A bylaw that would to introduce Saskatoon’s Home Energy Loan Program could be passed by City Council Monday afternoon.

The HELP program, if passed, will allow residents to apply for loans of $1,000 to $40,000 for energy efficient projects. In cases where a project will result in a 50 percent decrease in energy consumption a $60,000 loan may be permitted. Single family residential property owners will be able to apply for the loans that will be applied to their property taxes. Deferral terms can be five, ten or twenty years.

To enroll in the Program, a property owner must submit an application to the city, prior to installing environmental improvements.

The program would see city administration set aside $2.5 million towards borrowing for an expected 100 participants in a 2 year program. Planning for an additional 4 year $10 million program is ongoing.

During the February City Council meeting, councillors voted unanimously to draft the bylaw.

City Council will review improvements being recommended by administration today for traffic concerns in the Willows neighbourhood.

Public input from a meeting back in 2020 raised concerns of speeding, traffic short-cutting, and pedestrian safety. These concerns have led city administration to recommend short term upgrades to the neighbourhood like temporary traffic calming measures, new signage, pavement markings and speed display boards. Also recommended are medium term upgrades over the next three to five years like permanent traffic calming devices, which are measures used to slow traffic like pedestrian crossings or even speed bumps. Finally, long term solutions over the next five plus years for pedestrian ramps and sidewalks.

If approved upgrades would total $1,569,000, a price tag city administration says has sufficient funding within the Neighbourhood Traffic Management to begin work this year.