News Releases

From the November 14, 2016 Meeting

8.1.8 North Commuter Parkway and Traffic Bridge Construction Update

Decision

*The Committee received the report as information.

Background

*The project continues to be on time and on budget.
*At the Traffic Bridge, Graham Commuter Partners (GCP) has completed Pier 3 as well as the north and south bridge abutments. Span 4, the southernmost span of the bridge, has also been completed.
*Demolition of the last original Traffic Bridge span took place November 17, 2016.
*At the North Commuter Parkway bridge, construction of Pier 1, the west in-river pier, has been completed. Construction of Pier 2, the centre in-river pier, is underway with the pier foundation, diaphragm, and columns already complete, and construction of the pier cap currently underway.
*Earthworks for the new roadways subgrades is underway. Storm sewer installation for the new roadways is ongoing until the end of November.

8.1.10 Building Better Bridges: An Asset Management Plan for Bridges and Structures

Decision

*The Committee received the plan as information.
*Administration will provide a report for the 2017 Business Plan and Budget deliberations as part of the Corporate Management Plan.

Background

*The report shows the physical condition of bridges and structures. Currently, 29% of bridges, 58% of overpasses and 76% of pedestrian crossings are in good to very good condition.
*A potential funding plan is illustrated with the goal of bridging the funding gap to enable the assets to reach the desired condition over time.

8.1.11 Building Better Roadways: An Asset Management Plan for Roadways

Decision

*The Committee received the plan as information.
*Administration will provide a report for the 2017 Business Plan and Budget deliberations as part of the Corporate Management Plan.

Background

*The City’s roadway replacement value is estimated at $2.82 billion. In order to maintain the roadways in satisfactory to good condition, an annual investment of $26.2 million is required. This funding level will be reached in 2017 as the final year of a four year dedicated levy is completed.

8.1.12 Building Better Sidewalks: An Asset Management Plan for Sidewalks

Decision

*The Committee received the plan as information.
*Administration will provide a report for the 2017 Business Plan and Budget deliberations as part of the Corporate Management Plan.

Background

*The condition of sidewalks in Saskatoon range from ‘failed’ to ‘good’ condition depending on location. At a network level, the current overall, or system average, physical condition of sidewalks is considered to be satisfactory.
*Two potential funding plans are illustrated with the goals of bridging the funding gap to enable the assets to reach the desired condition of good over time and to show the cost of using asphalt overlays in comparison to not using asphalt overlays as a preservation strategy.

8.2.1 Building Better Sidewalks: Sidewalk Programs Overview

Decision

*The Committee recommended to City Council that Administration be directed to eliminate the practice of using asphalt overlays on concrete sidewalks and that funding for this service level be reallocated.

Background

*Capital Project #0948 – New Sidewalks and Pathways is a retrofit program to construct sidewalks and pathways at locations where they do not currently exist.
*Capital Project #1963 – Corporate Accessibility Implementation addresses the identified priorities of the Accessibility Service Level Guidelines, and a portion of this capital project includes accessibility ramp installations to address accessibility issues throughout Saskatoon.
*Capital Project #2270 – Neighbourhood Network and Primary Network Preservation Programs is administered by Major Projects and is a program to restore and maintain sidewalks in a safe condition for users, which involves repairing or replacing panels of sidewalks having trip hazards or missing sections.
*The Sidewalk Maintenance and Safety program is administered by Public Works and is a program to address spot repairs of sidewalk panels to address immediate safety concerns.
*Eliminating asphalt overlays from the treatments available for use, yet maintaining the same treatment coverage, would require an increase in funding of $2.2 million annually. This can be achieved with either a funding increase to the program or a re-distribution of funding allocations within the existing program

8.2.5 Update on Railway Working Group

Decision

*The report has been forwarded to City Council for consideration.

Background

*Modifications were made to Canadian National Railway’s (CN) operations in the south west portion of the city to reduce traffic delays in the area.
*Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority (SREDA) has completed a preliminary analysis of the economic impact of rail delays at key rail crossings throughout the city.
*The scope of the first phase of the grade separation and rail relocation feasibility study has been developed to compare both options.
*The second phase involves more detailed analysis on the chosen option.

8.2.6 Traffic Noise Sound Attenuation Policy Framework

Decision

*The Committee recommended to City Council:
1. That the Administration proceed with preparing a Council Policy based on the Traffic Noise Sound Attenuation policy framework provided in this report;
2. That the recommended Traffic Noise Sound Attenuation monitoring program be included in the Council Policy; and
3. That the report be considered during the 2017 Business Plan and Budget deliberations.

