News Releases

From the November 21, 2016 meeting

7.1.1 Financing Growth – Hemson Study Update

Decision

*Administration will provide a report on proactive and strategic engagement options on the four areas identified in the report.

Additional Information

*In April of 2015, the former Executive Committee received and discussed a report presented by Hemson Consulting Ltd. on Financing Growth. This study was initiated by City Council primarily to provide information to help the City understand the current and future costs of infrastructure and civic services required to support future population growth, determine the financial impact of growth, and provide a general commentary on the costs and benefits associated with different types of development.
*The report identified key issues categorized under four major topics:
-appropriate scope and levels of development levies;
-encouragement of infill and redevelopment;
-exploration of alternate financing tools and increase non-tax revenues; and
-growth of non-residential property assessment.
*The Administration has been reviewing these issues and plans to address these through future reports and discussion papers as part of the Growth Plan to Half a Million.

7.1.3 Update on ATU Job Action

Decision

*The committee received the report as information.

Additional Information

*Bargaining has been underway between the City and ATU since October 2013 and has occurred with varying degrees of frequency and intensity.
*On November 8, 2016, the parties returned to the bargaining table and ATU presented a proposal that they would be prepared to accept the City’s Agreement in Principle (AIP) on the basis of the outcome of the outstanding pension arbitration.
*On November 10, 2016, the City provided a counter, which remains as the Current Offer. ATU refused this offer and provided notice that they would be taking job action effective midnight on November 11, 2016, in the form of refusing overtime and work to rule.

The City is partnering with Bridge City Bicycle Co-op to divert approximately 2,000 bicycles from the Landfill each year. Many of the bicycles brought to the Landfill are in poor condition and not recoverable; however, some of the bicycles are recoverable for either their parts or for complete refurbishment.

“The Co-op takes the bikes, they’re fixed and then gives them to people who need one,” says Russ Munro, Director of Water and Waste Stream.  “It’s a great re-use of the material instead of it being scrapped.”

This initiative will be evaluated after one-year with the goal of transitioning to the City’s largest waste diversion project, Recovery Park, scheduled to be implemented at the Landfill by 2018. Currently recycling and/or diversion programs at the Landfill include scrap metal, appliances, used oil and antifreeze, batteries and propane tanks.

Residents are invited to recycle their used bicycles at the Landfill for re-use in the community beginning January 1, 2017.

Learn more about waste diversion at saskatoon.ca.

Flags have been lowered at all City of Saskatoon facilities to honour Saskatoon Meewasin MLA Roger Parent who passed away on Tuesday, November 29, 2016.

“This is a real loss to our community,” says Mayor Charlie Clark. “I was personally privileged to serve with Mr. Parent on a number of boards and committees related to economic development, affordable housing and the Meewasin Valley Authority over the last decade. Our city will feel his absence in these key areas.”

Prior to being elected as an MLA in 2011, Parent was involved with a number of local committees and organizations including, among other initiatives, indigenous economic development and homelessness.

The City of Saskatoon extends condolences to Parent’s wife Sheila and their family.

Following an aggressive response to a perceived public safety threat, emergency responders are confident there is no community danger; the substances in question were identified as common baking soda and talcum powder.  The matter is now the subject of a police investigation.

Fire Chief Morgan Hackl says emergency workers can’t take any chances.

“We have to approach it with diligence, we have to go through all the proper steps,” Hackl says.  “Whether it’s a malicious call or not, we can’t take that into account – we have to take the due course and take it seriously.”

Saskatoon Emergency Measures Organization, Saskatoon Fire Department, Saskatoon Police Service, Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment as well as Saskatchewan Emergency Management and Fire Safety were involved in a response to five dangerous goods calls.

Starting around 12:30 p.m. and for a period of about two hours, emergency crews went to three addresses along Fourth Avenue and two more near Cynthia Street and Avenue C North.

For the remainder of the afternoon and into the early evening, the job of hazardous materials specialists was to identify the suspicious substance, neutralize it, and remove it from the affected area.  This process was successfully completed at all five locations.

Preliminary testing of the substance points strongly in the direction of a non-harmful powder: talcum powder was detected in one location, sodium bicarbonate, more commonly known as baking soda was identified in four locations.

