News Releases

Fall frenzy is in the air for both dogs and their owners.  With the weather starting to cool off it is a great time to get out and enjoy the seven active off-leash Dog Parks operated by the City of Saskatoon (City).  On Saturday, October 4, 2014, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the City and volunteer Dog Park Ambassadors invite everyone to the first annual “Scoop the Poop” event being held at all parks:

• Avalon - south end of Broadway Avenue;
• Briarwood - south of Wilson's Greenhouse on McOrmond  Drive;
• Caswell – next to Mayfair Outdoor Pool;
• Hampton Village - north on Range Road 3060, near the airport;
• Silverwood - access off Kinnear Avenue or the east end of Adilman Drive;
• Southwest - off Valley Road by the landfill; and
• Sutherland Beach - west of Central Avenue, north of Attridge Drive.

Come out and meet your Dog Park Ambassador, volunteers, and fellow dog lovers as you join together in keeping your Dog Park clean and welcoming for all visitors.  Refreshments and cleaning supplies provided.

With the increased use of Dog Parks, here are a few tips for being a responsible pet owner:

• Pick up after your dog;
• Dogs must stay ON LEASH in all areas of the city unless the area is clearly designated (signed) as an off-leash Dog Park;
• Dogs must be licensed to enjoy Dog Parks; and
• Please be considerate and courteous to other people and children enjoying the outdoors and keep in mind that not everyone is comfortable around dogs, even friendly ones.

For more information on the event or to see a map of the Dog Parks, please visit www.saskatoon.ca/go/dogparks.
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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We’re pleased we now have a detailed plan to offer valid Transit pass customers a full month extension or refund for the month of September.

“Right from the start of the lockout we have been talking about offering compensation for our customers whose daily routines have been greatly disrupted without Transit service,” says Catherine Gryba, General Manager of Corporate Performance.

There are approximately 8,600 active one-month or longer-duration pass holders, 17,500 UPass holders and 1,000 EcoPass holders who were not able to fully utilize their pass for the month of September.

The refunds will be offered to Transit customers who hold a valid pass; they would receive a full one-month extension or a refund on a cash-card or cheque.

“We thought it made sense to offer pass extensions as a convenient option for transit customers,” Gryba says.  “This would minimize the need for an additional trip to a refund centre and waiting in a customer service line.”

Refunds or a credit on a utility bill account would also be offered through a mail-in option that would reimburse customers for postage fees.

Customers would be able to pick up their refunds at a variety of locations, including City Hall, the Downtown Transit Customer Service Centre, one of six Leisure Centres, and at a mobile transit refund location.  These options ensure the broadest access for as many customers as possible.

A key component to this plan is a comprehensive communications strategy. In fact, the annual Civic Services Survey consistently shows that citizens prefer using a wide range of traditional communication methods to receive civic information (see Attachment – 2014 Civic Services Survey – Preferred Information Sources). This includes the news media, radio and print advertising. 

“Given our broad and diverse population, it would not be reasonable for the City to rely on journalists alone to deliver City messages to the community,” Gryba says.

There will also be further communication costs incurred to inform transit pass holders on how they can receive their extension or reimbursement.  These costs are anticipated to be approximately $20,000.  A variety of communication tools will be used including paid radio and print advertising, posters, website updates, and social media.

The latest projected costs are part of the ongoing communication plan which began in mid-September.

The estimated costs were for keeping customers well informed about the service disruption and why the City made a difficult decision to proceed with a notice of lockout that would affect so many people.

Crucial information on wages and pensions was, and continues to be, a very complicated issue for transit Customers, citizens, taxpayers and all City employees. 

“In order to give customers, citizens and taxpayers clear, concise and broadly communicated information, we achieve this by purchasing paid advertising spots on radio and in the daily print newspaper,” Gryba says.

The estimated costs below include design and production, placement fees for radio and StarPhoenix print advertising and flyers/posters:

Paid advertising - Transit Customers:        $ 39,000

Paid advertising – Broad Community:        $ 62,000 

Total                               $101,000

Ongoing communication costs will continue to be monitored throughout the course of the current service disruption and when transit is back to normal operations.

The cost per person based on a rough Saskatoon population of 250,000 people is 41 cents.

Additionally customer service continues to be an important communications element.  As a result, a third party call centre was contracted to provide this service during the lockout.  The estimated costs between September 21 and September 30 are approximately $11,000.