Background

*In 2013, a report was submitted to City Council during the 2014 Budget Deliberations and approved the construction of nine sound attenuation projects in Capital Project #1522 – Traffic Noise Sound Attenuation. The funds were to be borrowed and repaid over a 10-year period to complete these projects. City Council also requested a revised policy before additional locations on the priority list are funded and that the priority list be updated based on this policy. During consideration of the Capital Project #1522 – Traffic Noise Sound Attenuation report, the Standing Policy Committee on Transportation, at its meeting held on July 19, 2016, resolved: “That the matter be referred to the Administration to provide an update report regarding policy and standards prior to a report being submitted to the 2017 Business Plan and Budget deliberations.”

The City invested $162 million over three years to improve the condition of roads, sidewalks and back lanes. In addition, enhancements continue to be introduced to the street sweeping; pothole and utility cut repairs; road, sidewalk and back lane rehabilitation; and line painting programs. The City’s annual Civic Services survey confirms that residents are noticing a difference and rate road and sidewalk maintenance as less of a concern each year, since 2013.

“We’re wrapping up another successful construction season with 204 lane kilometres of road construction and almost 10 kilometres of new sidewalk completed, and a long list of other accomplishments,” says General Manager of Transportation & Utilities, Jeff Jorgenson. “Today we are celebrating how far we’ve come and thanking everyone for their patience and cooperation during a busy construction season.”

Road construction was scheduled to minimize the impact to the public as much as possible. Approximately 45 lane kilometres of road work were completed at night on College Drive, 8th Street, Circle Drive overpass at Idylwyld Drive, Avenue C and Faithfull Avenue. Work was completed in sections on high-volume locations on the Idylwyld Drive overpass at Ruth Street and on Broadway Avenue to maintain traffic flow.

“We continue to improve our tendering and traffic planning processes, as evident in the successful comprehensive approach to the Broadway Improvement and Queen Street projects,” says Jorgenson. “By coordinating the rehabilitation of underground utilities, roads and sidewalks at these locations, we will save money in the long-term and increase reliability of these services for businesses and residents who rely on them.”

Building Better Roads

• Road rehabilitation:
  • 204 lane kilometres in 2016 – the distance from City Hall to Kindersley
  • 624 lane kilometres over three years – the distance from City Hall to downtown Calgary
• Sidewalk replaced: almost 10 kilometres in 2016; more than 21 kilometres over three years
• Potholes repaired: 225,000 in 2016; 576,000 over three years
• New durable line markings: More than 16 kilometres in 2016; more than 44 kilometres over three years
• Back lanes reconstructed: 9 kilometres in 2016; 46 kilometres over three years
• 11,800 cubic metres of dust, leaves and debris removed with spring and fall street sweeping collected in 2016
• Major projects include Idylwyld Drive overpass reconstruction over Ruth Street; Broadway Improvement Project; Queen Street Water & Sewer Rehabilitation, pedestrian overpass on College Drive near Preston Avenue, North Commuter Parkway/Traffic Bridge, Civic Operation Centre and intersection improvements on Zimmerman Road/ Highway 16 and at 22nd Street/ Diefenbaker Drive

Residents are noticing an improvement in the condition of roads, with fewer people (32% telephone, 22% online) citing roads and sidewalks as the most important issue facing Saskatoon, compared to 2013 (36% telephone, 31% online). Since 2013, fewer people surveyed report road and sidewalks as the City’s top issue; 4% fewer (telephone) and 9% fewer (online). Satisfaction levels with the City’s road and sidewalk programs are on the rise (refer to page 21 of the 2016 Civic Services Survey).

For more information about projects completed in 2016 and the City’s road plan, please visit saskatoon.ca/betterroads. 

The City wants to extend many thanks to its Transit employees and to the public: to transit employees for their continuing efforts and professionalism through this lengthy set of contract negotiations; to the public for its patience and understanding that the City is attempting to settle the contract in a way which is fair for every city employee.

We met Thursday, November 10 with ATU and tabled a comprehensive package of wages and benefits, including a way of dealing with their concerns over this pension language

We believed it would get us a deal as it is a very fair and reasonable offer.  We are offering a 10% wage increase and in the current economic downturn, it’s certainly above what many workers would receive elsewhere in the marketplace.

Unfortunately, the ATU Executive retrenched its position on the pension changes and now says it will not accept the pension changes or the future sustainability plan for the pension.  The City even met with the union executive on the morning of November 11, only to be presented with the same position.

I’m sure this is as disappointing to you as it is to the City.  We have been very practical in bargaining with the ATU Executive over the last four years, but we can now only conclude that they are firmly entrenched in their belief that they deserve a better pension than any of the other city employees.  That is just not a fair or reasonable position.

For the sake of all City employees – including transit workers – and for the sake of protecting the public purse, the City simply cannot compromise on the pension changes and the sustainability plan for the pension.  It is of key importance to the City to protect the defined benefit plan of its employees in a way that is affordable for taxpayers.

A Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority (SREDA) analysis reveals the local economy loses $2.5 million of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per year as a result of traffic delays at major rail crossings in the city.

“This study provides us with a measurement of what we’ve suspected for some time,” says Angela Gardiner, Director of Transportation.  “These results will further enhance the Railway Working Group’s move toward a solution for minimizing delays at rail crossings on high traffic streets.”

The analysis is highlighted in a report for the November 14 meeting of the Standing Policy Committee on Transportation.

“The lost GDP is due to lost labour productivity to businesses in the Saskatoon Region as a result of traffic delays at nine rail crossings in the City,” says Alex Fallon, President & CEO, SREDA.

In March, the Committee directed the Administration to expand the ongoing work of the Railway Working Group to include exploring relocation of railways.  This additional mandate will be considered in the 2017 budget discussions beginning at month’s end.

The Administration report details modifications have already been made to Canadian National Railway’s (CN) operations in the south west portion of the city to reduce traffic delays in the area.

The Administration report further outlines the two phases of the upcoming feasibility study. The first phase will evaluate the costs and benefits of relocating the Canadian Pacific (CP) mainline and possibly the rail yard compared to constructing grade separations at priority rail crossing locations.

“The impact of CP on the city’s road network is significantly greater than that of CN due to the number of at-grade crossings along the mainline,” Gardiner says.  “If the relocation of CP is determined to be financially feasible, the study may further explore the relocation of CN.”

Two options will be considered as part of the feasibility study: either construct grade separations at priority rail crossing locations; or relocate CP rail infrastructure, including CP Sutherland Yards.

Once an option is chosen by City Council, the second phase of the study would be a more detailed analysis to develop a business case to approach other orders of government for construction funding.

The first phase of the feasibility study will be completed in 2017 and presented to the Standing Policy Committee on Transportation in early 2018.​​

Following extensive consultation and engagement with its citizens, the City is proud to release the 2017 Business Plan and Budget which aims at striking a balance between investing in key priorities while practicing good fiscal management and restraint. 

“The City of Saskatoon’s proposed 2017 Business Plan and Budget is focused on achieving what we heard through our public engagement process, namely increased road maintenance and snow and ice service,” says Chief Financial Officer, Kerry Tarasoff.  “While the City cannot satisfy the demands of all, we are very proud to say that this financial plan attempts to accomplish many of the important things that citizens told us in during the Shaping our Financial Future community engagement.”
To help pay for the City’s operations and to ensure the budget is balanced, the 2017 Business Plan and Budget proposes a 3.97% property tax increase.

The 2017 Operating Budget

Total operating expenditures of $481.4 million, an increase of $16.6 million, or 3.6%, over the 2016 approved Operating Budget.

Tax-supported-operating expenditures of $463.4 million for 2017, an increase of $18.4 million or 4.1%, over the 2016 approved Operating Budget.

Tax-supported operating expenditures represent 96.3% of total operating expenditures in 2017.

In 2017, 1% of the property tax is equivalent to $2.03 million. So, the proposed property tax increase for 2017 will generate an additional $8.1 million for the City’s Operating Budget. The additional property tax revenue that is collected will be distributed as follows:

• 0.55% or $1.1 million dedicated to snow and ice management
• 1.93% or $3.9 million dedicated to the maintenance of roadways.  The final year of the road levy will deliver $61.8 million to continue road improvements.
• 1.49% or $3.1 million allocated to pay for police, firefighters and other expenditures associated with all other programs and services.

The 2017 Capital Budget

In contrast to the City’s Operating Budget, the City’s Capital Budget provides the investments in hard infrastructure. This includes the construction of buildings (like recreation centres and libraries), transportation assets (like new roads and bridges), and neighbourhood infrastructure (like sidewalks and water lines).

For 2017, the City of Saskatoon is investing $261.4 million in various capital projects. This is an increase of approximately $32.7 million, or 14.3% over the 2016 approved Capital Budget.  This increase in capital programming is largely due to the City’s allocations under the Federal Public Transit Infrastructure Fund (PTIF) of $37.3 million and Clean Water and Wastewater Fund (CWWF) of $31.6 million.

What this means to residential property owners

The proposed property tax increase of 3.97% means that a homeowner who owns a single family detached home with an average assessment of $325,000 will see their municipal property taxes increase by $67.55 per year or $5.63 per month.  

“In supporting one of Canada’s great cities and vibrant economies, the City will to continue to deliver value to citizens,” Tarasoff says. “With thousands of new citizens joining us every year, providing quality services, vibrant facilities and properly maintained infrastructure is crucial to sustaining that energy.”

View the detailed 2017 Preliminary Corporate Business Plan Budget documents here.