It's the busiest time of the year over at City Hall. Read on to catch up on big files and two upcoming meetings, most importantly, budget deliberations November 25th-27th.

Ward 2 updates: 

- The results of the Residential Parking Permit study are ready and there is an Open House on the 25th. Details here.

- Thanks to all who attended the first meeting of the Neighbourhood Traffic Review (NTR) for Holiday Park and King George. Input on trouble spots or concerns is still being collected on facebook and online. Details here.

- Some items on Council's Monday meeting agenda that may be of interest are: bike bylaw amendment proposal, overnight parking in BID areas, appointments to Civic boards/committees/commissions, and consideration of expanding levy exemptions to encourage infill in established neighbourhoods. A full listing is below. Full agenda here.

Budget 2020/2021: 

The full draft budget document for 2020/2021 is published and available, but more accessible summary documents will also provide some context for the decisions Council will make at the end of the month. You can find them all online here.

In brief, The Operating budget for 2020 is proposed to be 530 Million which is an increase of 3.84% higher than this year's. The bulk of the increase is to maintain existing service levels - paying for the cost of a growing City and rising costs of doing business. There is proposed to be a further 3.47% increase to the operating budget in 2021 for a total of 548.3 Million.

Property tax impacts are expected to be approximately 3.23% in 2020 and 3.54% in 2021. Substantial work has been undertaken to achieve efficiencies and minimize these increases, resulting in the lowest projected increases since 2009 which, for the average homeowner (assessed value of $371,000) is about $61 and $67 in 2020 and 2021 respectively.

A couple of additional pressures not included in the draft numbers are facing Council this year. First, is the need to begin phasing in increases to asset management for sidewalks, bridges, parks, and transit. Managing these assets means making repairs and improvements at optimal times to upkeep use, but also prevent degradation to the point of costly repair. Some options for phasing in needed funds are laid out and will be considered at Budget. The other pressure is the need for increased Police capacity, specifically in relation to the expected concentration of harm reduction services with a new safe consumption site. 

As always, I'm keen to hear from you and welcome any input you may have as we head into this important decision-making time.

City wide policy & updates: 

- Questions about Lead in City water infrastructure have been circulating. Visit saskatoon.ca/lead to learn about where there's likely to be lead, how to manage it if you have lead connections and our comprehensive plans to replace all lead water pipes (private and public) by the end of 2026.

- As you've likely heard, the Saskatoon Public Library's ask for borrowing to the City in support of their planned New Central Library will be a prominent part of this year's budget deliberations. I've written a blog post about some of my key considerations for City Council with respect to this project. You can also check out SPL's dedicated project page. I welcome your feedback about the decision and project.

Consultations/Workshops to participate in:

- Kinsmen Park Parking Strategy and Transportation Study Public Open House is taking place on the 18th. Details here.

- There is a Green Strategy Come and Go Event on the 21st. Details here.

- The results of the Residential Parking Permit study are ready and there is an Open House on the 25th. Details here.

- Input on trouble spots or concerns is still being collected online for the King George/Holiday Park Neighbourhood Traffic Review. Details here.

- The Province is hosting two community open houses on the Saskatoon Freeway project Nov 26th and 27th. Details here.

Did you know...

- Winter landfill hours are now in effect. Full details at: Saskatoon.ca/landfill

- Want to know what to expect after the next snow event? Check out the snow clearing level of service timeline.

Community Notes

- Saskatoon's Heritage Awards recognize excellence in heritage restoration, adaptive reuse and more. Applications are now being accepted - deadline Nov 15.

City Council

City Council meets Monday (November 18th) at City Hall in City Council chambers. As always, Council meetings are open to the public. Brief highlights are outlined below. For full agenda, visit https://www.saskatoon.ca/city-hall/city-council-boards-committees/council/minutes-and-agendas

Regular Business Meeting  |  1:00 PM
  - Fee changes - Commercial Building Permits
  - Fee changes - Development Review Program
  - Parks & Rec and Community Centre Levy rates for 2019
  - Prairieland park - concept plan amendment
  - Francophone/phile Cities Network membership
  - Prepaid servicing rates - 2019/2020
  - Special events - civic services
  - Infill development - expanding levy exemption boundary
  - Tax abatement - Axiom Industries
  - Land acquisition - NE - future development
  - Net Metering - small power producer program
  - Snow Clearing - cycling infrastructure & sidewalks
  - Chief Mistiwasis Bridge - traffic assessment
  - Overnight parking in BIDs
  - 2020 Appointments - Boards/Commissions/Committees
  - Council Strategic Priority policy
  - Time limit for debate in committees
  - Governance Review of Controlled Corporations
  - Bike Bylaw Update - proposed revisions
  - Engagements - allowable expenses
  - MOU with UofS - research connections update

Public Hearing Meeting  |  6:00 PM
NONE REQUIRED

Budget meetings | Nov 25-27 | 1:00 PM 
The agenda for this meeting will be released here on Nov. 20th : https://www.saskatoon.ca/city-hall/city-council-boards-committees/council/minutes-and-agendas

As above, the draft budget document, and summaries, are available here: saskatoon.ca/budget

If you'd like to speak to Council as a whole about something on the agenda (for the meeting on the 18th or for budget meetings), please get in touch with the Clerk's office or fill out the form at the link before 10 am the day of the meeting. https://www.saskatoon.ca/write-letter-councilcommittees