“We anticipate increased call volumes around the refund plan.  So we will continue to use the third party call centre to assist our customers,” Gryba says.  “Balancing costs are always top of mind and they will monitored carefully throughout the course of the current service disruption,” Gryba says.

Have you ever wondered how difficult it is to use a fire hose; what it feels like to be on an aerial ladder or how quickly a fire grows? Come to the Saskatoon Fire Department’s annual Open House on Sunday, October 5^th for free hot dogs and/or chili and find out.

October 5, 2014
Open House – Fire Station No. 1
125 Idylwyld Drive South
1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Besides the chance to use a fire hose, ride an aerial ladder and watch some live burns there will also be sprinkler demonstrations, fire alarm panel demonstrations, a Bullex (an electronic screen designed to help people learn to use a fire extinguisher without fire) and free hot dogs and/or chili for the first 500 people.

 Come early and stay for the afternoon.

Sharpen your skates, the civic indoor arenas are open for the season!  The weekly Public Skating and Parent and Tot Skating sessions are as follows and will be in effect until Sunday, December 21, 2014:

ACT Arena:  107 105th Street East
Public Skating – now open

• Tuesday:  7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Sunday:  2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Parent and Tot Skating - Began Sunday, September 7, 2014

• Monday and Thursday:  2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Archibald Arena:  1410 Windsor Street
Public Skating – Begins Sunday, October 5, 2014

• Sunday:  12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Parent and Tot Skating – Begins Wednesday, November 5, 2014

• Wednesday:  2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Cosmo Arena:  3130 Laurier Drive
Public Skating – Begins Sunday, October 5, 2014

• Wednesday and Thursday:  12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• Friday:  12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Sunday:  12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Parent and Tot Skating – Begins Monday, October 6, 2014

• Monday and Friday:  2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Lions Arena:  2205 McEown Avenue
Public Skating – Begins Sunday, October 5, 2014

• Sunday:  2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

Parent and Tot Skating – Begins Tuesday, November 4, 2014

• Tuesday and Friday:  2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Admission rates are as follows:

• Adult (19 and over) - $4.50;
• Youth (6 to 18) - $2.70;
• Preschool (5 and under) - Free; and
• Family - $9.00 

Children, 6 years and younger, must be accompanied by an adult, minimum of 16 years of age.  A maximum of two preschoolers per adult is allowed.  Parent and Tot Skating is free of charge.
 
Visit www.saskatoon.ca/go/rinks for a full calendar of public skate times and rink rental rates information.
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.

NEW
8TH ST E WB MEDIAN & CENTRE LANE CLOSED BETWEEN LANSDOWN AVE & DUFFERIN AVE
(Electronic work)
Start: October 2, 9:00 a.m. End: October 2, 11:00 a.m.
ONGOING

SPADINA CRES E CLOSED FROM QUEEN ST TO 24TH ST E
(Roadwork)
Full closure at Mendel, use Queen or 25th St
Start: October 1, 9:00 a.m. End: October 2, 6:00 p.m.

11TH ST W CLOSED FROM HIGHWAY 7 TO CHAPPELL DR
(Patch paving)
Sections of the road will be closed for patch paving. Access to businesses & compost depot will be maintained via 22nd St W
Start: September 23, 9:00 a.m. End: October 14, 6:00 p.m.

CENTRAL AVE NB CLOSED FROM 110TH ST W TO GRAY AVE
(Phase 3: Streetscaping)
NB traffic accommodated in SB lanes. SB traffic detoured via Egbert Ave & Bryans Ave  
Start: September 23, 7:00 a.m. End: October 8, 6:00 p.m.
TAYLOR ST E CLOSED FROM MUNROE AVE S TO MCKINNON AVE S
(Water Main Lining)
Start: September 8, 8:00 a.m. End: October 8, 7:00 p.m.

33RD ST W EB LANES CLOSED FROM AVE Y N TO AVE W N
(Water main lining)
Two-way traffic set in WB lanes of 33rd St
Start: August 22, 9:00 a.m. End: October 4, 6:00 p.m.

AIRPORT DR NB LANES CLOSED FROM GATEWAY BLVD TO THE AIRPORT
(Roadway improvements)
Two-way traffic accommodated in SB lanes. 45th St W closed from Airport Dr to Koyl Ave
Start: August 20, 1:00 p.m. End: October 29, 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.

NEW
SPADINA CRES E CLOSED FROM QUEEN ST TO 24TH ST E
(Roadwork)
Full closure at Mendel, use Queen or 25th St
Start: October 1, 9:00 a.m. End: October 2, 6:00 p.m.

