News Releases

For Immediate Release: June13, 2014
 

Spring cleaning, yard work and renovation season is upon us and Saskatoon residents can bring their waste to the Saskatoon Landfill.  For the safety of drivers, and to prevent litter along the road, the Waste Bylaw requires that all truck boxes and trailer loads are covered, or properly secured to prevent loose debris from blowing out.  Tarps, nets, rope and bungee cords are all acceptable ways of securing material, provided they are attached correctly. 

Beginning Saturday, June 14, officials will be inspecting all loads at the entrance to the Landfill, looking for properly secured covers and educating customers about acceptable materials.  Warnings will be issued until mid-July, when fines may be applicable for uncovered loads.

The Landfill is open 7 days a week from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.  For rates and a full list of acceptable and non-acceptable materials, please visit Saskatoon.ca and click on “L” for Landfill.

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.

For Release: June 13, 2014

Since the federal and provincial governments announced very generous contributions for two much-needed bridges in our city, you, the citizens of Saskatoon, may have been hearing a lot of confusing information about how taxpayer funds will be used.

It has become apparent I need to set the record straight.

Of course I understand and respect there will always be a variety of opinions about City operations and programs, however, there is only one set of facts.

P3 Funding

There are many benefits to a Public Private Partnership or P3 funding model. It allows municipalities to deliver much needed civic facilities or other infrastructure much faster; there is less financial risk to a city; and with the private sector taking the lead, P3 projects often result in innovations that save taxpayers money.

Further, a P3 model also ensures taxpayers receive a fully maintained asset over the life-span of the asset; that means there is no temptation for cities to put-off maintenance costs. Without this arrangement in place, taxpayers could be on the hook for even greater – and most surely – higher costs to fix-up critical infrastructure the public relies on.

North Commuter Parkway/Traffic Bridge Replacement Project

As a P3, the benefits of creating a new bridge and restoring an historic river crossing in our city for all vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians are many as well.

The bridges will help reduce congestion – and we’ve already seen evidence the Circle Drive South Bridge has done this with heavy truck traffic downtown. Less congestion means greater mobility for private vehicles and for Transit making a Bus Rapid Transit plan even more viable.

Finally, the North Commuter Parkway Bridge will not be a toll bridge.

City Finances

The City is one of a small number of municipalities that has and maintains a AAA credit rating; this is because we spend your tax dollars very carefully. As a result, we are able to borrow money for major infrastructure projects our growing community needs at lower rates. This also saves you money.

Long term debt financing is a valid and prudent means to acquire and fund major infrastructure.

To be able to pay with cash on hand is not always practical, nor realistic. Borrowing for major infrastructure is much the same as a home purchase; as consumers many of us rarely have the cash to buy a home outright: instead, we take out a mortgage -- borrow the money, buy the property and pay it back to the lender. For certain, there is interest paid to the lender, but it is also the cost of providing ourselves and families with a place to live.

This is the same case for Saskatoon. Our growing community needs both new and replacement infrastructure and sometimes we borrow to build it. If we don’t provide the infrastructure, the community remains at a standstill, the economy suffers, and the city becomes a less attractive place to live, work and play.

We are in good stead as a City with a solid vision and strategic plan set by City Council and a new Growing Forward! initiative to plan and build a sustainable Saskatoon. Our finances are strong and we will continue to move ahead and progress as a community.

Kind regards,

Murray Totland

City Manager

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.

Road construction and repairs are underway on various streets across the city, with new projects starting up every day. This summer, 178 lane kilometres of road will undergo a form of construction, rehabilation or maintenance. In comparison, that’s the distance from Saskatoon to Kindersley.

This year, projects on high-traffic streets will be done in the evening only or on 24-hour cycles, where economical and feasible. “Evening work will reduce the impact to drivers and surrounding business and 24-hour cycles will allow the work to be completed quickly and efficiently, reducing the overall impact from associated road closures and detours,” says Chris Hallam, Director of Construction and Design.

This week, repaving work has been happening 24 hours a day on College Drive from McKercher Drive to Circle Drive. This work is now complete. Scheduled to begin this evening, Circle Drive northbound from College Drive to the Circle Drive North Bridge will be paved at night only.  Scheduled for Sunday is the rehabilitation of 51st Street between Faithfull Avenue and Wanuskewin Drive over three weeks in the evening only.

“By combining large projects into our road reconstruction contracts this year, our industry partners are able to provide workers for overnight shifts for projects on high-traffic streets, like Circle Drive and 51st Street,” says Hallam. “At times the work zones may not appear active or the work may look complete, but barriers will stay in place where there are roadside hazards or where fresh pavement or concrete needs to set to ensure the safety of drivers.”

