Council Meeting Highlights - August 30, 2021

Council highlights provide a snapshot of the progress made on City programs, initiatives and Council decision making.

August 30, 2021 highlights

• The Executive Director of SIGN (Society of the Involvement of Good Neighbours) presented to Council regarding what SIGN is doing in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians to help repair the harm caused by residential schools and move forward with reconciliation. The presentation drew attention to nine (9) Municipal-specific calls to action including language and culture, health, reconciliation, repudiation of European sovereignty, training for public servants missing children and burial information, national Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and sports reconciliation. City Council unanimously directed Administration to to provide a report detailing a framework of recommendations related to the nine (9) Municipal Calls to Action for Truth and Reconciliation and investigate the process for designation of the City of Yorkton as a ‘City of Reconciliation.’  A responsive report will come to Council at a future meeting.
  
  
• All property in the City of Yorkton is assigned a zoning district and in each zone, land uses can be permitted, prohibited, or discretionary. Any development proposal which falls under a discretionary category requires approval by City Council before development may occur. Council approved a Discretionary Use No 03-2021 for the ‘Expansion of Existing Auto & Minor Recreation Sales & Rentals Use on C-1 City Centre Commercial Zoning District’ for 86 Seventh Avenue South. A Public Hearing was held prior to the approval, however no feedback was garnered.
  
  
• Municipal Public Accounts for 2020 were approved by City Council. In Saskatchewan, the provincial government, cities and school boards are legislatively required to prepare and publish public accounts. Public accounts for SK cities are comprised of financial statements, plus detailed reporting  for expenditures above a defined threshold in the required categories: Council and employees’ pay, payments to individual recipients for goods, services, contracts or grants. Yorkton’s Municipal Public Accounts are available for inspection at City Hall or on the website. You may also purchase a paper copy for $10.00 at City Hall.
  
  
• A report regarding tax enforcement was considered by City Council. The report included a list of properties in tax arrears from previous years (mainly 2020) without an existing tax lien. Council authorized to proceed with publication of the list in the local newspaper. If payment is not received, the municipality will proceed to registering a tax lien on the title of the property.
  
  
• Councillor Chris Wyatt presented a Notice of Motion directing that the 2022 Budget be presented with no increases to the Operating budget and a 1% increase to the Capital budget. Council would go on to discuss a previous resolution from the April 26, 2021 Council Meeting supporting the development of a ‘Tax Plan’ which would see a combined 3% increase in taxes over the next three years, on the premise that additional dollars are put towards the Capital budget annually and the Operating increases are reduced as able. After some deliberation the proposed motion was withdrawn and an amended motion for a 0% operating increase and 3% capital increase was defeated. The original 3 year planned objective remains, however there is a strong sense that Council is wanting operating increases for 2022 to be as low as possible and ideally 0%.

For full Council meeting details, go to our Council Meeting Calendar to view the Agenda and Information Package.