Mark Your Calendar:
Fall 2016 SUMA Events
Mark your calendars and watch the SUMA events listing for details on the meetings as they become available.
2016 Regional Meetings
Municipal elections mean SUMA will hold regional meetings a bit later this year, but we're happy to share the dates and locations now! Municipal administration and elected officials are encouraged to join us as we talk about SUMA and elect the director for the seven southern regions. Elected officials must be sworn in by the date of the meeting if they want a chance to become your Regional Director on the SUMA Board of Directors.
Municipal Leaders' Roles and Responsibilities Workshops
While SUMA staff are touring the province for regional meetings, we will also offer two Municipal Leaders' Roles and Responsibilities (MLRR) workshops - formerly known as Newly Elected Workshops. This is one of the modules for the Municipal Leadership Development Program, developed exclusively for elected and appointed municipal leaders in Saskatchewan. New and returning elected council members, and municipal staff are encouraged to take in this valuable session.
| Region |
Date |
Location |
Current Director |
| Southeast |
Nov. 15 |
Carnduff |
Mike Strachan |
| East Central |
Nov. 16 |
Yorkton |
Randy Goulden |
| MLRR |
Nov 17 |
Lumsden |
SUMA |
| Central |
Nov. 18 |
Fort Qu'Appelle |
Ron Osika |
| Northeast |
Nov. 21 |
Melfort |
Glenn George |
| Northwest |
Nov. 22 |
Osler |
Ben Buhler |
| MLRR |
Nov. 23 |
Warman |
SUMA |
| West Central |
Nov. 24 |
Kindersley |
Al Heron |
| Southwest |
Nov. 25 |
Hodgeville |
Dale Domeij |
|
|
Supreme Court Sides with Telecoms in Cell Phone Tower Dispute
On June 16, the Supreme Court released its decision on
Rogers vs Châteauguay, limiting the ability of municipalities to intervene in site selection for wireless communications infrastructure, which it ruled as exclusive federal jurisdiction.
At issue was authorization that Rogers, a communication services provider, received from the federal Minister of Industry to install a cell phone tower at a specific property in the City of Châteauguay to fill in gaps in its wireless network.
Residents strongly opposed the location of the tower in public consultations, which ultimately led to the city issuing a notice of land reserve on the property, blocking the tower's construction. Rogers contested the notice of a reserve, arguing it was an unconstitutional override of the federal power over radio-communications.
While the Supreme Court decision limits the ability of municipalities to decide on the location of cell phone towers, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) noted in a
June 17 statement t
hat the consultation process for radio-communications infrastructure still requires extensive municipal input, although the final decision rests with the federal government. SUMA will continue working with municipal organizations, including FCM, and other orders of government to find ways to ensure municipal concerns about wireless communications infrastructure siting are heard.
|
|
New Horizons for Seniors Grant
The application period is now open for the
New Horizons for Seniors
community-based grants, which
provide up to $25,000 per organization, per year, in federal funding for projects led or inspired by seniors. These grants can help with capital projects, programming to address elder abuse, or increasing the involvement of seniors in programs and as community volunteers.
"This program is one of the most accessible sources of funding available to increase the meaningful participation of older adults in their community," says Holly Schick, Executive Director of
Saskatchewan Seniors Mechanism
, one of SUMA's partners. "I strongly encourage all urban leaders to discover what a difference this program could make in their municipality."
The application period for proposals will close on Friday, July 29, so sharpen your pencils!
|
|
Aquatic Invasive Species
collaborate on:
- planning watercraft inspection stations to maximize efforts on shared highway crossings; and,
- sharing resources to assist in a rapid response in the event of mussel detections.
SUMA welcomes the Province's acknowledgement of this issue, and will keep working with our partners and the Province on ensuring continued progress.
|
|
Community Safety Officer Program
Is your municipality looking to expand bylaw enforcement or supplement policing services in the community? The Community Safety Officer (CSO) program allows your municipality to do that, and has seen success in places such as the RM of Edenwold and the City of North Battleford. Municipalities can even partner with their neighbours to hire a CSO and share costs. Training will be available in the fall, but now is the time to get the ball rolling if your municipality is interested. The fact sheet and FAQs created by the Ministry of Justice have more information on the program and how you can get involved.
|
|
Apply to the Main Street SK Program
The Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport is accepting new communities into their
Main Street Saskatchewan Program. Join 15 other Saskatchewan municipalities currently participating in this downtown revitalization program, and become eligible to apply for some of the $336,000 in available grants this year.
Two communities will be selected from the current intake to participate as accredited members and receive the full package of program benefits and services. Affiliate membership level has no cap on the number of communities that will be accepted. Submit your
application package by
August 8, 2016.
|
|
Say Hello to Your FCM Reps
Earlier this month, four representatives from Saskatchewan urban municipalities were elected to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Board of Directors:
- Mayor Debra Button (Weyburn)
- Councillor Darren Hill (Saskatoon)
- Councillor Randy Goulden (Yorkton)
- Mayor Sheryl Spence (Warman)
President Button was also re-elected as the Provincial and Territorial Association representative to the FCM executive.
Congratulations to all four on their election!
|
|
|
|
NEW!
SaskTel Savings Plan
SUMA is pleased to announce exciting updates to our program with SaskTel effective July 1. Savings for long distance, high speed internet, and cellular service will remain...but wait, there's more!
SUMA members will now receive discounts on:
Watch your mailbox for more details in the coming days, but in the meantime you can contact
Lisa Rawlings
with any questions.
|
|
Sign Up Your Landfill for Electronics Recycling Pilot
Saskatchewan Electronics Recycling Association (EPRA) is looking for municipal landfills or transfer stations for a pilot project. If you have a staffed and secure landfill or transfer station, you have the minimum requirement to set up a depot. Other options are public works facilities or fire halls. To learn more about this opportunity, visit the EPRA's collectors page. You can also help your residents recycle their electronics by partnering with EPRA to host a collection event in your municipality.
|
Recycling of Milk Cartons and Jugs
On July 1 SARCAN ends its six-month phaseout for milk containers, and will no longer accept milk cartons and jugs at their depots.
Milk container recycling is covered by the Multi-Material Recycling Program (MMRP), operated by Multi-Material Stewardship Western (MMSW). If your community isn't already receiving funds for your residential recycling program, contact MMSW today.
|
Information Services Corporation (ISC) is changing some of the fees it charges for services, such as land title searches, survey plan changes, and personal property registrations. Some of the fees will go up, while others will go down, according to ISC's breakdown of 2016 fee changes. Changes take effect July 10.
|
Classifieds
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
Find the latest listings by visiting the
SUMA Classifieds
section of our website, under the Programs and Services tab.
|
|
Grants
Upcoming Deadlines
-
Government of Canada Federal Gas Tax Fund (all municipalities except cities submit financial statements by July 1)
-
-
For a full listing of grants, check the
Grants
section of our website under the Resources tab.
|
|
About Us
Thank you for reading the Urban Update this week. We welcome your comments.
SUMA
200 2222 13th Ave.
Regina, SK S4P 3M7
[email protected] www.suma.org |
|
|
