News Releases

City Council recently directed its Administration to move forward with developing options for a city-wide organics program to help keep valuable resources out of the landfill.

“Organics represents our single biggest opportunity to reach our target of diverting 70 per cent of our waste from the landfill,” says Brenda Wallace, Director of Environmental and Corporate Initiatives. “This approval is an important next step. We will be launching a series of community discussions in the fall to gather input on the design of our future organics program.”

Preliminary results from a recent Waste and Recycling Survey completed for the City by Insightrix in July 2017 indicate 79% of residents strongly or somewhat support city-wide organics collection for all households.

“A successful waste diversion program, which would include diverting organics, is critical to deferring the closure of the landfill,” Wallace says “It would cost an estimated 26 million dollars to close the existing landfill and 100 million dollars to establish a new one.”

More information on the City’s Waste Diversion Plan can be found on saskatoon.ca/wastediversion.

Exploring options for a city-wide organics program supports the Strategic Goal of Environmental Leadership; this includes the four-year priority to promote and facilitate city-wide composting and recycling as well as the long-term strategy to eliminate the need for a new landfill and to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions tied to City operations. It also supports the Waste Diversion Performance Target to divert 70% of waste by 2023.

From the August 28, 2017 Regular Meeting of City Council

6.1       Municipal Heritage Property Designation – Third Avenue United Church

Decision

*City Council passed Bylaw No. 9413 The Third Avenue United Church Heritage Designation Bylaw, 2017.

Background

*At the January 23, 2017 Public Hearing meeting, City Council resolved that permission be granted to introduce Bylaw No. 9413 and give same its first reading. City Council referred the item to the Municipal Heritage Review Board.

*At the November 28, 2016 regular meeting of City Council, the City Solicitor was instructed to bring forward a bylaw to designate 304 3^rd Avenue North as a Municipal Heritage Property under the provisions of The Heritage Property Act, with such designation to include the exterior of the building, as well as two interior elements, being the hammer-beam rafters and Casavant organ.

9.5.2   2018 Business Plan and Budget Update – 30 Day Challenge 

Decision

*City Council resolved:

1. That the idea “Removal of Dedicated Snow & Ice Levy” be received as information;

2. That the Administration report back to the Standing Policy Committee on Finance regarding the Amusement Tax;

3. That the idea “Implementation of a Secondary Suite Fee” be received as information;

4. That the Administration report to the Standing Policy Committee on Planning, Development and Community Services regarding decreased watering of parks/green space;

5. That the Administration report on temporary reduction to the annual allocation to RCE for 2018 Budget deliberations;

6. That the Administration report on the discontinuation of printing and mailing the collection calendar for 2018 Budget deliberations;

7. That the idea “Bi-weekly garbage collection” be received as information and referred to the discussion around waste as a utility;

8. That the Administration report to the Standing Policy Committee on Finance regarding additional billboards on City rights-of-way;

9. That the idea “Waste as a Utility” be received as information;

10. That the letter dated August 15, 2017 from Keith Moen, Executive Director of the NSBA be referred to the Administration for further analysis and dialogue with the NSBA, following up with implementation where applicable.

11. That Administration report back about creating a process similar to the 30-Day Challenge to solicit public feedback about efficiency and savings with City operations.  This could be modeled on the Cut Red Tape process previously implemented by the City of Calgary.

Background

*At its June 19, 2017 meeting, the Governance and Priorities Committee received the 2018 Budget Update report from the CFO/General Manager, Asset and Financial Management Department. The report outlined that the current projected property tax increase for 2018 was 6.48%, and that the Administration was working on several strategies to develop ideas and help mitigate this property tax impact.

9.6.1   2016 Annual Report – Shaping Our Financial Future

Decision

*City Council received the information.

