Portage la Prairie Mayor Irvine Ferris recounts some major events from 2018, with growth at the top of the list. Here's Ferris.

"One of the highlights was the continued growth in Portage," he says. "We had more than $646-million in new investment confirmed in this past year. And that eclipses our record-breaking year in 2017. We're now approaching $1.2-billion in secured investment over a two-year period. This will involve the creation of more than 300 jobs on the horizon."

Residential development saw a huge surge take place. There will be 439 new apartments, and condominiums There's also a renewed commercial interest, seeing that restaurants and retail establishments have been announced for next year openings. Portage also enjoyed the increased spotlight of being a tourist destination. Ferris explains there's been improved internal collaborations between culture and recreations in the local area. He notes Island Park secured a designation of being a Manitoba Star Attraction.

In the building permits sector, 178 permits were issued with an approximate value of $42-million, including eleven new single family dwellings at a value of $3.3-million, seven new multi-family dwellings valued at $21-million, and this totalled 199 dwelling units, and five new commercial buildings valued at almost $7-million, and 17 industrial institutional projects with a value of $9-million.

All of this amounts to a value far exceeding what happened in 2017.

Ferris explains water treatment capacity saw a fair bit of work finished. The water treatment and pumping capacity assessment was done for future water and demand upgrades. Phase Two of the water treatment upgrades was awarded in November, with work starting next month. He adds Phase Two of the engineering design plan is 90 per cent complete.

He adds they completed the 2018 budget for this year in February, and also received approval for the financial plan in May. Ferris notes there were no changes to the mil rate for city of Portage taxpayers, and the city also completed its rate study, followed by approval for rate increase in 2019 by the Public Utility Board. He notes Portage was the first municipality to use this system. Groundwork for the 2019 budget was also finished, along with council budget deliberations meetings this past fall. He explains an enhanced budget process was created involving a team approach for projecting cashflow this year, and this is between finance and department leads.

Ferris says a financial analysis and report of the Phase One rebuild of the wastewater plant, meant to facilitate new and expanding industry utility needs, also took place.

The financial department researched and developed a business plan for council on the proposed Simplot Central Park Interactive Fountain. Ferris says the City took back building maintenance and oversight for the Glesby building for the amalgamated Glesby/PDAC Inc. organization in 2018. He notes there was plenty of work done with the advent of the new Provincial Local Vehicle Hire Act, amd finance developed and implemented new bylaws, procedures and practice for the local Vehicle For Hire industry to safeguard their passengers.

Ferris adds the election was a big event for 2018 in October. Council gained two new members, Sharilyn Knox and Preston Meier.