Vehicle noise, waste bins and a special organ
Hello Ward 6!
After a beautiful fall, winter has certainly arrived complete with the annual snow-shoveling ritual. I admit winter is not my favourite season, but Saskatoon sure looks pretty with fresh fallen snow. Here are a few updates from City Hall.
Vehicle Noise
Noise on city streets should start to decrease in the new year, as City Council has approved changes to its noise bylaw to align with a new strategic direction laid out by SGI. New technology will help to effectively identify noise violations from vehicles and thereby strengthen enforcement.
Green Bin
While the company hired by the City to process green cart material has defaulted on its contract, green cart organics collection will continue. In the short-term, Loraas will continue to assist the City in processing organics materials while City officials explore cost reduction options by processing the organics in-house.To date, more than 15,000 tonnes of organic waste have successfully been diverted from the landfill since collections began in May. No disruptions to the curbside organics program are expected.
Black Bin
Our black bin program will switch to the utility model on January 1st, and options to swap your large bin for a medium or small bin at a lower cost will be available starting in the spring. While the full amount has been taken off of our property taxes, overall costs for most of us will still be a bit higher as the new program no longer requires businesses and condominiums to pay for a service they don’t receive.
Material Recovery Centre
The opening of the Material Recovery Centre (MRC), formerly the Recovery Park Landfill Expansion, marks a major achievement for the City of Saskatoon as it works towards its 70% waste diversion goal. The MRC, located on Valley Road at the entrance to the City Landfill, is now open to the public and offers residents free drop-off for many recyclable items as well as a new access point for scaled waste.The MRC will provide free drop-off at Sort & Go for recycling, small appliances, batteries, oil and anti-freeze, electronics, metals, rimless tires, bicycles and appliances, with a $20 fee for appliances with refrigerant. For more information go to: www.saskatoon.ca/mrc
Home Energy
The City of Saskatoon has released a new tool for homeowners to better understand their home’s energy use and make improvements. The map uses artificial intelligence (AI) to produce a digital energy score that can be used to compare against other homes of similar size, age, and type and help users understand how much energy their home consumes. The map also provides each homeowner with a customized “retrofit roadmap” to see what actions they can take to reduce their energy consumption.
This is the fourth home energy-focused initiative the City has launched in 2023 (links below); all programs were funded by the Green Municipal Fund, administered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
Associated links:
· Saskatoon.ca/EnergyMap
· Saskatoon.ca/EnergyCoaches
· Solar.myheat.ca/saskatoon
· Saskatoon.ca/RenoResources
Homelessness
The provincial government is moving to a new delivery model for shelter services in our city, de-densifying accommodations and adding wrap-around supports for those who need it. The City of Saskatoon has been asked to determine the sites where the shelters could be created. No location decisions have been made at this time. Public open houses will be held once locations have been identified for temporary and permanent emergency shelters.
Corridor Planning
The College and Nutana Corridor planning continues, as the City prepares for a modern public transportation system and added density near the Bus Rapid Transit routes. Thanks to everyone who came to the public open houses and for more information go to: www.saskatoon.ca/corridor
Active Transportation
City Council received an update on our AT plan, as our administration moves to adapt and adjust direction to align with best practices. Things such as “rapid deployment” to create safe cycling have been successful in other cities, and allows for quick installation and removal making it easier to determine suitability.
Saskatoon Regional Plan for Growth (P4G)
Many people are not aware that Saskatoon has a formal agreement with the RM of Corman Park, the cities of Warman and Martensville and the town of Osler to create a coherent, mutually beneficial roadmap for future growth. This landmark agreement is strengthening economic development opportunities for the region. Recently, the coalition has received a number of awards for this innovative approach.
The Organ
The pipe organ will stay in place at Third Avenue United Church downtown. The building has been designated as a Municipal Heritage Property, inclusive of the building’s rafters and pipe organ. The current owner requested City Council to de-register the organ as part of the heritage designation. City Council unanimously ejected that request.
Stay Warm and good luck to all of the Trick 'O Treaters out there. Happy Halloween!
Warm Regards,
Cynthia
Councillor Cynthia Block
https://www.cynthiablockward6.com/