News Releases

For Release: December 10, 2014
AF14 -113

Following three days of budget talks, City Council approved a 5.34% property tax increase which translates to an $83.31 per year increase for an average house Assessment Value of $325,000.  That works out to $6.94 per month.

“This investment will ensure that the City’s public infrastructure and its delivery of core services meet the needs of Saskatoon’s residents in a fiscally responsible way,” says Kerry Tarasoff, Chief Financial Officer and General Manager, Asset & Financial Management.

After a tabling a preliminary budget that proposed a 7.32% property tax increase, the Administration advanced other possible adjustments to the 2015 Business Plan and Budget. This led to further discussion and Council made reductions arriving at the current property tax increase of 5.34%.

Saskatoon has been recognised as a national leader with business-friendly tax rates: the CD Howe Institute (News Release AF14-109) and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (News Release ) recently recognised the City’s tax policies.  Additionally, Saskatoon continues to have one of the lowest property tax rates in Canada (News Release CP14-163).

“Like more recent business plan and budgets, our new budget concentrates funding on public safety, roads and civic infrastructure,” Tarasoff says.  “If these factors were not properly addressed in Budget 2015, Saskatoon’s quality of life and economic health would be compromised, and the Saskatoon Advantage would be lost.”

Highlights of the Finalized 2015 Budget Include:

Transportation

·$8 million for the rehabilitation of the University Bridge

·$70 million for interchanges at Highway #16 and Boychuk Drive and, Highway #5 and McOrmond Drive

·A continued and increased investment totalling $53 million  in the Building Better Roads program through the dedicated road levy

·Work will begin on the new North Commuter Parkway and replacement of the Traffic Bridge to help ease congestion and improve productivity

Utilities

·A number of utility projects totalling almost $60 million for improvements to City infrastructure.

Policing

·The Saskatoon Police Service received an operating budget of $80 million:  this includes funding for four new constables.  The provincial government will fund an additional five for a total of nine new police officers.

Fire

·A $45 million operating budget for the Fire Department budget was passed in its entirety.

Recreation and Culture

·$1 million contribution to phase-two of the Saskatoon Minor Football Field upgrade at Gordie Howe Park.

·$6 million to help the Remai Modern Art Gallery of Saskatchewan ready its building for opening.

Corporate Governance and Finance

·The City will implement Service Saskatoon to provide more coordinated and better customer service to citizens and visitors.

Urban planning & development

·Recommendations from the four key subject areas included in the Growing Forward! Shaping Saskatoon study will be unveiled to improve the way the City plans for growth.

·The City and its regional partners will continue to work on a regional growth plan to ensure that the Saskatoon region can grow in a sustainable way.

Corporate Asset Management

·Construction of a new Civic Operations Centre will begin to help improve the efficiency of City operations.

Environmental Health

·A green loan of $600 thousand for an energy monitoring program for civic buildings to identify cost efficiencies.

For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.

ONGOING
3RD AVE CLOSED AT 21ST ST INTERSECTION
(Water Main Repair)
Start: December 8, 9:00 a.m. End: December 11, 6:00 p.m.

All restrictions will be lifted as indicated, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Slow down, pay attention and respect work zones. Watch for pedestrians and work crews, and for everyone’s safety, please obey all detours, signs and barriers.

Know before you go! Plan your route around road work by checking our Road Restrictions and Construction Projects interactive map. Find traffic detour information on our saskatoon.ca homepage or subscribe to our Traffic Detour Service Alerts. You can also follow us on Twitter @YXEServiceAlert and with #betterroadsYXE and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.

A Book of Condolence in memory of former Saskatoon Mayor Cliff Wright has been set up in the lobby of City Hall at 222 3^rd Avenue North. The public is invited to sign the book, which will be presented to the Wright family.

Cliff Wright served the people of Saskatoon for over 20 years: first as an Alderman from 1967 to 1976 and then as Mayor from 1976 to 1988.

Flags at all Civic facilities are flying at half-mast to honour Mr. Wright.

 

 

The City of Saskatoon will begin installing new FlexParking pay stations in the downtown and core business districts on Wednesday, December 10, 2014, however the stations will not be operational until early 2015.

“This flexible, pay-by-plate system will replace the individual coin meters in the city’s Downtown, Broadway, Sutherland and Riversdale business districts,” says Angela Gardiner, Director of Transportation. “The easy to use system will enable citizens to pay using coins, credit cards, the new City Parking Card and, in the near future, cell phones. It also allows you to park at various locations throughout the city on a single payment.”

Drivers may move around the city and occupy several spaces, using their single parking purchase at multiple spots. However, drivers must still obey the posted time limits associated with each new space. Parking commissioners will be able to tell how much time your vehicle has sat in each location through the aid of licence plate identification and recognition software. 

The new machines are solar powered and ticketless; you simply enter your licence plate number at the nearest pay station, make your payment and walk away. Since your payment is tied to your licence plate, there is no need to display a ticket on the dash. Receipts are issued as requested. In total, 325 pay stations will replace 2,800 coin meters; parking fees will remain unchanged.

“We had been hearing from residents that the old meters were dated and inflexible, especially as cash is used less and less for transactions and fewer people are carrying change,” says Gardiner. “Until the new systems are activated, people should continue to plug the old coin meters. Once the new stations are active, the existing meters will be hooded until they are removed.”

A map showing  where the new FlexParking pay stations are being installed is available at www.saskatoon.ca/go/flexparking and people are also encouraged to try out the new pay station in the City Hall foyer where a test station has been installed. Note that the test station only accepts credit cards but that no charges will be applied to your card for these tests.  

For more information about the new FlexParking pay stations visit saskatoon.ca/go/flexparking or call 306-975-2980.

