Urban Update: October 22, 2018

October 22, 2018

Municipal Cannabis Resources

The Cannabis Act came into effect on October 17.

Don't forget about these great municipal resources on cannabis legalization!

Municipal Guide to Cannabis Legalization

Provincial Cannabis Guide for Municipalities

Six Cannabis Considerations for Municipalities

Keeping Your Workplace Policies Up-to-Date

Are your drug and alcohol workplace policies up-to-date? Wondering what other municipalities are doing? There are a lot of free resources available to help.

The Government of Saskatchewan's Cannabis and the Workplace sets out key considerations and employer and employee duties. This includes a link to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety guide entitled " Workplace Strategies: Risks of Impairment from Cannabis ."

A great reference is the City of Estevan " Reasonable Suspicion Polic y " and this Estevan Mercury story provides a general summary.

Another reference from the construction industry is the Construction Opportunities Development Council Inc Alcohol and Drug Policy and Procedures .

Have questions? Contact Steven Dribnenki , SUMA Policy and Legal Advisor.

Saskatchewan has already endured many costly climate-related events and is expected to experience more extreme weather. The effects of extreme weather have the potential to exceed municipal, provincial, and federal standards and building codes. Join SUMA and Associated Engineering on October 30 at 10:00 a.m. for the webinar Building Resilience to Climate Change to learn the importance of assessing the effects extreme weather could have on your hometown infrastructure projects. See the event listing on our website for more information and to register.

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Meet the Mentors of the Municipal Peer Network

Aileen Garrett - CAO

Town of Unity

Aileen Garrett brings 19 years of experience to the Saskatchewan Municipal Peer Network. She is looking to support less experienced members, sharing her knowledge and helping find solutions to common issues.

Bryan Matheson - Mayor

Town of Lumsden

Bryan Matheson has served the community of Lumsden for 13 years, eight years as mayor and five years as a councillor. He views the peer mentor program as an opportunity to work with and learn from fellow municipal government representatives.

Meet all the mentors at: www.saskpeernetwork.org/mentors.

Don't Miss Out on MLDP

Are you interested in taking the Municipal Leaders' Roles and Responsibilities (MLRR) module of the Municipal Leadership Development Program (MLDP), the module typically only offered after a municipal election? Register now for an afternoon of capacity building! Municipal leaders and staff are invited to attend a session to learn about municipal governance roles and responsibilities and workplace harassment from various presenters on November 13. Check out the agenda here. Register by emailing Amy Roettger. As this is a module of the MLDP, attendees will receive a certificate in the mail following the convention.

And don't miss out on these sessions designed specifically for Saskatchewan's municipal leaders. Learn about strategic planning, media relations, and more with the MLDP.

Session schedule:

Human Resources in the Municipal Workplace

November 19, 2018: Melville

November 21, 2018: Canwood

Strategic and Financial Planning for Municipalities

November 19, 2018: Ituna

November 21, 2018: Marsden

Community and Land Use Planning

November 19, 2018: Wolseley

November 20, 2018: Humboldt

Public Relations and Communications for Municipalities

November 20, 2018: Strasbourg

December 5, 2018: Battleford

Municipal Economic Development Fundamentals

December 4, 2018: Borden

December 6, 2018: Shaunavon

Registration closes November 2.

Postal Service Disruption

Canada Post rotating strikes are beginning in Victoria, Edmonton, Windsor, and Halifax. If service is disrupted in Saskatchewan, SUMA is prepared so we can still provide services to members.

With a postal service disruption, we encourage you to send any items you can by fax or email. And watch the news section of our website for all of SUMA's processes through a disruption.

Convention 2019: Registration Opens Next Month

We will be kicking off registration for Convention 2019, Hometown Advantage, on Monday, November 5. Watch your municipality's main contact email that day for an invitation to register. The email will include a link to register and the convention brochure. It is important to designate one person in your municipality, such as the administrator or CAO, to register all the delegates in your municipality.

The early bird deadline is Tuesday, December 18, so be ready to register before prices go up.

Capacity Building: 2018 Regional Planning Forum

Municipalities can face a range of challenges. These include community infrastructure needs, access to professional resources, and community growth and decline.

Gather for the two-day Regional Planning Forum December 11 and 12 to share stories, best practices, and information. This forum is perfect for chairpersons and members of district planning commissions, elected officials, administrators, planners, and agencies working on regional projects.

Email Margaret Folk by November 30 to register.

Capacity Building: Asset Management Training

The Asset Management Saskatchewan free Webinar series has kicked off, but there’s still time to sign up for the next round of webinars and upcoming workshops.

The goal of this series is to build awareness and provide basic technical assistance for small urban and rural municipalities in Saskatchewan.

The first round of the three part Webinar Series begins today, but there's still time to sign up for the next two webinar dates Risk Management Development and Asset Register Development and the Long Term Financial Plan or sign up for the next round running December 4,6 and 12 .

Workshops focusing on the full asset management process are happening this November in Regina , Saskatoon , and Prince Albert . Space is limited, so register now!

Proposed Change for Special Occasion Liquor Permits

The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) is proposing a change to Special Occasion Liquor Permit requirements.

In an effort to improve customer service, the SLGA is proposing to no longer require a Special Occasion Liquor Permit applicant to provide approval from the municipality when they are looking to hold an event in a municipally-owned indoor facility.

Currently an applicant applying for a Special Occasion Liquor permit needs to provide written approval from the municipality.

The SLGA would continue to require written municipal approval for all outdoor events.

If you have concerns about this policy change, please contact the SLGA .