Last year had a rough start as the province cut municipal funding early in Humboldt’s budget process, mayor Rob Muench said.

Council did a good job to make everything work out, and the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association has been vocal on the issue, he said.

“We have been in consultation with the province over the past year to try and look at alternatives for that money that was taken away, just to see if we can come up with some funding ideas.”

Nothing has been formally announced, but Muench is hopeful to see something down the road.

2017 was notable for the completion of the $4 million water treatment plant expansion, the completion of the second phase of the Centennial Park project, and $1 million in roadwork on 12th Avenue, 14th Street and Peck Road.

A study is being done to address odour problems from the lagoon, and preliminary results suggest possible short-term solutions. In the long term, however, the lagoon must be expanded, he said.

Looking to 2018, he’s excited for input from the town’s new youth council.

“They’re the future of our community and we want to keep their ideas in the forefront to how we make our decisions. Because sometimes we get sort of stuck in our adult thinking and we forget that the kids out there have some really creative ideas and maybe different ways of doing things.”