Saskatoon Minute: Issue 71

Saskatoon Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Saskatoon politics

📅 This Week In Saskatoon: 📅

• The Standing Policy Committee on Environment, Utilities and Corporate Services will meet on Tuesday at 9:30 am. The agenda includes a review of the City’s two-year pilot for Community Electric Vehicle Charging Stations. The pilot, launched in 2023 at Lawson and Lakewood Civic Centres, offered free charging to encourage EV adoption.  The report presents five options for the program’s future, ranging from discontinuing service to full cost recovery through user fees. The recommended option is to continue the service with a $3 per hour fee starting in 2026, which would recover over half the costs while maintaining accessibility. The pilot will remain free until the end of 2025 to allow for adjustments and public communication.
  
  
• The Standing Policy Committee on Transportation will meet on Tuesday at 2:00 pm. The Committee is exploring whether real-time data from parking pay stations can be used to identify motorists with unpaid parking tickets as part of its parking ticket collection strategy. The City currently uses several enforcement methods including booting vehicles, impounding, mailing reminders, vehicle liens, court judgments, and is developing a new payment portal with enhanced reporting features. Payment for parking is made via coin, credit card, or the ParkedIn app, with the app accounting for 50% of payments. However, the pay station system allows motorists to pay once and park in multiple zones, limiting its usefulness in identifying offenders quickly. Additionally, parking enforcement officers use handheld license plate recognition technology to track vehicles with unpaid fines, making pay station data redundant for this purpose. The City plans to provide further reporting on ticket collection success in the fourth quarter of 2025.
  
  
• On Wednesday, at 2:00 pm, the Standing Policy Committee on Finance will meet. The City is seeking Council approval to request an increase in its debt limit from $558 million to $973 million. The City says the increase is necessary to support major upcoming capital projects, including the Water Treatment Plant Expansion, with projected debt reaching $814 million by 2031. While current approved borrowing remains within the existing limit, future projects require greater borrowing capacity to proceed with design and procurement. Saskatoon currently holds a strong credit rating, and despite increased debt, this rating is expected to remain stable. The proposed higher debt limit provides flexibility for future priorities but does not mean automatic borrowing - all debt requires Council approval and repayment plans. If the increase is not approved, many capital projects will need reprioritization.
  
  
• Saskatoon Police Chief Cam McBride expressed concern about underreporting of crimes, especially property damage, which hampers effective policing. While non-violent crimes in Saskatoon have decreased, violent crimes, particularly common assaults like slaps or shoves, have risen. More serious violent crimes such as aggravated assaults and sexual assaults remain relatively stable. McBride emphasized the importance of community cooperation to help the police respond effectively and noted that Saskatoon is working toward expanding its police force to better address crime proactively. Although crime severity has decreased nationally, Saskatoon still ranks high on the Crime Severity Index, though recent trends suggest some improvement. McBride acknowledged challenges due to rapid city growth but believes the police are managing to stay ahead of crime trends. He urged residents to report crimes to support public safety efforts.
  
  
• Saskatoon plans to build a 60-unit supportive housing apartment combined with a warming and cooling centre, in partnership with the Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation. The facility, located near Saskatoon Police Headquarters, will provide addictions and mental health supports, aiming to help people transition out of homelessness. The warming and cooling centre can accommodate up to 125 people, with separate spaces for men and women. Construction is expected to begin in 2026, with the facility opening in 2027. The project received unanimous Council approval for $6.4 million in funding and there is a pending application for a five-year tax abatement from the provincial government. Although not planned as an overnight shelter, that option could be considered if additional funding becomes available. 

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

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