November 2021 Newsletter

City Council Meeting: November 22, 2021

Here are a few items of interest on the agenda:

• School and playground zones proposed changes
• Dundonald Ave solar farm project
• Update for the framework measures to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 in Saskatoon
• New community recreation and sport grant program
• Survey results for City of Saskatoon 2022 - 2025 Strategic Plan
• Saskatoon Transit Service Standards
• Concept plan amendment for the Willows neighbourhood

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

School and playground zones proposed changes

The recommendations for school and playground zones are part of the speed limit review that has been underway this year. In September, City Council voted not to reduce the city-wide speed limit for residential neighbourhoods. Folks will recall this was a widely debated item within the community. 

The second stage of the speed limit review is assessing school zones, playground zones and areas with high concentrations of seniors. These items were broken out into the second phase, as the decision around city-wide speed limits impacts these recommendations. 

In short, there are portions of our current school zones that do not reflect best practices. The recommendations before City Council on Monday are meant to bring our current practices in alignment with best practices. The recommendations being considered on Monday include:

1. School Zones – Direct the Administration to revise the reduced speed school zone policy to align with TAC guidance and maintain a reduced speed limit of 30 km/h
   (Option 2);
2. Playground Zones – Direct the Administration to develop a reduced speed playground zone policy to align with TAC guidance and include a reduced speed limit of 30 km/h (Option 2);
3. Senior Zones – Continue to consider potential countermeasures such as increasing pedestrian crossing times at signalized intersections, pedestrian devices, traffic
   calming, enhanced pavement markings, and improved street lighting where appropriate (Option 1);
4. Zone Operation – Direct the Administration to revise existing hours for school zones and implement hours for playground zones to be in effect all months of the year,7
   days a week, from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.: (Option 3); and
5. Implementation – That the changes are all made in 2022.

Take a look at the full report for additional information, including financial impacts, engagement results and technical reviews. 

Dundonald Ave Solar Farm

This report confirms the feasibility of implementing a 2.2 MW solar farm on a piece of marginal land between Dundonald Ave and Circle Dr. If approved, the site will generate 2.7 million kWh of renewable energy, powering over 330 homes annually. With the help from the provincial and federal government, this project has a short seven year payback timeline, based on thirty years of operations. 

This is an exciting opportunity to implement actions from our climate action plans. Furthermore, with the site being slowly converted to a naturalized landscape, it will also provide further ecological benefits. 

The report can be found here.

December 2021 update on the framework for measures to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 in Saskatoon 

The framework has now been in place for a few months, and as committed, a report is on our monthly meeting agenda with updates about any changes to civic protocols. For the month of December, the indicators from the current analysis reveal a "Yellow" or caution level, whereas for the month of November we saw an "Orange" or high-risk level.

There are only a few changes that are being made:

• As individuals over the age of 12 must show full proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to access leisure centres, to align with the current Public Health Order, effective November 17 patrons who are 18 & older utilizing weight rooms, fitness classes and the walking track are permitted to remove their masks for the duration of the activity. All patrons must wear masks when moving to and from activity spaces.
• While most engagement activities will remain online, when deemed necessary consideration will be given to offer in-person opportunities.
• Starting on December 1 staff who have been working from home may begin returning to the workplace, with all staff being required to be back in the workplace by February 1, 2022. The City of Saskatoon currently has a proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test requirement for all staff. 

View the full report here. Find the latest updates at saskatoon.ca/covid19.

Budget 2022/2023

The agenda for the multi-year budget for 2022 and 2023 will be released at 4:00pm on Wednesday, November 24, 2021. Find all relevant budget information here.

Budget deliberations will begin on November 29 and can run until December 1. Just with all Council meetings, like meeting will be live streamed. 

Do not hesitate to get in touch ahead of time if you have any questions.

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, November 22 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
  • December 14, 2021  |  12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
  • January 26, 2021  |  12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
  • February 23, 2021  |  12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
  • March 24, 2021  |  12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
• Where: Hosted via ZOOM

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

• Curious about our timelines for winter road maintenance after a storm? Take a look at the When it Snows Timeline.
• Information about sidewalk clearing can also be found here. If your neighbour is elderly, has health concerns or mobility restrictions, please lend a hand (and warm their heart!) by clearing their sidewalk.
• Saskatoon Light & Power has released a new interactive map for power outages. Check out this handy tool here. 
• The City of Saskatoon was just named as one of 95 global cities on the CDP 2021 A List. Find out more about this recognition here.  
• The City is warning residents about a potential Green Cart program rebate scam. Find out more information here.
• The Winter Leisure Guide is now available. Program registration begins on Sunday, December 5. 
• Catch up on the engagement work for the College Corridor Plan. This is a corridor area is just adjacent to Greystone Heights. The next meeting on College Corridor Land Uses will be online on November 24 at 7:00 pm. find more information here.
• Keep up to date with City engagement events by visiting saskatoon.ca/engage.