2ND AVE SB CLOSED FROM CLOSED FROM 24TH ST E TO 23RD ST E
(SL&P vault work)
Start: October 1, 9:00 a.m. End: October 1, 12:00 p.m.

CENTRAL AVE MEDIAN LANES CLOSED AT 105TH ST & 106TH ST
(Sanitary sewer lining)
Start: October 1, 9:00 a.m. End: October 1, 6:00 p.m.
ONGOING
11TH ST W CLOSED FROM HIGHWAY 7 TO CHAPPELL DR
(Patch paving)
Sections of the road will be closed for patch paving. Access to businesses & compost depot will be maintained via 22nd St W
Start: September 23, 9:00 a.m. End: October 14, 6:00 p.m.

CENTRAL AVE NB CLOSED FROM 110TH ST W TO GRAY AVE
(Phase 3: Streetscaping)
NB traffic accommodated in SB lanes. SB traffic detoured via Egbert Ave & Bryans Ave  
Start: September 23, 7:00 a.m. End: October 8, 6:00 p.m.
TAYLOR ST E CLOSED FROM MUNROE AVE S TO MCKINNON AVE S
(Water Main Lining)
Start: September 8, 8:00 a.m. End: October 8, 7:00 p.m.

AIRPORT DR NB LANES CLOSED FROM GATEWAY BLVD TO THE AIRPORT
(Roadway improvements)
Two-way traffic accommodated in SB lanes. 45th St W closed from Airport Dr to Koyl Ave
Start: August 20, 1:00 p.m. End: October 29, 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 September 29, 2014

8.2.1 Designation of Hyde Park Off-Leash Recreation Area and amendment to the Animal Control Bylaw No. 7860 (p. 3)

Council will be asked to:

*Request that the City Solicitor prepare the necessary amendments to Bylaw No. 7860, establishing 4.1 acres within Hyde Park as a designated Off-Leash Recreation Area.

8.4.1 Inquiry – Councillor Z. Jeffries (June 23, 2014) – Installation of Bidirectional Electricity Meters for New Building Construction (p. 4)

Council will be asked to receive the information.

Additional Information:

*All new residential meters are bidirectional.

*New commercial and industrial meters can be ordered as bidirectional.

*Reverse power flow from customers serviced from the 600 volt downtown network is not permissible.

*The Power Corporation Act governs the purchase and sale of electricity for SaskPower customers in Saskatoon.

8.6.1 Provincial Disaster Assistance Program (p. 6)

City council will be asked to:

*Direct the City Solicitor to apply to the Ministry of Government Relations for the Province of Saskatchewan to be designated as Eligible Assistance Area under the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program as a result of damages caused by excessive rain occurring in the period of June 14th-22nd, 2014.

8.8.1 Persephone Theatre Property Tax Abatement *Request to Speak from Jennifer Pereira, Chair, Persephone Theatre Board of Directors (p. 6)

City Council will be asked to:

*Hear Jennifer Pereira, Chair, Persephone Theatre Board of Directors

*Approve a full (100%) property tax abatement to Persephone Theatre through the Culture Grant Program for a five-year period.

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Transit Administration is recommending the purchase of ten new Nova buses to arrive in May 2015, allowing Saskatoon Transit to retire ten of its buses nearing the end of their service life. The recommendation will be discussed as one of the items at September 29 City Council.

“We’re excited about this opportunity because it is a benefit for both Transit riders and our Operators and Mechanics,” says Bob Howe, Director of Saskatoon Transit. “Providing a more reliable and comfortable service to riders, while ensuring our Operators and Mechanics have the best tools to do their job remains a key value at Saskatoon Transit.”

Saskatoon Transit recently announced the purchase of five new buses that are expected to arrive in the coming weeks. The additional recommendation for the purchase of ten new buses is required to improve the median age of the fleet to the recommended industry standard of 9 years and retire some of the oldest buses that have more than 1.5 million kilometres and are 20 years old.

 “We are anxious to get Transit moving again and we remain focused on continuing to improve operations when service resumes.” says Howe. “The purchase of ten new buses will allow us to retire our ten oldest buses.”

Howe says Saskatoon Transit today does not represent what Saskatoon Transit will look like in the coming years. “Transit is currently being re-envisioned as part of the Growing Forward! Shaping Saskatoon initiative and is expected to include a significant Bus Rapid Transit system.  The five new buses arriving shortly will be an immediate improvement and the ten new buses arriving in May 2015 will help position Transit for long term success.”

