Top Issues Affecting Saskatoon Citizens
New items added regularly; please check back for additions.
Council's total lack of respect and consideration for the average Saskatoonian has caused major disruptions, massive tax increases, and redundancies as far as the eye can see. Council and Administration need a complete overhaul immediately, before they're able to cause any more damage.
Election Spending Limits
Election Spending Limits
Spending limits for election campaigns are wildly excessive in Saskatoon. Affluence equals influence in my view.
We need to level the field so all citizens have a reasonable chance to serve on Council. The latest spending limit for a Mayor campaign in Regina is just under $74,000 yet the latest spending limit for a Saskatoon Mayor Candidate is just under $278,000! While our population is slightly larger, this disparity is a real problem here.
I would push to lower our spending limits to a proportionate amount in lock step with Regina but prorated for our larger population. If Regina can elect a Mayor for under $74,000, then Saskatoon should easily be able to do the same for say $80,000 or so?
Election Term Limits
I believe in rigid term limits for Councillors and the Mayor. With changing times, we need dynamic leaders to step forward; ones not so vested in towing the line set by Administration, but rather people ready to challenge Administration on good policy options. Saskatoon should limit a Mayor to two terms and a City Councillor to two terms.
Montgomery Access 24/7
Focus on real solutions for 24-hour access in and out of Montgomery. This should include my now accepted concept of providing phased access south on Dundonald Avenue to Valley Road.
Rail Removal
Look at real options for rail and keep pushing to find a long-term solution. I have talked about unique solutions to rail within city boundaries including my latest efforts which describe something never considered before on this issue.
Project Expediter
Other locations around North America use a Project Expediter concept. This person is directly paid by the municipality and their purpose is to expedite the feedback needed for business to find suitable locations to invest into. They do not circumvent the local planning laws. Instead, financially substantial projects are assigned this person to be the single point of contact for all things municipality related.
If you have a question for any department, you simply ask this one person, and they will find the answer and respond to you. If the City responds directly back to the proposed business, this expediter is kept in the loop of all communications. They ensure timely answers are given and that things do not fall through the cracks during the process. They are also a good internal source of information to gauge how well the City departments are functioning.
Push to Call Washrooms
So much debate about washrooms. How to have access and how to track when people are committing damage. So many sites that can’t be monitored so instead we lock them or limit them from public use. We can’t afford to have two Commissionaires at each location, either. But there is another way. Push to call is a simple solution. Install video cameras on the outside of the washrooms, one watching all the doors, and one looking at a call station. After normal hours or when things need to be more restricted, one would have to walk up to the call station and push the button. Somewhere a Commissionaire will receive an alert and they can talk to you. Maybe you have an emergency? Maybe you just want to use the washroom. In any case, they can buzz a specific door and you have access – but only 15 minutes of access, after which time a miserable alarm will go off inside the space. If someone damages the washroom, there will be a video record of who last used it. And people can start to be held to account.
If they are not able to be accountable for their actions, then we will need to ensure they are not running free in society where they pose risk to other people. This method would have a couple Commissionaires driving through the range of washrooms on “rounds” to check their condition and deal with anything otherwise. The controller will be back in an office somewhere from which they can control all the outside public washrooms in the city from one location. You push to call when you enter an apartment. You generally have to ask for the key now to get access to washrooms in many businesses. This is not an exceptional idea or request. Its just a way to get back some control in this situation.
Lift Assist
Lift Assist is a significant cost to Saskatoon taxpayers and it is a huge drain on Saskatoon Fire Department resources. Currently, if someone falls in their home and they cannot stand up again, they call the Saskatoon Fire Department for assistance instead of Medavie for an ambulance.
This is because the Fire Department respond for free, and there is a charge for any ambulance call. I was told that last year, Saskatoon Fire responded to over 1,800 such calls. Some repeatedly to the same address and recipient. This roll out is with a large fire truck and a complete crew of highly trained firefighters.
I propose that we create a smaller two-person team on each side of the city. Each with some training and an SUV to drive in. Then on such calls, these SFD team members will deal with this need for a small fraction of cost of the previous call out system. Still provide the needed service, but do it in the leanest financial way possible.
Alternate Response Officers
The Police ARO (Alternate Response Officers) has not been a strong success in the public’s eyes except in the downtown core. These lightly trained officers are more of a useful recruiting effort for the Saskatoon Police Service than anything else. ARO’s do not carry firearms and instead they act more like public engagement and light duty security officers. Think more like a Commissionaire and less like a full SPS Police Officer. They only work days with no shift work. They constantly have to call real police officers to assist them in any aggravated situation.
After 5 years, they will make 80% of a full police officer’s salary, and that doesn’t sit well with me. Real officers have to risk their lives and to be prepared to use force of various scales to protect the public. That shift work combined with the personal risk and accountability means that they are on another level of entitlement for pay yet an ARO can make 80% of their salary for 10% of the actual risk, while only completing 30% of the basic workload. I would push to diminish the ARO program closer to that of a Commissionaire. I would also set a limit on the ARO employment to a maximum of 5 years.
If the candidate doesn’t develop into a regular officer in that timeframe, there is no way the Saskatoon taxpayers should keep paying to invest in them indefinitely. Otherwise move them into a street security team and pay them similar to Commissionaires. Overall, hire less ARO’s and more full officers for the SPS.
Retiring Police Service Dogs
Police Service Dogs give their working life to the City of Saskatoon. That effort and level of risk should be recognized. When the long-time handler of a Police Service Dog offers to provide a suitable retirement home for the canine at the end of service, we should say “thank you” with real gratitude instead of making this dog handler have to pay their own money further to get this entitlement.
Transit Safety
I’m very concerned with bus driver safety. We put up a plastic shield which really does little to properly protect drivers from physical attack, and then that little box further contains excessive heat on high temperature days when the air conditioning is out. That also is a real hazard. Further, I hear that Administration unrealistically places blame on drivers for out-of-control situations on their buses when they arise. Then, they force drivers to allow previously violent passengers back on the bus again in the future as “a right”.
Public transportation is not a free-for-all; there are basic rules and those that refuse to follow them can transport themselves outside of the bus!
Warrant Squad
The Myles Sanderson inquest recommended that the Saskatoon Police Service
consider establishing a dedicated team tasked with arresting individuals who are
subject to outstanding warrants for their arrest. This must be a priority.