Background

*City Council approved the City of Saskatoon Strategic Plan 2012-2022 in February 2013. In early 2014, the Strategic Plan was updated to reflect the priorities of the newly elected Mayor and Councillors for this City Council’s term. The 2013-2023 Strategic Plan includes seven Strategic Goals, 10-year strategies, and 4-year priorities that represent how the City will operationalize the vision for each Strategic Goal. The Strategic Goals guide City Council’s decision-making and policy-making. The 2016 Annual Report – Shaping Our Financial Future aligns with the goals set forth in the Strategic Plan 2013-2023. It also reports on the progress of the City’s investment activities, projects, and services that were implemented as outlined in the 2016 Corporate Business Plan and Budget.

9.7.1 City Entrance Signs

Decision

*City Council Resolved that the remaining four City Entrance Signs, proposed to be created as per the Highway Entrance Features Concept Plan, not be constructed; that $374,229.74 be returned to the Reserve for Capital Expenditures; and that funding continue to be provided to maintain the existing City Entrance Signs.

Background

*At its August 14, 2017 meeting, the Standing Policy Committee on Planning, Development and Community Services requested that the Administration report back on options to construct up to four scaled-down versions of City Entrance Signs that would complete the Highway Entrance Features Concept Plan project.

9.8.2 Award of Environmental Consulting Services ­– Corridor Growth Plan – Brownfield Renewal Strategy

Decision

*City Council resolved that the proposal submitted by Dillon Consulting for environmental consulting services to complete the Corridor Growth Program – Brownfield Renewal Strategy, at a total estimated cost of $150,000 (including taxes and disbursements) be accepted.

Background

*Effective September 15, 2016, several Growth Plan projects received approval for federal funding support through Phase 1 of the Federal Public Transportation Infrastructure Fund (PTIF). The City and the Government of Canada will share in a total contribution of $7.65M towards these projects through the PTIF. City Council, at its meeting held on June 26, 2017, considered the Growth Plan to Half a Million – Brownfield Renewal Strategy report and approved the direction of the Corridor Growth Program – Brownfield Renewal Strategy work and funding model. The Brownfield Renewal Strategy was included in the Growth Plan’s Ten-year Action Plan, it aims to: assess and prioritize corridor brownfields; recommend an appropriate redevelopment incentive program; and, provide contamination management plans for the future development.

9.11.1 Proposed Amendments to Bylaw No. 7531, Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners Bylaw

Decision

*City Council passed Bylaw No. 9460, The Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners Amendment Bylaw, 2017. Council also resolved that the Administration request of the Provincial Government that quorum be addressed in the next update of The Police Act.

Background

*At its meeting held on March 27, 2017, City Council adopted the recommendation of the Governance and Priorities Committee that two additional members-at-large be added to the composition of the Board of Police Commissioners beginning January 1, 2018, and that the City Solicitor prepare the necessary amendments to The Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners Bylaw.

Public Hearing August 28, 2017

5.2.1 City of Saskatoon – Debt Limit

Decision

*City Council resolved that pursuant to Section 133 of The Cities Act, the Administration be authorized to request the Saskatchewan Municipal Board to re-establish the debt limit for the City of Saskatoon at $558M.

Background

*On October 15, 2014, the SMB advised the Administration that the debt limit was established at $558M. The debt limit was calculated based an amount equal to the City’s own source annual revenue. This is consistent with the SMB’s calculation for municipalities. Own source revenue comes from property taxes, utilities, user fees and earnings on investments. Own source revenue does not include conditional or unconditional grants, grants in lieu of property taxes or SaskPower surcharges. The $558M is based on the calculation from 2013 Financial Statements. This debt limit is subject to review by December 31, 2017.

6.1 - 6.9 Proclamations and Flag Raisings

Decision

*City Council approved all proclamations and flag raising requests as set out in Section 6 and authorized the City Clerk to sign the proclamations, in the standard from, on behalf of City Council.

