City’s Performance Strong & Steadfast: $183M in Savings for 2015

The City of Saskatoon’s ongoing commitment to continuous improvement helped save taxpayers $183M in 2015.

“The City staff continues to make strides toward delivering better services for Saskatoon residents,” says Catherine Gryba, General Manager of Corporate Performance. “We’ve found and put into place new efficiencies in the way we do our work, and keep an eye on how well we’re doing.”

The City monitors progress with its new performance dashboard guided by a dedicated drive for year-over-year service improvements.

“Better also means the savings we gain through continuous improvement, ultimately benefiting property taxes,” Gryba says. “They were kept lower in 2015 than they would have been without finding these savings for our annual business plan and budget.”

Full details are contained in Saskatoon Strides 2015: Our Report on Service, Savings, and Sustainability.

“The measures highlighted on our performance dashboard and in Saskatoon Strides keep us focused on planning and investing in what matters most to people, and for the future growth of the city,” says Gryba.

The City’s attention to innovative thinking and improved service levels contributed to:

• the early completion of the University Bridge Rehabilitation
• City and community partners hosting the Wicihitowin “Working Together” Aboriginal Engagement Conference
• implementing automatic announcements on buses to increase accessibility

The City’s attention to innovative thinking on financial matters contributed to:

• $161 million in value for money savings from selecting P3 projects
• $16 million in financial returns from Saskatoon Land
• $860,000 in funding received from the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Funding Program

Operational efficiencies and service level enhancements contributed $5.2 million in savings including:

• $715,000 on roadway contracts.  A streamlined roadway tender process created more competitive bidding, ensured quality and timely responses from contractors 
• $250,000 from a new de-icing product which was tested and proved effective for use at colder temperatures, also resulting in less overall street clean up during the spring street sweep
• $165,000 from streamlining the IT systems in the Public Works call centre. Response times and accuracy of issues and trouble locations resulted in improved communication
• $200,000 across several divisions from a number of continuous improvement initiatives in the Information Technology division

City environmental programs also contributed to sustainable growth by helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of removing 19,000 cars off city roads. Continued focus on recycling programs also diverted approximately 31,828 tonnes of waste from the Saskatoon Landfill in 2015.

The City remains focused on all seven of the Strategic Goals and the long-term goal of managing and growing Saskatoon to 500,000 people in a smart, sustainable way.