We're into the middle of November, and for Portage la Prairie City Council, it means 2017 budget deliberations begin in earnest.

Councillor Brent Budz says department heads have submitted their recommendations.

"Council will be meeting to deliberate over the things that we need to discuss for the 2017 operating budget, keeping in mind how important it is to have the capital budget and our strategic plan linked to this one operating document. So I will be meeting personally, as finance chair, with administration over the next number of weeks, and then, obviously, into later November and early December Council as a whole will be meeting to make some important decisions."

Budz notes city operations crews are making the most of the warm, snow-free weather we have at the moment.

"This past week has been unbelievable for November, I think, but we're going to take advantage of it if we can, and so, yes, it does absolutely give the City, and all of its departments an opportunity to take a look at those housekeeping items that sometimes Mother Nature prevents us to get to, and it does provide an opportunity to get some of those things checked off."