February 2022 Newsletter

City Council Meeting: February 28, 2022

Here are a few items of interest on the agenda:

• Vehicle Noise Mitigation Study;
• Comprehensive COVID-19 Update;
• Update on Home Energy Loan Program (HELP);
• Expansion of the Assisted Collections Program; and
• Approval of Recreation and Sport Tax Abatement Policy.

The full agenda for the regular and public hearing meetings can be found in the attached hyperlinks.

Vehicle Noise Mitigation Study

Nuisance vehicle noise, from stunting, racing and modified mufflers, have been a concern for many neighbours in our ward and across the City. In response to this concern, the City hired a noise specialist to research, review, engage stakeholders, provide a cost estimate, and ultimately recommend possible mitigation measures in response to vehicle noise concerns. This is in addition to past work undertaken by the City, Saskatoon Police Service and SGI. 

The report is quite comprehensive and provides recommendations for the short, medium and long-term. The recommendations that do not require new funding or can be incorporated into existing budgets are recommended to move ahead right away, with the remaining items being sent to this years budget cycle for prioritization. This would allow new funding to be allocated where needed, and further work on prioritization to take place.

The report highlights that Saskatoon is experiencing many of the same issues that other cities are dealing with, where unfortunately no "silver-bullet" solution exists. While I am disappointed there are no commercially available products to help us regulate this nuisance behaviour, the City will continue to work through how to implement the recommendations from the noise specialist. 

The full report and recommendations are available here. 

Comprehensive COVID-19 Update

Earlier in February, City Council directed that mandatory mask use will still be required at Leisure Centres and on Saskatoon Transit through the month of March. This means that these high use public spaces will still require masking once the Public Health Order is lifted. Masking requirements will mimic those that are in place under the Public Health Order prior to its expiration. More information about this can be found here. 

This direction will be reviewed one a month-by-month basis to determine when this requirement will be lifted.

Update on the Home Energy Loan Program (HELP)

The Home Energy Loan Program (HELP) has been incredibly successful since its launch in September. I am pleased to share that the City of Saskatoon has received a grant and loan from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to expand our program. This expansion allows for the following:

• The substantial increase in available funding, allowing more households to participate;
• The expansion of the income qualified households criteria; and
• The addition of rebates.

The program is currently anticipated to support approximately 331 participants. Learn more about the program here.

Expansion of the Assisted Collections Program

The City currently offers a limited support program for assisting households with waste collections in situations where a household may experience challenges in rolling out their bins. The City has been working to expand this program to ensure all residents that are eligible for this service can receive it.

The report before Council this month highlights how we will be expanding the service to ensure all eligible households can receive this service. 

The intent for this revised program is to begin accepting applications in the third quarter of 2022 and begin providing service for new locations in early 2023.

The full report can be found here.

How to share feedback ahead of the meeting

Contact me directly

Do not hesitate to reach out to share feedback ahead of our meeting. You can contact me any point in the month. Contact information is available here.

Send a letter to City Council

This avenue allows you to send a letter (or request to speak) to items on the agenda. This needs to be submitted before 10:00 AM on Monday, February 28 as it forms part of the supplementary agenda. Find more information on how to make the request here.

SAVE THE DATE - COFFEE WITH YOUR COUNCILLOR

• Jump on the call anytime to chat with me and other neighbours
  
  • March 24, 2022  |  12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
• Where: Hosted via ZOOM

The Zoom link will be posted online ahead of the event.

• Welcome to Stoked Kitchen + Bar. They recently opened up their restaurant, bowling alley and arcade in Brighton. There's lots to check out at this new space.
• Green cart renewal and subscriptions are now live. The early bird rate is available until April 30. Register here.
• The City is seeking feedback on a Tree Protection Bylaw. Participate in the online survey until March 13.
• Catch up on the Q&A that recently took place about Neighbourhood Level Infill.
• The City recently completed the last Neighbourhood Traffic Review, marking a significant achievement. This award wining process began in 2013, covered 77 traffic reviews and included more than 1,200 traffic safety improvements identified. Neighbourhood Traffic Review final reports and implementation status are available at saskatoon.ca/ntr.
• An opportunity to participate in Park Development Standards exists on March 2, 2022 from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Join the team online to participate. 
• The engagement summary from the UH3 Natural Areas Screening is now available. This screening covers the areas of the Northeast Swale and Small Swale.
• SaskTel has notified the City of major system upgrades to their cellular network that are planned for 2022. This includes a range of upgrades to existing towers in many locations throughout Saskatoon. As these planned upgrades will be noticeable across the city, the City is providing this webpage related to the current notification and consultation process in place for telecommunication infrastructure.
• Keep up to date with City engagement events by visiting saskatoon.ca/engage.