A look at Whitehorse city council’s Sept. 27 meeting and city hall happenings.
Council approves first two readings of bylaw for urban electrification LIC
The City of Whitehorse took a step closer to assisting a Hidden Valley property owner with the cost of getting the property on the grid.
At Whitehorse city council’s Sept. 27 meeting, members passed the first two readings of a bylaw for a local improvement charge (LIC) under the urban electricification program at 7 Cranberry Place.
Under the program, which has been in place since 1998, the city assists with the cost of getting electricity to properties by financing the work, with the property owner required to pay back the cost through a local improvement charge added to property taxes over a number of years.
Coun. Samson Hartland noted the positives of the program ahead of the vote.
“It helps manage the cost and it helps bring people online,” he said.
Coun. Steve Roddick also asked for figures on how many property owners have used the program in recent years, with city staff stating they would get back to council at a future date with those figures.
Lower speed limit brings calmer traffic, says Stick
Whitehorse city councillor Jan Stick reflected on the city’s lower speed limit through the downtown at council’s Sept. 27 meeting.
Since the lower 40 kilometre/hour speed limit for the downtown came into effect in August, Stick said she has noticed traffic on downtown roads seems to be calmer.
The speed limit was lowered by 10 kilometres per hour (though the 30 km/hr speed limit through school zones remains in place), in an effort to make “roads safer and friendlier for all modes of transportation, including walking, cycling, transit, driving, commercial goods movement and emergency response,” as the city noted in an earlier press release.
Special ballot voting
Whitehorse electors can now vote by special ballot for the Oct. 21 municipal election.
“This year, any eligible voter can vote early by special ballot in the City of Whitehorse municipal election – no special restrictions apply,” it was noted in a statement on the city’s website.
The two options for voting by special ballot are to vote by mail or in-person.
To vote by mail, residents can apply online and return their special ballot by mail or drop it off at Whitehorse City Hall (this option includes leaving it in the drop box outside city hall) or a dropbox that’s been put in place outside the Canada Games Centre (CGC). The dropboxes are in place to ensure voters can submit their ballots without having to go inside a building. Special ballots sent through the mail or taken to city hall or the CGC must be received no later than 2 p.m. on Oct. 21 to be counted.
To vote at the in-person special ballot poll, electors can vote inside city hall between Sept. 29 and Oct. 21, Monday to Friday (excluding holidays) from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
For in-person special ballots, voters can register and vote right away or bring their ballot back later. Those accessing the elections office inside city hall are asked to enter through the building’s Steele Street entrance.
City commits to respectful workplace
The City of Whitehorse said in a Sept. 29 statement, it is committed to “creating and maintaining a respectful and harassment-free workplace for its employees and the public.”
Harrassment or violent conduct will not be tolerated.
City employees are protected by and accountable for the city’s Harassment and Respectful Workplace directive, and also protected under the Yukon Worker’s Compensation Health and Safety Board Occupational Health and Safety Act, it was noted.
“If a City of Whitehorse employee observes a fellow employee or member of the public exhibiting disrespectful or harassing conduct at their place of work, they have a responsibility to report it to their supervisor,” reads the statement.
“If a member of the public observes a city employee exhibiting disrespectful or harassing conduct in the execution of their duties, a report can be filed through the city’s “Contact Us” page.”
Contact Stephanie Waddell at stephanie.waddell@yukon-news.com
