Public Education
Video Post: Saskatoon’s Bike Valet
Jul 5th
After a couple weeks of learning how to use my camera and editing software, I’m happy to present the first (of many I hope!) video blog post here at Municipal Matters.
In this installment we take a look at Bike Valets, with a focus on RoadMap Saskatoon’s service introduced to the city last fall.
I hope to improve on both my video taking and audio skills as I get better at the process.
I’d would greatly appreciate any feedback, and of course, any comments on the Bike Valet in general.
We Get Press Clippings: Recycling Consultation Flyer
Jun 25th
As reported here yesterday the City of Saskatoon will be delivering an informational flyer to City residents this weekend. In the meantime they have launched their “Let’s Talk Recycling and Composting!” website, which provides the leaflet and some additional information on the current recycling program in Saskatoon and on the four options being put before the public for their input. Included on the website is an online opinion survey that through a series of 10 pages asks respondents their views on recycling and on the four options.
The Star Phoenix picked up on the story yesterday afternoon and I had a short interview with their reporter on my initial thoughts of the informational flyer and the impact it will have on the recycling consultation set to get underway this weekend. Here is what I had to say in today’s article:
[...]
“The truth is borne out in this leaflet that the cost of recycling is not as high as was being discussed by city council,” said Sean Shaw, a geology researcher at the University of Saskatchewan who ran against Coun. Myles Heidt in Ward 4 last year. At the time Heidt opposed the adoption of curbside recycling, saying it would cost $20 to $30 More >
Recycling Consultation – Information Flyer Lacking in Detail
Jun 24th
This weekend the City of Saskatoon will finally begin the first phase of its much discussed, and much delayed, recycling consultation with City residents.
Residents have been waiting since November 2007 for the City to get on with the process of implementing a curbside program after the unanimous adoption of the Waste and Recycling Plan. In that plan, the options for recycling were narrowed down to either a co-mingled or a user-sort city-wide curbside recycling program.
While plans for the next phase of recycling have been ready to go out to the public since the Fall of 2008. However, the move to bring Saskatoon up-to-speed with every other Canadian city (except Regina) the implementation of the Waste and Recycling Plan was delayed and diverted into the secondary consultation process being rolled out this summer. Surprisingly, there was little opposition or discussion by City Council throughout this process.
The Recycling Consultation was originally slated to begin earlier this month with a series of public open houses (June 8 and June 9). Combined with the open houses was a series of informational leaflets and a media blitz to inform and educate residents on the proposed options. However, these were delayed and then canceled after City More >
Altering Car Culture Not Easy – But Necessary
Jun 10th
Earlier this week a report was submitted to the P&O Committee of City Council and will appear at the regular City Council Meeting on Monday (June 14). The basis of the report was to present a $60,000 study conducted on the current state of Saskatoon’s transportation system and recommendations on how to improve it over the coming years and decades.
As Gerry Klein points out, the one portion of the recommendations that received some ink was the suggestion that parking rates downtown be raised, the Star Phoenix article can be found here and some good discussion can be weeded out amongst the comment section of a local blog here.
What has been lost in the higher parking rate recommendation is it’s intent. Coincidentally, what I believe the intent was is nicely summed up in a short video that I posted here on Friday.
The argument goes, increased parking rates lead to a higher turnover in cars (longer stays cost $$$, an incentive to not stay long), which increases the absolute number of people accessing the area and decreases traffic because there are less people driving around looking for a parking spot. Given that argument, raising parking rates in the downtown core (between 23rd and More >
News And Notes: August Edition
Aug 24th
Posted by Sean Shaw in City Council
1 comment
It appears that my new job has nearly zapped my ability to keep this blog upto-date over the past weeks. In my defense it has been a relatively slow summer. So, I figured now would be a good time to dump a few municipal tidbits on whatever readers I have left:
1. Possible Municipal By-Election:
Ward 5 Councillor, and Sask Party Candidate for Saskatoon-Northwest, could possibly find himself contesting a Provincial By-election this fall. Word has it that the Sask Party would very much like to see current Saskatoon-Northwest MLA Serge LeClerc vacant his seat as early as this Fall. Such a series of events may be a long shot, as the recently turned Independent MLA has been granted a medical leave of absence from his elected duties, boarded up his offices, and is residing in Ontario, seemingly content to draw on his MLA salary until the General Election in November 2011. However, should Mr. LeClerc be “convinced” to retire, Councillor Wyant stands a good chance of retaining the seat for the Sask Party in a by-election. Wyant has already indicated that he would resign his Council seat if elected to the Legislature. If this were to happen before October 2011, the More >