If the recommendation for the purchase of ten new Nova buses is approved this will support the future growth of Saskatoon Transit as the City expands to half a million people. 

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 at @CityofSaskatoon and @YXEServiceAlert and on Facebook at Saskatoon City News.

NEW
25TH ST E EB CURB (OUTSIDE) LANE CLOSED FROM 2ND AVE N TO 3RD AVE N
(SaskTel manhole work)
Start: September 30, 9:00 a.m. End: September 30, 4:00 p.m.

33RD ST W EB & WB MEDIAN (INSIDE) LANES CLOSED FROM AVE I & AVE H
(Sanitary sewer lining)
Start: September 30, 9:00 a.m. End: September 30, 6:00 p.m.
ONGOING
11TH ST W CLOSED FROM HIGHWAY 7 TO CHAPPELL DR
(Patch paving)
Sections of the road will be closed for patch paving. Access to businesses & compost depot will be maintained.
Start: September 23, 9:00 a.m. End: October 14, 6:00 p.m.

CENTRAL AVE NB CLOSED FROM 110TH ST W TO GRAY AVE
(Phase 3: Streetscaping)
NB traffic accommodated in SB lanes. SB traffic detoured via Egbert Ave & Bryans Ave  
Start: September 23, 7:00 a.m. End: October 5, 6:00 p.m.

IDYLWYLD DR SB CURB (OUTSIDE) LANE CLOSED FROM 25TH ST TO 24TH ST
(Streetscaping)
Right turn from 25th St EB to Idylwyld Dr SB maintained
Start: September 2, 9:00 a.m. End: October 3, 6:00 p.m.
TAYLOR ST E CLOSED FROM MUNROE AVE S TO MCKINNON AVE S
(Water Main Lining)
Start: September 8, 8:00 a.m. End: October 8, 7:00 p.m.

AIRPORT DR NB LANES CLOSED FROM GATEWAY BLVD TO THE AIRPORT
(Roadway improvements)
Two-way traffic accommodated in SB lanes. 45th St W closed from Airport Dr to Koyl Ave
Start: August 20, 1:00 p.m. End: October 29, 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: September 29, 2014 

Saskatoon ranks among Canadian cities with the lowest property tax rates, despite a recent article in the Huffington Post (September 29, 2014) that says Saskatoon “…had the dubious honour of having the highest average property tax among major cities in Canada - $4440 by our calculations.” The City wants to take the opportunity to publicly correct this misinformation regarding the calculation of Saskatoon’s property tax rates.

“The Huffington Post article calculates property tax rates using a biased approach,” says City Assessor Les Smith. “Taking the total property value and multiplying it by the tax rate – without considering other unique factors that go into a residential property tax calculation is misleading.”

Smith says simply comparing property tax dollars per assessment is an incorrect approach to take. This assumes that the sale prices in one city for a particular house are the same as in another city. This method of calculation also assumes that the make-up of the property inventory in one city is the same as another and that the services supplied are the same as well.

The facts are that municipal property tax and assessment processes are set out by provincial legislation. To compare tax rates without considering the different legislative frameworks set out by each province, results in figures that are not truly comparable in terms of highest and lowest in Canada. Comparing taxes per capita is simpler and removes potential bias from other approaches.

“The City supplies services to people. It is people who use the parks, drive on roads, use water and use the civic facilities.  As we supply services to people, the measurement that best reflects this, is the per- capita measure. It is completely unbiased, it does not require anyone to determine what is a representative house or housing types.”

The Municipal Tax Calculation in Saskatchewan is as follows: Taxable Assessment x Municipal Mill Rate x Mill Rate Factor. In Saskatchewan, the taxable assessment is 70% of the assessed value of the property.

In comparison, the Municipal Tax Calculation in Alberta is simply the Tax Rate multiplied by 100% of the assessed value. The Municipal Tax Calculation in Winnipeg is similar to the process used in Saskatchewan, except that (a) the taxable assessment is 45% of assessed value and (b) there is no mill rate factor. Manitoba’s formula is as follows:  Portioned Assessment Value x Municipal Mill Rate/ 1000.

In Saskatchewan, property assessments are updated every four years. The last reassessment cycle was in 2013 and reflects a property’s fair market value as of January 1, 2011.

The City of Saskatoon is open, accountable and transparent. Property taxes collected are used for the delivery of key civic services.  For more information about property taxes and how they are calculated, visit the Property Assessment & Tax Tool located on the homepage at www.saskatoon.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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