1. Waste Reduction Week

2. United Way Month

3. National PKD Awareness Day

4. World Mental Health Day

5. Drive Electric Week

6. Right to Know Week

7. Environmental Public Health Week

8. Poverty Awareness Week

9. Biotech Week

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo released an exciting new video ‘Caring for Cougars’ following a recent health check on cougars Malcolm and Jethro.  

“Our mandate is to focus on conservation, research, and education” says Tim Sinclair-Smith, Zoo Manager.  “This video provides an opportunity for people to learn more about what goes on when a captive animal visits the vet.  It demonstrates that our facility emphasizes the importance of quality health programs and does more than simply display animals.”

The Zoo has a longstanding partnership with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine focusing on animal health at the facility.  Sinclair-Smith says there are many benefits to highlighting the educational aspects of the animal health program:

• Veterinary students have the opportunity to learn wild animal care skills; and
• It shows school students the detailed, in-depth nature of a wild animal physical exam.

Cougars Malcolm and Jethro came to the Zoo in 2009 and are currently taking up residence in the PotashCorp Ark exhibit.  Cougars are best known for their agility and long powerful bodies.  Their long hind legs allow them to hunt in high speed bursts and are known to use their long tails to steer as they run.

The ‘Caring for Cougars video’ is showcased on the City’s YouTube, Twitter and Facebook pages.  It is also highlighted on saskatoon.ca/zoo and will be played in the Children’s Zoo and Discovery Centre as part of a public education initiative.  

Zoo Hours
Reminder:  the Zoo will be switching to winter hours on Tuesday, September 5, 2017.

• Forestry Farm Park gates will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• The Zoo will be open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Parking fees will not be charged effective on September 5.  

As a new school year is set to get underway, the City of Saskatoon and Saskatoon Police Service are advising residents that school zones are in effect beginning September 1^st, 2017. Drivers are once again required to reduce their speed to 30 kph inside school zones between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.

This fall, four new school zones will be in effect in the following areas:

1. Stonebridge: Chief Whitecap School & St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic School
2. Hampton Village: Ernest Lindner School & St. Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic School
3. Evergreen: Sylvia Fedoruk School & St. Nicholas Catholic School
4. Rosewood: Colette Bourgonje & St. Therese of Lisieux Catholic School

“We’ve installed one continuous school zone in front of the adjacent public and separate schools in these neighbourhoods to provide a safe path for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers,” says Dave LeBoutillier, Acting Engineering Manager for Transportation. “All it takes to reduce your speed in a school zone is an additional 12 seconds of travel time; something we can all make time to do.”

School zones are marked by reflective, fluorescent yellow-green signs. It is an offence to speed in school zones as well as to make a u-turn, which has been restricted in Saskatoon since 2013. Offenders are subject to fines and the loss of three or more SGI demerit points.

“When drivers fail to comply with speed limits in school zones, they’re not only committing a speed violation, they are increasing the danger to students, parents, teachers and citizens using those school zones,” says Superintendent Brian Shalovelo of the Saskatoon Police Service. “We’ll be actively enforcing school zones from now through to June.”

In addition to physical police presence in school zones, Photo Speed Enforcement is also active in several school zones around the city. This program captures an image and licence plate information for vehicles violating the 30 kph speed restriction, and a fine is then mailed to the registered owner of that vehicle.

Learn more about school zones by visiting Saskatoon.ca/SchoolZones.

Saskatoon Transit wants people to nominate bus stops for improvements or replacement with help of Twitter and Facebook.

The “Bus Stop Blues” Campaign kicks-off today on Saskatoon Transit Twitter, City of Saskatoon Twitter and the City of Saskatoon’s Facebook page.  Over the next three weeks, using the hashtag #busstopbluesyxe, residents will be asked to post a photo and the location of the stop where they would like to see improvements. 

“Saskatoon Transit is listening and reacting to customer feedback,” says Jim McDonald, Director of Saskatoon Transit.  “This is an opportunity to engage with the public and for the public to help shape the future of Saskatoon Transit.  Our goal is to continually improve the transit experience.”