“Sodium bicarbonate is just a standard everyday product that people can find in their homes, there’s no danger to it,” Chief Hackl says.

The samples collected will then be sent to the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg for final testing.

City officials activated the Emergency Operations Centre with a command post set up in the mobile unit and later in a public office building. 

Over 60 emergency personnel responded to the calls Tuesday afternoon.  

City Council yesterday awarded a contract to build two much-needed road interchanges at McOrmond Drive/Highway 5 and at Boychuk Drive/Highway 16.  The tender closed at $29 million less than the estimated cost.

“Keeping people and goods safely moving around in Saskatoon is a key priority,” says Jeff Jorgenson, General Manager of Transportation and Utilities.  “We are proud that the City and city developers have a funding strategy in place to help move these projects forward, and we are also thankful to the federal and provincial governments for their contributions towards the Boychuk/Highway 16 interchange.”

Council approved a tendered award of $56.7 million at its meeting yesterday afternoon. PCL Construction Management Inc. is the successful builder following an independently monitored competition between three companies.

The Saskatoon Interchange Project has bundled these two interchanges together as a way of reducing overall costs of construction.

The McOrmond Drive/College Drive interchange is fully funded by land developers. Saskatoon is unique in the province, in that it self-funds a significant portion of interchange costs through development levies rather than taxation.

The Boychuk Drive/Highway 16 interchange is funded by both federal and provincial governments, development levies and developer contributions.

“This award has no positive or negative impact on the 2017 civic operating budget,” Jorgenson says.  “The capital cost of these projects is funded through development levies, developer contributions, and other orders of government.”

Construction will start in early 2017 with substantial completion currently targeted for October 31, 2018 for McOrmond/College Drive and July 31, 2019 for Highway 16/Boychuk Drive.

A Sale Agreement has been reached with Duchuck Holdings Ltd. for the former Saskatoon Police Service Headquarters (SPSHQ) property, situated at 130 and 140 - 4^th Avenue North.

Today, City Council approved the sale of the former property based on the Terms and Conditions included in the Sale Agreement.

Noteworthy details of the Sales Agreement are as follows:

• Purchase price of $10.7M.
• Provision of a five-year tax abatement of the full taxes on 130 - 4^th Avenue North (building site) subject to completion of a renovation or redevelopment of the property sufficient to constitute a change of predominant use to housing, office, structured parking, or a combination thereof;
• Provision of a $395,000 credit to the purchase price for the Purchaser to remove hazardous materials that currently exist within the building.  The Purchaser thereby accepts full responsibility for the hazardous materials located within the building and indemnifies the City from any and all future claims;
• The City agrees to retain responsibility for environmentally contaminated soil found to be located on the vacant site (140 – 4^th Avenue North), or which is proven to have migrated on to any surrounding property; and
• Possession Date and Closing Date will be Tuesday, February 14, 2017 or such other date that may be agreed to by the parties.

In a report to City Council, Administration considered the offer to be fair and reasonable given current market conditions in Saskatoon.

Proceeds from the sale of 130 and 140 - 4^th Avenue North will be applied to the City’s cash holdings to replenish the funds used to purchase 202 - 4^th Avenue North (Civic Square East) and related parking lots at 209 and 221 - 5^th Avenue North.

The objective of the recommended tax abatement is consistent with the intent of the Vacant Lot and Adaptive Re-use Incentive (VLAR) Program. The value of the five-year tax abatement is estimated to be $200,000 per year, based on a property being a fully renovated, multi-tenant office building. The full tax abatement will result in foregone revenue for five years, to begin the year following completion of the renovation or redevelopment.

The Rush, Go Green with eBill! Contest is ending soon, switch and get in to win!

Choose to say goodbye to your traditional paper utility bill, and make the choice to rush and go green by signing up for eBill paperless utility billing,  it’s better for the environment, and more convenient for you!

All new customers who sign-up for eBill before November 30, 2016 will be entered into the eBill Contest. We’ll draw December 1, 2016 for a pair of 2017 Season Tickets to the Saskatchewan Rush Lacrosse Club. All valued utility bill customers currently on eBill are also automatically entered into the eBill Contest.

