Whitehorse awards contract for wildfire strategy
TransNorthern Consulting will be responsible for drafting a wildfire risk reduction strategy after Whitehorse city council voted to award the $69,200 contract to the company.
The document will establish funding requirements to manage wildfire risk, inform planning, look at engaging with property owners and residents to understand how to reduce the risk of fire on private property, and explore ways to leverage funds to reduce wildfire risk. An implementation plan will also be established.
The 20-year strategy is being done after the city received funding from the federal governments’ Climate Change Preparedness in the North Fund.
It’s expected the strategy will be complete in March 2020.
Lower speed limits for some city streets
Whitehorse city council passed the final reading on changes to the traffic bylaw which will lower the speed limits for Tamarack Drive, Teak Avenue and Juniper Drive to 40 km/h from 50 km/h.
The change was brought forward after Tamarack residents asked for traffic-calming measures. City staff made their own observations and collected data in the area (all three streets are close together and off of Hickory Drive) before bringing forward the speed reduction.
Along with the changes for those streets is another outlining the 30 km/h speed limit for all roads in Takhini North to match the posted signs in the neighbourhood.
Whitehorse council set to travel
Whitehorse council members will meet with their municipal counterparts throughout the territory and from across the country over the next couple of months.
Council approved travel and stipend expenses for members attending the annual Association of Yukon Communities conference in Haines Junction and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference in Quebec.
The AYC conference is scheduled for May 9 to 12 and the FCM conference will happen May 30 to June 2.
Travel and daily stipends were approved specifically for councilors Jan Stick, Steve Roddick, Dan Boyd and Laura Cabott to attend the AYC event. Coun. Jocelyn Curteanu is planning to be there, but also serves as an AYC board member with her travel covered by that organization.
Boyd, Cabott, Roddick and Curteanu will attend the FCM conference.
Stipend amounts for council are $100 for events between one and four hours and $150 per day for longer events. They are for councillors representing the city at a business function or event, attending non-regular meetings related to the city or taking part in training related to the city.
