CANORA - The annual Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association convention is scheduled to be held in Saskatoon on April 13 to 16, with resolutions to be debated covering a wide range of topics.
All Town of Canora council members are planning to attend.
Just about every resolution affects Canora and area in one way or another, but Michael Mykytyshyn, Town of Canora chief administrative officer, said there are three that could be the most interesting or relevant for Canora.
The first is regarding financial assistance for dealing with dilapidated, rundown buildings.
“Canora council, like many others, has focused on bylaw enforcement, nuisance properties and the amenity and appearance of the community in recent years,” said Mykytyshyn. “Complaints regarding nuisance properties and dilapidated buildings are commonly received at the office.”
He added that what makes the situation especially challenging is that resources for enforcement of building conditions or appearances are very limited and the actual inspection and declaration process is very costly and time-consuming.
“That is just the inspection and notification aspect, it does not take into consideration the remedy/solution or demolition, if required. As a result, efforts and results around dilapidated buildings are limited. And, once a building reaches the point of severe disrepair, it usually ends up seized by the Town for unpaid taxes. Then the municipality is faced with the demolition costs, which are huge. Canora probably averages one or two of these situations every year.”
The second resolution dealing with PST, which now applies to infrastructure construction.
“Bigger construction projects used to be PST exempt for municipalities,” said Mykytyshyn. “As an example, Canora council is considering a $700,000 paving project this year. PST on that work would be an extra $42,000. There is not much more explanation needed.”
The third resolution probably of most interest to Canora and area looks at sustainable funding.
“The biggest challenge for council and municipalities is asset renewal,” said Mykytyshyn.
“Most people don’t realize that the dramatic increase in infrastructure costs over the past few years has made maintenance and replacement of many municipal assets very difficult, if not impossible. At a time when the demands of the public and legislative/environmental requirements for municipalities are greater than ever before, the reality is that many of the basic services provided, for example, paved streets or building replacements, are falling further behind due to a lack of funding.
“In the next few years, paying for things to simply remain the way they are now would require property tax levels that are unreasonable to many. At some point, something will have to change.”
Mykytyshyn maintains that “if higher levels of government cannot commit to consistent funding for infrastructure, municipalities will have no choice but to look at reductions in service levels.”
Other resolutions to be debated include:
- Funding for Dutch Elm Disease;
- Additional funding for paratransit vehicles;
- Legislative changes to allow municipalities to conduct their own annual tax sale;
- Emergency shelter and low-barrier supportive housing funding;
- Sustainable urban development;
- Additional funding for police officers;
- Funding for mental health and social services;
- Funding for open-air skating rinks;
- Funding for care homes in small urban and remote municipalities;
- Re-establish Regional Economic Development Authorities and support Economic Development Officers in Saskatchewan;
- Limiting tax exemptions for municipal properties;
- Voting ability for non-resident business owners;
- Appointment of qualified building officials;
- Expanding and sustaining home supports for seniors;
- Climate change adaptation support for municipalities;
- Enhancing waste diversion and municipal funding; and
- Sustainable Infrastructure Funding for Municipalities.
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