Survey shows support for building new library at downtown location
Saskatoon Public Library officials are moving closer to making a case for a new downtown library.
On Wednesday, the library board will vote on hiring KPMG to develop a business case for a new central location to replace 52-year-old France Morrison Central Library.
The cost for developing the business case is $145,000 and, if the contract is approved, the money will come from a reserve fund for a new central library that has more than $13 million in it.
Library director Carol Cooley appeared before city council’s governance and priorities committee Monday to relate the results of public consultation on a possible new library.
“We’re encouraged by these findings,” Cooley told the committee.
Cooley said the library reached nearly 2,000 residents through various initiatives, including an online survey. The survey suggested 67 of respondents backed a new downtown library, while 10 per cent were opposed and 23 per cent were unsure.
A number of locations are being considered, as well as renovating the existing site, Cooley said. A 2016 estimate pegged the cost of a new downtown library between $80 million and $120 million.
MODEL MAINTAINED
City council rejected Monday a proposed new approach to running the Remai Modern art gallery.
The governance and priorities committee endorsed the existing model for running Remai Modern, Sasktel Centre and TCU Place as city-controlled non-profit corporations run by boards.
The Remai Modern board had suggested a change to a 15-member board with just one representative from city council. The current gallery board has 14 members with two city councillors.
The gallery board, which is now chaired by Scott Verity, has also asked for an expansion to 16 members and to allow up to four members who do not live in Saskatoon.
“Board members are completely stretched and the to-do list keeps growing every meeting,” board member Fativa Coovadia said.
Councillors suggested the board was too involved in operating the gallery and questioned the need for more board members to help with fundraising.
The committee heard four of the gallery’s 43 full-time employees are devoted to fund development.
“You’ve got a lot of folks doing local fundraising,” Coun. Bev Dubois said.
The committee voted to study the workload of gallery board members. The boards of Sasktel Centre and TCU Place sought to maintain the current board models.
NAME CHANGE
Saskatoon’s mayor will no longer make the final decision on assigning names to streets, parks or other infrastructure.
City council’s governance and priorities committee voted Monday to move naming responsibility to a committee made up of the mayor, city councillors and members of the community.
The new civic naming committee would eliminate an unusual situation at Saskatoon city hall where the mayor retained the right to assign names.
City council still had final approval.
Mayor Charlie Clark tried to convince council four years ago to move the naming responsibility from the mayor to a committee when Clark was still a councillor. That effort failed in a tied vote.
Council also voted to keep appointing councillors to advisory committees as part of a revamp of the advisory committee system.
“I don’t think there’s a need for us to be there,” Coun. Randy Donauer argued.
Several councillors pointed out the point of advisory committees is to solicit independent advice, while others said advisory committee members appreciate the presence of a council member.
Council voted 6-4 against a city administration proposal to refrain from appointing councillors to advisory committees. Then council voted to only appoint councillors to advisory committees in a non-voting capacity.
CONFLICT CONCERNS Saskatoon city hall will try to achieve both independence and the appearance of independence in the management of the 2020 municipal election.
Council’s governance and priorities committee voted to keep the returning officer “in house,” likely in the city clerk’s office, but to strive to ensure independence from council.
Council was considering some recommendations from the municipal review commission on keeping the returning office independent from city hall.
“The independence in action is critical and the independence in perception is equally critical,” Coun. Hilary Gough said.
The city clerk is an employee who is hired directly by city council and the clerk’s office is part of city hall. This arrangement prompted the commission to recommend independence for the returning office to allay possible concerns about favouritism toward incumbent council members.
Commission chair Paul Jaspar said the independence of the officer is more important than that of the returning officer. It does not preclude the appointment of someone from the city clerk’s office, Jaspar said.
“We don’t see a conflict,” Jaspar said.
“We just don’t want a perceived conflict.”
The commission proposed the returning office be located away from city hall, if possible.