“Our eBill service has always been a customer focused initiative, and it also supports our environmental initiatives for the City as we are committed to savings, service and sustainability,” says Shelley Sutherland, Director of Corporate Revenue.

Choosing eBill instead of traditional paper billing, reduces paper clutter and a need to file. eBill is easy to use, secure and gives customers 24/7 access to their utility account history and current consumption charges

“If the City gained ten per cent more customers on eBill, we could save approximately 513 kilograms of paper per year,” says Sutherland. “Any time we can use less paper and importantly, leave less of a carbon footprint, savings add up.”

eBill customers receive an email notification when their bill is ready for online viewing at My Utility Account on the City’s website, saskatoon.ca.

It’s easy to sign up for your ebill!  Rush – get in to win and go green today!

Visit saskatoon.ca/ebillrush to sign-up or switch over, and for eBill Contest rules. Or, call 306-975-3200 for more information.

Saskatoon Transit has been forced to make major adjustments to afternoon and evening service on November 24, 2016. The Transit union continues to direct its members to take job action, this factor is compounded with an increased amount of sick time today has increased the pressure on the system.

“We will do our best to keep as much service on the road as we possibly can but with the refusal of over time by the union and an increased number of operators calling in sick, we have no other choice but to start pulling service,” says Jim McDonald, Director of Saskatoon Transit.      

Today, Saskatoon Transit had 12 operators call in sick. This, added to the refusal of overtime has caused the cancellation of runs or “loops” on 11 school routes, 21 regular routes and will cause over-crowding on 13 regular routes during afternoon and evening service.  

“This is the first day that Transit union job action has caused us to make major cancellations to regularly scheduled routes,” says McDonald. “We expect this to continue over the next few days so we encourage riders to regularly check the apps and our website for service alerts.”

Saskatoon Transit will continue to keep customers informed by issuing service alerts when made aware of any disruptions or delays. Service alerts can be viewed at saskatoontransit.ca, saskatoon.ca, on Twitter at @stoontransit or @YXEserviceAlert, through Transit App and in Google Transit.

Transit administration may not be aware of all immediate job action but will make efforts to inform the public of delays or disruptions as the information is made available. During such times Saskatoon Transit will make every attempt to maintain an appropriate level of service based on the resources available, but may be forced to further minimize service if required.  Citizens are encouraged to plain their commute in advance and allow extra time to get to their final destination.

Individuals who do not have access to the internet can call the Transit Customer Service line at 306-975-3100 but are reminded that wait times may be longer than normal due to job action or higher than normal call volumes.

Access Transit is an essential service, and will continue operating as normal.

The City thanks our citizens, transit customers and our transit employees for their patience and understanding as we have attempted to reach a contract settlement with ATU. 

In a winter city like Saskatoon, a snow storm can happen any day, any time. When it snows, City crews sand, salt and plow high-traffic roads and priority streets to keep drivers moving.

“Our team is ready to hit the streets to keep roads clear this winter,” says new Director of Roadways, Brandon Harris. “Winter preparation is a year-round operation that we continue to build on to provide better winter roads for residents and visitors.”

Building on last year’s successes, several improvements have been made to the 2016-17 Snow & Ice Plan to ensure better winter roads for Saskatoon drivers.

“New this year, the City is outfitting all of its high-speed winter maintenance equipment with flashing blue and amber lights to be consistent with highway operations and other municipalities across the country,” says Harris. “Standard warning signals are a critical element of a safe operation, as driver confusion can result in unexpected or dangerous reactions.”

Some improvements that will impact residents and drivers include the type of salt used, broader use of pre-wetting for the application of sand and an updated Priority Street Network for snow grading.

Coarse Salt
This winter, roadway crews are piloting the use of a coarser salt for ice prevention and treatment. Coarse salt has been found to be more effective and less susceptible to blowing off the road because it can be ‘ground’ into ice. In addition, it adds friction to slippery road surfaces.  Innovative salt spreading techniques are also being tested to improve performance and reduce salt usage which will save money and decrease environmental impacts.

