News Releases

City Council recently approved free parking on Saturdays in City-managed public pay parking areas throughout Saskatoon starting December 12, 2020, and ending March 27, 2021.

Parking customers are reminded that all other parking requirements remain in effect, including parking time limits. Parking Enforcement staff will continue to monitor and ticket vehicles parked in:

• a parking space for longer than the posted time limit
• reserved or accessible parking spaces without the required permit
• “No Stopping” or “No Parking” zones
• alleys (unless actively loading or unloading)

Pay parking remains in effect on lots operated by third party operators or commercial lots. 

For more information on Public Pay Parking, visit saskatoon.ca/payparking.

At its Budget Meetings on December 2 and 3, City Council approved funding for the Take It Outside Winter Animation Fund to provide immediate support to community organizations wishing to host safe outdoor activities in Saskatoon during the Winter 2020/21 season.

As part of the Take It Outside Winter Animation Fund, a total of $175,000 is currently available to non-profit organizations, ad hoc groups, businesses, or for-profit organizations through two different grant programs:

• The Take It Outside Grant program provides up to $25,000 in funding for projects that take place between December 17, 2020 to March 31, 2021. The application deadline to apply for funds is December 14, 2020.

• The Take It Outside Micro-Grant program provides up to $3,000 in funding for projects that take place between December 5, 2020 to March 31, 2021. All eligible projects will receive funding on a first come, first served basis.

For more information on the Take It Outside Grant and Take It Outside Micro-Grant programs, including eligibility requirements, visit saskatoon.ca/grants.

The Take It Outside Winter Animation Fund supports the goals and objectives of the WintercityYXE Strategy. The Strategy is an intentional effort by the City and the community to celebrate what makes Saskatoon an inviting, vibrant, safe and prosperous place in the winter, while working together to reduce the barriers that many people face during the coldest months of the year.

For information on the WintercityYXE Strategy, visit saskatoon.ca/wintercityyxe.

Making parts of downtown more pedestrian-friendly, creating diversified housing close to the riverfront, and repurposing barren or underused properties to meet community needs are among key ideas gleaned in a study on making downtown Saskatoon a more desirable place to live.

“The goal was to understand, from people who live downtown or would consider living there, what about the area makes it an attractive option and what barriers exist to people from falling in love with the idea of living a downtown urban lifestyle,” said University of Saskatchewan (USask) researcher Ryan Walker.

The project, which involved an online survey of 470 residents in downtown Saskatoon and 10 other neighbourhoods, as well as five focus group discussions via videoconference, was funded by Research Junction, a joint initiative by USask and City of Saskatoon (City).

“Sustainable growth is a strategic goal for the City, and enhancing downtown as a residential environment and getting more people living there is a priority,” said the City’s Director of Planning and Development, Lesley Anderson.

Among the key findings:

• The South Saskatchewan River and Meewasin Valley are downtown’s biggest assets, and people want to live within a few blocks of them. Amenities such as an expanded network of public spaces should be programmed with interesting things to do in all seasons.
   
• The convenient lifestyle of proximity to work, school, retail, businesses, services, and action at venues such as restaurants, bars and other public amenities are top reasons to live downtown.
   
• Diversified housing options in terms of architectural style, on-site amenities, and price points, especially in the mid-range suitable for families are in short supply. A push to develop barren lots and underused buildings is needed.
   
• The art gallery, theatre, and public library facilities are important public and private investments for a downtown urban lifestyle.
   
• Downtown respondents felt they aren’t in close community contact with business owners and are often not perceived as a target market.

Building an environment that attracts more people to live downtown can make residents a key target market, and change the debate around issues such as transit, bike lanes and parking, said Walker, principal investigator and professor in the department of geography and planning in the College of Arts and Science. Graduate student Zoe Hagen was co-investigator.

While the lack of grocery stores and feelings of being unsafe in the area remain predominant concerns, he said these challenges, especially about safety, aren’t insurmountable.

“The best way to resolve the perception of a decline in safety is to be persistent and continue to really promote residential development,” Walker said. “When you have people living downtown in higher numbers, there’s more passive street surveillance and a sense of community. The issues of safety perception sort of resolve themselves.”

Anderson said the City will use the findings from this research to help in the planning of major and minor projects downtown, including streetscape and public realm projects, as well as the upcoming Downtown Arena and Entertainment District master plan.

City Council approved an adjusted City Budget for 2021 on December 3, 2020 after two days of review, debate and strategic decision-making. As part of the new two-year budget cycle, City Council was able to revisit the 2020-2021 Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget’s Operating and Capital plans (previously approved November 2019) in this second budget year to adjust to any unanticipated external factors of significant impact on the City’s 2021 Budget. The financial impact the pandemic left on City operations was key to consider in the 2021 Budget review process.

“Council’s approved 2021 Budget helps to minimize the tax burden on residents and maximize value for services from taxpayer dollars,” says Mayor Charlie Clark. “Considering this challenging time, Council approved investments tied to providing a quality of life in our city with dedicated resources for affordable housing, and support for our local economic recovery.”

The Administration had proposed an adjusted budget with a strategy to absorb extra costs related to the pandemic and balance the budget with the Safe Restart funding the City received. The proposed budget adjustments ensured the previously approved 3.87 per cent property tax rate would not increase in 2021. Yet with so much uncertainty and the challenges of the pandemic, City Council sharpened its pencil to reduce expenditures and increase affordability. 

“The approved 2021 Budget reflects strategic investments made by Council to stimulate Saskatoon’s economy and build a strong future for our community,” adds Clark. “The 2021 Budget is balanced and while expenses were lowered in some areas, the budget continues to meet the needs of services and programs for our growing city.”

Council balanced its decisions with fiscal constraint and focused on continuing to provide strong services tied to investments to provide quality of life in Saskatoon.

Highlights and Adjustments made in the 2021 Approved Budget

Council shaved the municipal property tax rate by 1.04 per cent from the originally approved 3.87 per cent. The new municipal property tax of 2.83 per cent is the lowest rate since 2006. For a homeowner with an average assessment value of $371,000, the new rate results in $55.37/year or $4.61/month.

The adjustments made include:

• Removal of $2,558,100 from the overall budget as a global adjustment.
• $100,000 invested towards the innovative Affordable Housing Program
• $71,000 removed from the travel and car allowance budgets for Mayor and Council
• $65,000 allocated for additional berm mowing to ensure service levels are met
• $199,300 removed from the Saskatoon Police Service proposed budget
• Council approved free parking in the downtown core and business improvement districts on Saturdays from January 1 to March 31, 2021

2021 Total Operating & Capital Budget:

Civic Operating:  $540,877,400
Utility Operating: $369,024,600
Land Operating:  $5,738,800
Total Operating: $915,640,800
Total Capital:  $284,640,200
TOTAL OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGETS:  $1,200,281,000

2021 Capital Budget Adjustments

City Council approved reductions to the 2021 Capital Budget in the amount of $9.96 million, taking the total Capital Budget from $294.61 million to $284.64 million.

Visit saskatoon.ca/budget for more information.