Following the campaign, bus shelters and stops will be chosen for either replacement or renewal.

The Government of Canada has provided more than $1.5 million through the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund (PTIF) for transit shelter improvements and network accessibility throughout the city - $300,000 will be devoted to the bus shelter and stop improvements.  

Saskatoon Transit values input from citizens and these bus shelter upgrades will work toward the principals outlined in the Growth Plan to 500,000.  

For more information about Saskatoon Transit, visit transit.saskatoon.ca or follow @StoonTransit on Twitter. Plan your route in advance using Google Transit Trip Planner or the Transit App on your mobile device.

With City Council’s approval this week, the City will move forward with developing options to expand the Waste Services Utility. Moving black-bin collection to a user-pay system would reduce property taxes by $8.9 million -- about 4%.  Put another way, this would transfer the cost of some or all waste management services to a monthly utility bill. The City will meet with residents in the fall and report back to Council in early 2018.

“We know this is an important initiative and we want to get it right,” says Brenda Wallace, Director of Environmental and Corporate Initiatives. “Residents have many concerns like affordability and increased illegal dumping. So, to hear what people think, we’re going to launch a series of community discussions this fall and gather input on the design of an expanded Waste Services Utility.”  

One option to be explored is a variable-rate utility/user-pay system which offers a number of benefits:

• Creates incentives to reduce the amount of waste residents put in their black garbage cart.
• Allows the City to build a sustainable funding model.
• Extends the life of the landfill.

Wallace stresses the variable fee-for service garbage collection model includes charges based on cart size or collection frequency, not weight.

“Research conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2013 discovered waste utility models can improve waste diversion rates by up to 40 per cent,” Wallace says. “A successful waste diversion program is critical to deferring the closure of the landfill.”

Wallace adds the costs to close the existing landfill and establish a new landfill are estimated at $26 million and $100 million respectively.

The community has set a target of diverting 70% of our waste from the landfill. This means that 70% of waste in Saskatoon will be reused, recycled or composted. In 2016, 22% of waste was being diverted through programs such as the single and multi-unit residential recycling programs. This is the second lowest diversion rate when benchmarked against other Canadian cities.

More information on the City’s Waste Diversion Plan can be found on saskatoon.ca/wastediversion.  

This expansion of the waste services utility supports the Strategic Goal of Environmental Leadership including the four-year priority to promote and facilitate city-wide composting and recycling and the long-term strategy to eliminate the need for a new landfill; It also supports the Strategic Goal of Asset and Financial Sustainability by reducing reliance on residential property taxes and setting long term sustainable rates.

Mayor Charlie Clark finds the ongoing search for financial savings at City Hall encouraging, but he knows that there is work left to do.

“Through conversations, emails, social media messages, and phone calls, I am continuing to hear from citizens that they are concerned about potential tax increases and the financial situation of the City of Saskatoon,” said Mayor Clark. “The people of Saskatoon are expecting us to make sure that their tax dollars are spent wisely and with the largest impact possible.”

The Mayor explained that it is important to find savings in ways that create efficiencies and deliver services more effectively.

“City Council recognizes that citizens want to see the City save money in ways that don’t simply cut services or raise fees for residents,” Mayor Clark said. “Today I am pleased to highlight key examples of how we have done this over the past few years.”

For more than a decade, the City has explored and implemented new ways to improve services and increase savings, while also managing the growth pressures the City faces. The recently released Saskatoon Strides: 2016 Report on Service, Savings and Sustainability highlights the progress the City made to drive service improvements, find savings for taxpayers, and operate more sustainably.

“Sometimes these examples get lost in the mix and we wanted to call attention to them today,” said Mayor Clark. “In addition to the savings featured in the Saskatoon Strides document, the recent 30 Day Challenge empowered staff to suggest avenues for increased savings, and many of the recommendations are around energy efficiencies, using technology more effectively, and cutting internal red tape.”

