City to consult community on anti-idling rules

City hall will continue to talk to Saskatoon residents about a possible anti-idling bylaw after a city report on the subject was panned as negative.

City council’s environment, utilities and corporate services committee voted Monday to direct City of Saskatoon staff to consult with residents and stakeholders on a bylaw to prohibit unnecessary idling of vehicles.

The city report on the subject presented Monday suggested enforcing an anti-idling bylaw would be difficult and expensive.

“The overall flavour is negative,” resident Gary McCallum told the committee. “You need to look at the extent of the problem. You need to look at solutions to the problem.”

McCallum, who lives on Main Street, complained to the city in January 2016 about trucks idling behind the Grosvenor Park Shopping Centre on Eighth Street. Speaking to the committee on Monday, he said a bylaw would target “unnecessary vehicle idling.”

“What we have in place right now is a city policy that doesn’t work,” McCallum said.

Coun. Darren Hill said he agreed with McCallum on the negative tone of the report. Hill proposed further consultations.

The possibility of a bylaw was also referred to the city ’s environmental advisory committee.

In 2016, the Saskatchewan Environmental Society recommended an anti-idling bylaw that would limit vehicle idling to three minutes when the temperature is above 0 C.

Coun. Troy Davies voted against further consultation, citing concern about using up staff time and resources when the city faces budget challenges.

“In my mind, it’s not something we can effectively take care of or enforce,” Davies said.