December 6, 2017

Notes From the December Board Meeting
The morning opened with the final Convention Planning Committee meeting before Convention 2018. 

They saw an updated agenda, and you can too: the new version now is available on the Convention 2018 page of the SUMA website.
 
The 2018 Municipal Marketplace Tradeshow sold out again. There will be almost 40 new exhibitors for delegates to visit.
 
Details on the Welcome Reception in the AGT Lounge at the new Mosaic Stadium are coming together, and it is shaping up to be a wonderful event. Watch the  Agenda and Events page and Urban Update for more details on this event as they are available.

As usual, the Board had a full agenda, with several highlights. 

Convention 2018 was also on the docket for the full Board, as we reviewed and approved 23 resolutions: 20 from members, and three from the SUMA Board of Directors. Watch for the resolutions to arrive along with the Annual General Meeting package, later this month.

I will be available to meet with members at Convention to discuss council governance or SUMA issues. I have time on Sunday, February 4 from 3:00-5:30 p.m. and you can email Heather Vanderaa to book one of the five available slots. 
 
The Board approved a long-awaited final report from Dillon Consulting that summarizes their research into the rates paid to municipal fire departments for attending motor vehicle collisions. More details on this report and how we will use it in our advocacy work are included later in this report.

We also approved the SUMA Truth and Reconciliation Policy to help urban municipalities begin a process of engaging First Nations and Metis and respond to the Truth and  Reconciliation Commission calls to action. The policy reflects member activity, SUMA research and engagement, and resources available to municipalities.
 
The Board approved a response to the provincial government's consultation on creating a household hazardous waste stewardship program. The response welcomes moving forward on this long-standing priority for SUMA members, and calls on the province to engage with urban municipalities in continued consultation, particularly on collection.
 
Consultations continue on municipal elections legislation. The Board approved a response to the province asking for the next municipal election date to remain October 28, 2020, clarification of candidate eligibility, and response to member comments and concerns raised in the municipal election survey.  
 
We also strengthened consultation engagement
by endorsing the Legal and Legislative Affairs Working Group, approved feedback to the Ministry of Environment on the Solid Waste Advisory Team, and advocating the province to engage in consultation on municipal information and privacy legislation. 

The SUMA Board of Directors will next meet before, during and after Convention 2018; our next full meeting is scheduled for March 23, 2018.
Register for Smart Cities Challenge Event
Don't let the name fool you: The Canadian Smart Cities Challenge is for all SUMA members, and our friends at the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities are hosting an information session on December 11. You can participate in person or by teleconference, so make sure you register now to get one of the limited spots still available. 
Motor Vehicle Collision Rate Research
For the past year, SUMA has been working with Dillon Consulting, and in consultation with SARM, the Saskatchewan Association of Fire Chiefs, and the Saskatchewan Volunteer Fire Fighters Association, to research the actual costs for fire departments to respond to motor vehicle collisions on provincial highways

This research will form the core of an advocacy campaign aimed at having SGI raise productive calls rates to $1,200 per hour and limit the use of the non-productive call classification to situations in which fire departments are dispatched and returned to base without providing any services.

We are pleased to provide members with a copy of the report, and of the original business case we presented to SGI in June 2015. SGI's response to that business case, noting that they felt there was insufficient data to prove that fire departments were receiving insufficient compensation, led to SUMA undertaking this research project.

SUMA has provided the report to SGI officials, asking that we receive a response before Convention 2018 begins. As always, we will keep members up to date on the results of this advocacy work, whether in Urban Update or at Convention 2018.
Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA)
  
200-2222 13th Ave.
Regina, SK
S4P 3M7
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