 

For Release: December 9, 2014

The City will lower flags to half-mast to honour the memory of former Mayor Clifford E. Wright.

“It is with deep sadness that I’ve learned of former Mayor Cliff Wright’s passing,” says City Manager Murray Totland.  “On behalf of the City, I extend all of our heartfelt condolences to the Wright family at this difficult time.”

“Mayor Wright was a visionary and he guided Saskatoon through periods of both significant growth and economic strain,” Totland says.  “Cliff Wright’s leadership was characterized not just by his keen business and political ability, but his magnetic and down-to-earth personality.”

“He had a great understanding of people and could always speak to them with ease and empathy.”

The City Manager may order the lowering of flags to commemorate one or several people.  Mr. Totland has directed flags at Civic facilities to be flown at half-mast until a funeral is held for former Mayor Cliff Wright.

Cliff Wright served the people of Saskatoon for over 20 years: first as an Alderman from 1967 to 1976 and then as Mayor from 1976 to 1988.

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ONGOING
3RD AVE NB & SB MEDIAN (INSIDE) LANES CLOSED AT 21ST ST
(Water Main Repair)
Start: December 8, 9:00 a.m. End: December 11, 6:00 p.m.

 

All restrictions will be lifted as indicated, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Slow down, pay attention and respect work zones. Watch for pedestrians and work crews, and for everyone’s safety, please obey all detours, signs and barriers.

Know before you go! Plan your route around road work by checking our Road Restrictions and Construction Projects interactive map. Find traffic detour information on our saskatoon.ca homepage or subscribe to our Traffic Detour Service Alerts. You can also follow us on Twitter @YXEServiceAlert and with #betterroadsYXE and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.

Recently the Saskatoon Fire Department has seen a significant increase in garage fires. Since October we have gone to seven garage fires. The total damage estimate for those fires was $549,000. In 2013 we went to four garage fires from October to the end of December with the damage estimated at $145,000.

The causes of the recent garage fires varied from welding to even cooking. Any activity that involves heat can lead to a garage fire.

Fire requires fuel (any flammable material), oxygen and a heat source. Garages generally have flammable material stored in them and oxygen is plentiful. All we need is a heat source and the potential for a devastating fire is there.

Most of the recent garage fires started after a resident used their garage and then left. In many cases a tiny fire grew into a large fire before anyone noticed it. Often garages do not have a smoke detector that could have given an early warning.

As the last few months have shown, there are many potential heat sources out there but the result is the same – a garage and its contents destroyed by fire. If you have a garage fire, do not open the garage door since that gives the fire more oxygen, and call 9-1-1 immediately. 

The Saskatoon Fire Department encourages residents to be extra careful when they use their garage. Be conscious of potential heat sources that you have used and make sure that there is no possibility that a fire could start.

NEW
8TH ST E WB MEDIAN (INSIDE) & CENTER LANE CLOSED FROM BOYCHUK DR TO MCKERCHER DR
(Manhole repair)
Start: December 9, 9:30 a.m. End: December 9, 11:30 a.m.
3RD AVE N SB MEDIAN (INSIDE) LANE CLOSED AT 21ST ST INTERSECTION
(Water Main Repair)
Start: December 9, 7:00 a.m. End: December 11, 6:00 p.m.

All restrictions will be lifted as indicated, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Slow down, pay attention and respect work zones. Watch for pedestrians and work crews, and for everyone’s safety, please obey all detours, signs and barriers.

Know before you go! Plan your route around road work by checking our Road Restrictions and Construction Projects interactive map. Find traffic detour information on our saskatoon.ca homepage or subscribe to our Traffic Detour Service Alerts. You can also follow us on Twitter @YXEServiceAlert and with #betterroadsYXE and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.

For Release: Friday, December 5, 2014

The notifynow test run by Saskatoon’s Emergency Measures Organization was a success based on the feedback from residents and the system data generated. Residents called with questions about the test but in many instances recognized that notifynow is an important life safety service which will be tested twice a year and used to notify them of important emergencies in their neighbourhood.

Since our last test about 6,000 residents of Saskatoon have signed up to specifically choose how they would like to be contacted in an emergency. Thursday’s test indicated that our database is over 90% accurate and plans are in place to improve that percentage. This time we were able to contact the 99,159 persons listed in the database within 50 minutes. Practically this means that we would be able to send a critical life safety notification to an entire neighbourhood within approximately two minutes.

Any well-run test is an opportunity for the organizers to learn and make improvements. Our initial test in May of 2014 was to over 93,000 phone numbers or email addresses and took more than 2.5 hours. This time the test was completed in approximately 50 minutes because we slowed the system down to an acceptable level for the provincial telephone system and did not allow the notifynow to leave a voice message. In a critical life safety emergency the system will leave a message.

It is important that residents recognize notifynow as a life safety notification system and are prepared to take the necessary actions to protect their safety.

From an emergency management perspective it is equally important that residents realize that they need to take the time to confirm that they have heard the message. If a contact point hung up before confirming that they listened to the message (in this case pressing 1) or do not reply to the text message or email, the system will continue to try to reach them. In an emergency every life is important and we need to be able to confirm who has received the information and which homes we need to continue to try to reach.

Notifynow is not a news service; it is a life safety service that will rapidly send critical life safety messages to citizens who would potentially be affected so they can take appropriate actions.

The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women is on Saturday, December 6, 2014. In recognition, flags at all City of Saskatoon facilities will fly at half-mast.

Established in 1991 by the Parliament of Canada, December 6 marks the anniversary of the 1989 murders of 14 young women at l’Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal. The day is an opportunity for Canadians to reflect on the phenomenon of violence against women in our society and remember those who have died as a result of gender-based violence.