Mayor Clark reiterated that the City is heading in the right direction to deliver affordable and sustainable programs and services that improve the quality of life for citizens. “Given the City’s recent reduction in funding, it is important that the work of finding cost savings continues. It is also a priority of mine to get the basics right, and I believe that this is what the citizens of Saskatoon expect and deserve from the City.”

 

August 15, 2017 Meeting

7.2.4 Victoria Avenue Corridor Transportation Improvements

Decision

*The Committee recommended to City Council that the proposed plan for Victoria Avenue between 8^th Street and 11^th Street be approved; That the amount of $295,000 be approved for Capital Project #2270 – Paved Roads and Sidewalk Preservation from the Transportation Infrastructure Expansion Reserve; and; That the amount of $30,000 be approved for Capital Project #2270 – Paved Roads and Sidewalk Preservation from the Active Transportation Reserve.

Background

*The Victoria Avenue Corridor Review resulted in a plan to address the combination of motor vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists anticipated after the Traffic Bridge is reopened.
*The proposed plan will reduce the number of lanes in the southbound direction from two to one and introduces a cycle track adjacent to the sidewalk on both sides.
*The proposed modifications will proceed in conjunction with water main replacement and road rehabilitation of Victoria Avenue in 2017.

7.2.6 2017 Annual Street Sweeping Work Plan

Decision

*The Committee recommended to City Council that the Administration be directed to implement the pilot program in the seven neighbourhoods outlined in the report; and 2. That following the pilot, the Administration report back on the overall effectiveness of the pilot including, but not limited to, citizen feedback and operational impacts.

Background

*Street sweeping is a core function of the City. Each component of the program is executed to enable mobility, preserve air and water quality, maintain surface drainage, and improve aesthetics of City streets and adjacent infrastructure.

*The annual sweeping program is divided into four main program groupings:

1) pre-sweeping winter debris pickup,

2) spring sweeping,

3) summer sweeping, and

4) fall leaf and debris removal.

*The City is piloting a new spring sweeping approach to improve efficiency, reduce costs and alleviate parking concerns in seven neighbourhoods.
*Factors such as a growing street network; balancing program efficiency with safety and parking convenience for citizens; and an intensive sign/ticket/tow approach continue to put pressure on the sweeping schedule and operating budget.

August 21, 2017 Meeting

7.1.2.1            2017 Civic Services Survey Results

Decision

*The Committee carried unanimously a recommendation that the information be received.

Background

*The City has conducted the Civic Services Survey annually since the early 1990s. The last survey was completed in May 2016. In March 2016, the City issued a tender for work on the City of Saskatoon Annual Civic Services Survey. Insightrix Inc. (Insightrix) was awarded the contract for 2016 with the option to extend for a second year, which was exercised to conduct the 2017 survey.

7.1.2.2            2017 Citizen Budget Results

Decision

*The Committee carried unanimously a recommendation that the information be received.

Background

*City Council and the Administration consider several factors when building the City’s annual budget including: the population, inflation, capital investments, City Council priorities, performance measures, and public input. Administration has been conducting an annual Online Citizen Budget Survey since 2015 to obtain public feedback on spending priorities. The last Citizen Budget was conducted in 2016. 2017 Online Citizen Budget Results here.

7.2.1             2018 Business Plan and Budget Update (File No. CK. 1704-1)

Decision

*The Committee carried unanimously a recommendation that direction be provided regarding implementation or future reporting on 30 Day Challenge Ideas; and that a letter from the Executive Director of NSBA be received as information.

Background

*At its June 19, 2017 meeting, the Governance and Priorities Committee received the 2018 Budget Update report from the CFO/General Manager, Asset and Financial Management Department. The report outlined that the current projected property tax increase for 2018 was 6.48%, and that the Administration was working on several strategies to develop ideas and help mitigate this property tax impact.

 

August 15, 2017 Meeting