Flood mitigation involves striking a deal with the university

To mitigate flooding near the intersection of Cumberland Avenue South and 14th Street East, Saskatoon City Administration is recommending that City Council approve construction of a dry pond on the University of Saskatchewan campus. The pond would be the sixth Flood Control Strategy project to be implemented in Saskatoon.

An agreement with USask must be completed in order for the project to commence. If they agree, construction will begin in February 2025, and it’s anticipated to be completed by October 2026, weather permitting. City Council will decide at the Wednesday meeting whether to proceed.

Increase in Taxi fares

Taxi fares could be going up in Saskatoon pending approval from city Council at Wednesday’s meeting. Increases to taxi fares are recommended every four years to ensure they stay congruent with hourly wages, vehicle maintenance charges and fuel costs. However, a fare review was conducted last year, one year early, due to high inflationary pressures on drivers.

This year, administration is recommending total taxi fares increase by 5 per cent. This can be done by decreasing the distance rate of $0.25 for each additional 117 metres to $0.25 for each additional 110 metres driven. They also recommend that Council increase the hourly taxi fares of $2.14, for each additional kilometre in excess of 16 kilometres, to $2.25.

With these changes, the average five kilometre ride would cost $16.00, up 75 cents from the current price.

Transit fares for children could be free

In August, Saskatoon City Administration decided to explore the possibility of eliminating Transit fares for children five to 13 years of age. At Wednesday’s meeting, administration is providing City Council with several options in regard to how to go about implementing the new policy.

Council has the choice of ruling that either children in Grade 8 and under ride free, or that children 13 years and under ride free. Administration recommends that the wording include the term Grade 8, as bus operators could be confident that students are in Grade 8 or younger when boarding the bus at or near an elementary school.

Verification options include allowing children in Grade 8 or under to self-verify, or, having them present a Child Pass before they’re allowed to ride for free. Administration recommends the former.

Speed limits

If approved by City Council at tomorrow’s meeting, speed limits on two Saskatoon roadways could be reduced.

Administration is recommending that the speed limit on Wiggins Avenue North from a point 50 metres south of Elliot Street to College Drive be reduced from 50 km/h to 30 km/h.

They also recommend that the speed limit on Dudley Street between Avenue P South and Spadina Crescent West be reduced from 50 km/h to 30 km/h.

The changes are suggested as both roads will eventually gain bike lanes. The painted cycling lane on Wiggins and the neighborhood bikeway on Dudley Street are both expected to be complete by September 30th, pending speed limit reductions from City Council.

Harry Bailey Aquatic Centre

Rehabilitation work and upgrades could resume at the Harry Bailey Aquatic Centre if Saskatoon City Council approves a budget increase of $5,950,000.  The facility was closed in 2023 for energy performance improvements as well as general maintenance.

After the initial tender came in at more than twice the available construction budget, the work was revised and re-tendered.

The latest tender results exceed the current capital budget by nearly $6 million, which administration encourages Council to allocate in order to deliver the project.

Change to how often green carts are picked up

Based on feedback provided by Saskatoon residents, Administration is recommending that City Council reduce the collection frequency of green carts to once every four weeks from December 1 to March 31. Currently, collections are bi-weekly.

In a report, Administration explained that set out rates of green carts during the winter months reduces considerably. Also, weather is typically below freezing which reduces odours and pests associated with organic waste sitting in a cart for up to four weeks.

If approved at tomorrow’s Council meeting, this option would require adjustments to staffing. The report recommends moving four operators from full-time positions to 8-month seasonal positions. This option is expected to provide savings of $162,000 annually or $0.17 per cart per month.

Complaint against a City Councillor

On December 11th of last year, Saskatoon’s Integrity Commissioner received a complaint about City Councilor David Kirton regarding a phone call he had with a member of his ward.

According to Angela Kruk, the complainant called Kirton to demand that Miyo-wahkotowin road be changed back to John. A Macdonald Road, a switch that was made last year.

After what began as a respectful conversation, the caller says Kirton yelled at him, swore at him several times, called him an idiot and ultimately hung up on him by slamming the phone down.

Kirton admits that the conversation did get heated but says swears or derogatory terms were not used. He adds that the call was made using Microsoft Teams, so the phone could not get slammed.

Kruk has ruled that Kirton has contravened the Code of Ethical Conduct, as he admits he did not treat the Complainant with sufficient respect as required by section 10, however, she recommends that no sanctions be imposed upon him. Council will make a decision on the matter at the Wednesday meeting.