Free Saturday parking extended until March 31 in Saskatoon

It won’t be just the month of December in which shoppers and others can take advantage of free parking.

At Thursday’s budget meeting, Saskatoon city council voted unanimously to approve free Saturday parking from Jan. 1 until March 31 as well.

It’s expected to cost more than $150,000, according to community services GM Lynne Lacroix.

“So if we go from (the) beginning of January to the end of March, then the amount in total would be $158,500,” she told council.

That will be covered off by the 2021 budget.

That doesn’t include any applicable streetscape contributions, said Lacroix.

“That would not account for a transfer to the streetscape reserve,” she explained. “So by policy, the amount transferred to the streetscape reserve is based on the actual revenues.”

Initially, a motion before councillors during operating budget deliberations had April 30 as the end date for free parking. However, that motion was defeated 6-5.

Lacroix told council it would have cost the city $215,900.

Later in the budget process, an amendment to that motion was brought forward, voted on and passed.

Mayor Charlie Clark thanked one of the councillors for bringing the motion back before the group and for the amendment.

“I appreciate Councillor (Randy) Donauer identifying this and coming up with a solution here, so that we can continue to provide some relief for the small businesses in our core areas and main street areas through these difficult winter months,” Clark said.

Free parking in the city will begin Dec. 12 and will be applicable only to specified parking time limits. Should shoppers or those using parking spaces exceed their time limits, they will be ticketed.

The free parking also does not apply to alleys or to no stopping or no parking zones.