Deadline for black cart switch approaching, and updates on housing and DEED.
Hello Ward 6, and Happy LEAP Year!
I hope you are enjoying the lovely weather in our beautiful winter city. Here is an update from City Hall.
BLACK CARTS:
The City’s initial cart swap intake is nearly over. Requests for smaller black garbage carts are open until Friday, March 1. If residents miss the deadline or need more time to decide, there will be another intake for swap requests starting in July. To learn more about the Black Cart program or rates, visit saskatoon.ca/blackcart. To request a smaller cart, visit saskatoon.ca/utilityaccount and sign up or login to your Utility Account. Residents can also request a cart swap by calling a Corporate Revenue Customer Service Representative at 306-975-2400.
EMERGENCY SHELTER:
The City of Saskatoon and Government of Saskatchewan continue to work collaboratively on the homeless emergency in our city. While housing is a provincial responsibility, we know it will take all of us to address the rising crisis.
Like cities across Canada, we continue to feel the pressures of a rising drug epidemic and the need for more support services for those suffering from addiction. I know there are serious concerns about adding homeless shelters in neighbourhoods, and based on previous efforts I fully respect the concerns and skepticism of residents. It is vital that any shelter facilities adhere to best practices with a comprehensive plan to ensure safety for everyone.
HOUSING ACCERATOR FUND and ZONING:
There are significant zoning changes being proposed to ensure Saskatoon qualifies for a $46 million dollar grant for affordable housing. The largest one involves 4 stories within 800 metres of transit. These are conditions of the grant, and engagement is being planned for later this month. Please check out: www.saskatoon.ca/engage for your opportunity to learn more and weigh-in. (*note: new information will be posted in the next few days)
TREES:
City Council has approved Saskatoon’s first Tree Bylaw, designed to protect the urban canopy on municipal land and mitigate the continued assault on our trees due to drought and invasive species. The bylaw included a wide range of stakeholders including SOS Trees and the development community.
DOWNTOWN EVENT AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT: (DEED)
First, a reminder that if this project was a “nice to have” I would not support it at this time. There is overwhelming evidence to support the plan, and previous posts have identified the “why”. (Please see “August” for more details)
This month, we had a chance to see the conceptual designs for the District, and Council approved the procurement parametres to seek a private partner for the event centre and/or the trade and convention centre. I anticipate learning more about overall costs and the funding strategy in the next few months. Note, it is still Council’s directive to build the new event centre with ZERO impact to property taxes. This has been done by many other cities across North America - even those without a professional sports franchise.
A reminder, that decisions about building any part of the district are still many years away and will require a phasing approach. Since 2018, every step on this journey has been made when all evidence supported it. There have been many steps and many more to go. Like ALL major civic projects, the plan is to get the project “shelf ready”, so we are ready when partners step up to support it.
A few other notes…
Saskatoon continues to lead the nation in population and economic growth, and also has the lowest unemployment rate. These numbers go up and down, but Saskatoon has stood amid the top performers for a few years now, as we work to create opportunities and good quality of life for everyone.
Despite challenges, Saskatoon continues to be only a handful of cities in Canada with a AAA credit rating. Despite many challenges, S & P Global states our city is well-managed, transparent and well within its debt limit for capital projects. I will continue to support public policy that helps our city become more efficient, less expensive and more sustainable.
Check out your community association FB page to learn more about upcoming activities. Huge thanks to the volunteers who are delivering programming and wonderful neighbourhood events. I applaud each and every one of you!
Warm Regards,
Cynthia