The Warman Road off ramp to Circle Drive eastbound will be closed May 25 to June 13 for construction.  This is a major construction project, as they are tearing the road up and rebuilding it entirely.  Crews will be working 24 hours per day, 7 days per week (weather permitting) to get the job done as quickly as possible.

Traffic lights on Miller/Circle and Faithful/Circle are being altered, to allow more flow onto Circle Drive North from those streets.  However, there is only so much congestion that Circle Drive can take, and we do not expect this to look pretty.  Please plan other routes across the river.  Please plan in advance, leave lots of time to get to your destination, and travel during non rush hour periods whenever possible. 

As you know, I opposed mandatory curbside recycling. I do not believe in big government, and I think we already have enough legislation regulating our day to day lives.  Saskatoon already had a wide variety of recycling options available, including two companies who provided excellent curbside service for those who wanted it. Nevertheless, Council has approved a new program for single family dwellings and it will begin next year.  The program will be rolled out gradually, beginning in January 2013.  The cost is going to be $4-$5 per household per month, and it will be added as a new item on your utility bill once you start receiving service.

One of my major concerns is that we must protect Cosmopolitan Industries, where disadvantaged residents have been recycling paper for many years.  Cosmo provides a place for those less fortunate than us to feel included in our community, contribute, and have purpose and structure added to their day.  The paper program gives these people a job, and helps make each one of them a significant part of our community while providing a valuable service.  The City of Saskatoon is currently in the middle of a 10 year contract with Cosmo to supply them with recyclable paper.  To withdraw from our committment to Cosmo is not an option. 

Council has passed a resolution that Cosmo be our recycling service provider for multi-family units in Saskatoon (apartments and condos).  At present, this is agreeable to the Cosmo board of directors, so we will try to sign a contract with Cosmo as soon as possible.  This matter will be coming before Council on Monday, May 28.  The reports from Administration to Council are below.

Please see the penny graph below to see how your tax dollars are shared between civic services.  Click the pdf for a larger version of the graph. 

Graph how money is spent.pdf (5.92 mb)

The City of Saskatoon has implemented a Senior's Tax Deferral Program, to assist seniors in remaining in their homes.  Many times seniors are on a fixed income, so when property taxes rise, they have no way to work that into their budget.  Even though they have enough money to budget for their basic expenses each month, the annual rise in property taxes makes it difficult for them to make ends meet.  The new Senior's Property Tax Deferral Program enables low income seniors to defer the incremental portion of their property taxes to make it easier to remain in your home. 

Applications for the program may be obtained at City Hall, Leisure Centres, at Libraries, or by calling 975-2400.  Click this link for to see more information on the city's website.  Saskatoon is the first city in Saskatchewan to institute this program for seniors.  As a result, SUMA and the provincial government are looking at implementing it province-wide.

The Civic Administration has published a "Major Projects Report" for public information.  This report details all the major capital projects undertaken in the City of Saskatoon over the past several years, how much they cost, how much was contributed by other levels of government, what the City of Saskatoon portion was, and how much we had to borrow.  The City of Saskatoon leveraged $398.5 Million to obtain funding for $769.4 Million worth of projects.  All of this information has been publicly released at Council, but the Adminstration has now compiled it into one, easy to read publication.  Just try to imagine our city without these capital projects!  Please click the pdf below to read the report.

Major Projects Report.pdf (954.04 kb)