Knipfel, who also contacted Higgins' office to set up a meeting with her so she could hear the RM's side of the story. "That's it. We're finished. That's all there is to it and we're quite happy to do that."

The RM came up with those numbers after looking at the value of land sold to Weyburn, Yorkton, Regina and Saskatoon during their annexation battles. The cities paid the RMs 25 times the tax rate for improved land and 15 times the tax rate for unimproved land.

Knipfel feels the RM's asking price is reasonable, since it's based on these numbers and because the RM spent $4.7 million to the North and South Service Roads, as well as Chaplin Street, Cheadle Street and North Railway Street all paved beyond the city's border.

"We're not asking for the moon, but we think we should get something equitable. We asked them for 22.5 for the totally developed area," said Knipfel.

The land issue is just one of many fights between the City and RM. Knipfel said the RM has tried to work with the City to find a resolution to some issues, but he feels the City doesn't want to work with the RM.

Knipfel said the RM council and city's council had a supper together in November without any administrators and they agreed to outline a memorandum of understanding between the two groups for numerous issues.

The RM submitted it to the City and received a reply that "took out everything that wasn't good for them."

The two councils met again without the administration in February and again came up with some agreements regarding the land debate and a few other issues, including the new water treatment plant and wastewater facility. The two administrations failed to agree of a second MOU after the meeting and it resulted in the City's council members requesting the RM contact only Matt Noble, the CAO at the time, Tim Marcus, the director of finance, or Schafer to discuss those matters any further.

Knipfel is taking that letter to mean the RM is no longer allowed to contact any city councillors for any matter.

He doesn't view the current relationship between the RM and City as profitable for either side, but that doesn't mean the RM isn't ready for another fight.

"We're kind of getting to the point where we're about ready to say if you're ready to fight then you got one because we're not prepared to go along with your crap anymore," said Knipfel.

But that's not the best solution Knipfel can see. The reeve would rather see the RM and City work out their differences.

"We need to do things that will progress this community and we need to do them co-operatively with the city," said Knipfel. "Life's too short to be messing around like this.

"It always takes two to have a fight, and we have had some dillies on occasion, but let's put the nonsense behind us and let's get down to talking sensibly like a bunch of grown adults."