Saskatoon’s committee on Planning, Development and Community Services has agreed with Administration not to implement a Vacant Residential Property Registry.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Assistant Chief Yvonne Raymer with the Saskatoon Fire Department stated that other cities are implementing additional regulation of boarded buildings and vacant lots. She continued that Saskatoon has so far done a great job without a registry, as the fire department has restored 212 of the city’s 280 vacant buildings identified in 2020.

“Saskatoon Fire will continue to prioritize our vacant buildings as a priority one, to continue to focus on restoration of building stock and vacant/boarded buildings.”

The report she presented added that creating a registry would be unnecessary and costly. However, Administration did propose a bylaw amendment that would increase the penalties to repeat offenders who aren’t properly maintaining weeds and garbage on private property.

Right now, the first offence is $250, the second $500, and the third $750, but the amendment would raise the second offence to $1,000 and the third to $2,000. The recommendations were approved unanimously, but City Council will have to weigh in before they go ahead.