To avoid delays plan your route around road work by subscribing to our Traffic Detour Service Alerts or check saskatoon.ca and click on Building Better Roads. Alerts are also posted to our social media sites; you can follow us on Twitter @cityofsaskatoon and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.

 “The safety of our crews, and everyone approaching or passing work zones, remains our top priority,” says Hallam. “Obeying signs and respecting work zones will allow the crews to focus on the task and complete the work safely and efficiently.”

A list of the city’s 2014 construction projects is available at Saskatoon.ca by clicking “Building Better Roads”.

Know before you go! Find traffic detour information on our website at www.saskatoon.ca/go/traffic. You can also follow us on Twitter @cityofsaskatoon and with #betterroadsYXE and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.

For Release: Thursday, June 12, 2014
 

In a report to the June 17 meeting of Planning and Operations Committee (P&O), City Administration is recommending the development and implementation of an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system for Saskatoon Light & Power (SL&P) and Saskatoon Water. The recommendation comes after a study, which began last fall, was conducted to determine the feasibility and cost of an AMI system in Saskatoon.

An AMI system uses “smart” electricity and water meters that measure and record actual power and water usage by time intervals throughout the day. The information is then transmitted wirelessly over a secure network to a central database, which allows for remote meter reading.

"Our investigation has confirmed an AMI system offers many benefits for our customers and the City,” says Trevor Bell, Director of Saskatoon Light & Power. “Customers would receive monthly bills based on the actual amount of electricity and water they use.  This would eliminate reliance on estimated usage between meter readings, and help residents manage their electricity and water use and detect unusual consumption patterns which could impact their bill.”

An AMI system means the City will benefit from more precise metering and reduced revenue losses caused by meter failure. Greenhouse gas emissions and labour costs tied to manual meter reading would also be reduced. It is estimated that 35 tonnes of CO₂e tied to vehicle use would be reduced each year, and reductions from decreased water use are estimated at 3,300 tonnes CO₂e - the equivalent of removing over 685 vehicles from Saskatoon roads each year.

A Business Case has been prepared to measure the project costs and savings over a 20-year period. Total capital costs are estimated at $24.31 million and system operation costs are estimated at $22.1 million. Over a 20-year period, the total projected savings are estimated to be $76.1 million. The project is expected to pay for itself within 11.43 years with an internal rate of return of 11 per cent.

If the recommendations are approved, customers who have already received their new smart meters will have their meters read electronically and will begin receiving monthly bills based on actual, not estimate, usage by the end of 2015. As the deployment of smart meters continues, the balance of customers will be converted to the AMI system.

SaskPower and SaskEnergy have already begun the process of replacing over 500,000 electricity meters and the upgrading of 370,000 natural gas meters in Saskatchewan with new metering technology as part of a Joint AMI program.

 

The City of Saskatoon’s (City) Growing Forward! Shaping Saskatoon project is pleased to present two reports for information to City Council’s Planning and Operations Committee on June 17, 2014, which outline work-to-date on the City’s Growth Plan to Half a Million (Growth Plan). 

The first report is the Growth Plan Summary Report #1:  Taking Stock & Visioning.  This report outlines work that Saskatoon has done to date to promote growth and development,  identifies and explains key areas that will need to be addressed in the Growth Plan, and sets the stage for public discussion about detailed Growth Plan options in October 2014. 
A summer information series called “Spotlight On” will be launched in the coming weeks and will highlight information contained in the summary report in the areas of core bridges, transit, rapid transit, and growth near major corridors. 
The second report is the Winter 2014 Engagement Summary.  This report shares what was heard during the Growing Forward! Shaping Saskatoon public engagement from February 25 to March 21, 2014. 
Both reports are available on the project website at www.growingfwd.ca and represent the completion of Phase 2 of the five-phase Growth Plan development process. 
Growing Forward! Shaping Saskatoon is a public planning initiative that is designed to plan for our future and navigate challenges associated with rapid population growth.  A major outcome of Growing Forward! Shaping Saskatoon will be the Growth Plan, which will help guide civic infrastructure investments as Saskatoon grows to half a million people over the next 30 to 40 years. 
Public consultation will be ongoing throughout the Growing Forward! Shaping Saskatoon process. Watch for more public engagement opportunities coming in October 2014.  Those interested can also sign up for project update notifications at www.growingfwd.ca.

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.

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