We Get Press Clippings: Verb News
Apr 5th
Last week I gave an interview to Verb News, a local independent newspaper found throughout Saskatoon, regarding the recycling consultation plan coming before City Council next week. Strange enough, it was the second interview of the week, as earlier I chatted with Planet S regarding River Landing/Lake Placid. Both interviews were generated by this blog, suggesting that at least two people who are not my wife are know to read this rag!
The article is as follows, and I will clarify some of the content below:
To clarify a few of the quotes and information I conveyed to the Verb News reporter:
- After the interview I did a quick check of both Calgary and Edmonton’s recycling websites, both cities indeed have kept their recycling depots in operation after moving to city-wide curbside recycling programs.
- The City of Hamilton (Ontario) has set a goal of 60% diversion of residential waste; however, they are currently sitting between 40 to 50% diversion.
Eco-Pass Plan For City of Saskatoon Employees, A First Step
Mar 31st
The Administration & Finance (A&F) Committee received an administration report on Monday recommending the implementation of an Eco-Pass program for City employees. The Eco-Pass is a discounted bus pass offered to all employees. Saskatoon Transit offers up a set discount and the employer (in this case the City) matches that discount. In return, the participating employee signs an agreement to take part in the program for a specified time period. The cost of the discounted pass is paid (usually) by the employee through a monthly pay-roll deduction.
In the case of the City Eco-Pass, Saskatoon Transit will offer a 20% discount on a yearly pass (12 months), 10% on a seasonal (6 month) pass and 5% on a monthly pass, which will be matched by the employer.
Through a survey of all City employees it is estimated that sales of bus passes would increase by 48%, with an expected revenue increase of approximately $16,000 for Saskatoon Transit, resulting from a doubling in the number of employees using Saskatoon Transit.
This Eco-Pass would be the first of it’s kind in Saskatoon; however, the short and long-term plan is for Saskatoon Transit to enter into Eco-Pass agreements with a number of local businesses using the More >
Curbside Recycling Debate, the Mayor, and Shifting Arguments
Mar 29th
Mayor Atchison’s opposition to any improvement in Saskatoon’s recycling program has been well documented (as he seems to be the only voice on City Council getting any print over the past many months), and I have highlighted it here on several occasions (here and here).
In an SP article on Saturday, which details the proposed recycling public consultation plan being presented to the Executive Committee today (my outline here), the Mayor appears to be changing his tune back to an argument we heard during the October 2009 Civic Elections – one of cost, but with a twist:
[...]
Mayor Don Atchison, who has warned against curbside in the past, said Friday he welcomes the consultations but still believes the cost attached to moving to a mandatory curbside program is too high for the city’s poor. “Why wouldn’t we have the debate and figure out if people want to pay another $180 per year on their property taxes?” he said. The city’s current model works well to reduce the load on the landfill in tandem with other recycling and waste programs, he said. The city shouldn’t be set on settling on one option in the end and should explore a mix of the alternatives outlined More >
South Circle Drive Bridge – In Pictures
Mar 29th
Further to my post on Friday regarding the South Circle Drive Bridge, here is an artists rendering of the bridge designed by the winning Graham Construction/Flatiron bid:
Figure 1. South Circle Drive Bridge east end, looking west
Figure 2. South Circle Drive Bridge east end, looking west
Figure 3. South Circle Drive Bridge west end
Figure 4. South Circle Drive Bridge pedestrian walkway
We Get Press Clippings: Star Phoenix
Apr 5th
Posted by Sean Shaw in City Planning
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I briefly cited this article last week; however, I wanted to post it in it’s entirety for your reading pleasure.
The following is the Star Phoenix article regarding the City Administration’s plan for recycling consultation this spring. I was interviewed for my reaction to the proposed plan with my Chair of the Saskatoon Environmental Advisory Committee hat on:
Download (PDF, 24.75KB)