More Pre-Wetting
The City will also continue to use a technique known as pre-wetting, where a salt brine or specialty chemical is sprayed on sand before it is applied to high-traffic streets such as Circle Drive. Wet, heavy sand sticks much more effectively to the road in extreme cold conditions, providing increased traction on high-speed roadways. The program will operate with twelve sanders, an increase from four last winter.

Updated Priority Streets
The City’s Priority Street Network is updated to reflect changing traffic patterns and revised transit routes. Following a major snowfall, plowing and grading occurs in order of priority, beginning with high-traffic streets such as Circle Drive. Some streets will have snow grading that didn’t in previous years, while a few streets will be re-ordered as part of the snow event response. Priority streets are identified on the City’s Snow Grading Interactive Map which will be updated annually moving forward.

Other elements of the Winter Road Maintenance plan include:

• GPS tracking software pilot project to track the location of the sanders, where they have sanded and how much sand they have used.
• The 18-vehicle snow train that may be activated after a snow event to remove collected snow along the edges of Circle Drive, bridges and overpasses.
• Frequent removal of snow windrows (snow piled along the road during grading) from school zones and more clearly defined and expanded removal zones around schools.
• Snow grading and removal will occur as required along narrow, congested streets where snow windrows are not a practical option.
• Adjustments in the way the City uses private contractors for snow grading during and after a snow event, to maximize value and efficiencies.
• City-wide neighbourhood rut blitz may be initiated later in the season, when the snow pack reaches a minimum of 15 centimetres to prevent severe rutting.

Green Circle and Blue Square snow routes will once again be in effect. If an extreme snow fall occurs, a temporary Snow Route Parking Ban may be declared for city-wide snow grading. Residents are urged to find out which streets are along a Green Circle or Blue Square snow route on the City’s Snow Grading Interactive Map.

“City crews will be out there all winter, day and night,” says Harris. “Please watch for flashing lights that signal winter maintenance equipment is ahead and slow down for your safety and the safety of everyone around you.”

Be in the Know About Snow! Find out what happens in Saskatoon when it snows and how you can be prepared at saskatoon.ca/snow or download the Be in the Know About Snow poster (PDF).

Since tabling the 2017 Preliminary Budget on November 7, 2016, the following three significant changes have taken place:

• Higher assessment growth of $1.2 million than originally estimated, decreasing the mill rate by 0.61%;
• SaskPower’s proposed 5.0% rate increase on January 1, 2017, was reduced to 3.5% by the Saskatchewan Rate Review Panel for a net increase of $306,300 or 0.15%; and
• On November 17, 2016 the Saskatoon Police Board approved a budget $699,600 higher than originally tabled or a 0.34% increase.

All put together, these changes have a net reduction to the property tax requirement of $235,900 or 0.12%, on the City of Saskatoon’s (City) originally tabled budget for a revised preliminary tax increase of 3.85%.

“The good news is that assessment growth is higher than what we were estimating in the budget by $1.2 million – so this is additional money we have available to offset expenditures,” says Chief Financial Officer Kerry Tarasoff.

However, Tarasoff points out there are a few changes to the expenditure side as well.

“As you may have heard, the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners has now set its budget and it is being tabled with City Council with a $ 699,600 increase over what is in the current budget already proposed.”

Additionally, Tarasoff explains the smaller SaskPower rate increase also has an effect on the amount of money the city has to use.

“While the lower rate is good news for citizens on their power bills, it has a negative impact to Saskatoon Light and Power and to the mill-rate,” Tarasoff says.  “This affects the amount of revenue we receive from our own power company and franchise fees from SaskPower – as a result the net impact is a $306,300 decrease in our general revenue.”

Tarasoff says the easiest approach to dealing with the new conditions is to build these three changes into the budget already tabled and re-table the 2017 Preliminary Budget on November 30, with a newly proposed 3.85% property tax increase rather than the 3.97% increase previously discussed.

Here is a breakdown of the individual impacts:

The revised budget proposal will be introduced to City Council at its Preliminary 2017 Corporate Business Plan and Budget meeting beginning Wednesday November 30.

To view the 2017 Preliminary Corporate Business Plan and Budget, Executive Summary and other related City of Saskatoon Financial Reports, visit saskatoon.ca/financialfuture.