Transit, recreation, budget issues dominate 2nd CBC Radio Saskatoon mayoral debate

The verbal barbs were flying fast and furious as CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning hosted its second Saskatoon mayoral debate.

Candidates Don Atchison, Charlie Clark, Devon Hein and Kelley Moore were asked a wide variety of questionseverything from the state of Saskatoon's recreation facilities to what city hall decision they would change.

Host Leisha Grebinski asked the candidates several rounds of rapid-fire questions, as well as two rounds of open debate.

Here are some of the highlights.

Saskatoon Morning41:12Saskatoon Morning's second mayoral debate

The candidates join host Leisha Grebinski for Saskatoon Morning's second mayoral debate.

Transit trouble

Labour negotiations with Saskatoon Transit workers has been a serious issue in the city for years. Workers haven't had a collective agreement since 2012, and continue to fight against changes to their pension plan.

Don Atchison said it was important to get the issue dealt with, without caving in to the union's demands.

"We've done everything but get the pension plan dealt with," said Atchison. "Kelley Moore is right in bed with the union now, saying she'll give them anything they want. I'm sorry, but that's just not the way you do business."

Meanwhile, Moore said she wants to see the situation resolved in a transparent, fair manner.

"We have to value our transit employees," she said. "At least $1.6 million was wasted in an illegal lockout, as well as having to reimburse transit riders for that illegal lockout."

Candidate Devon Hein wanted to see an extremely speedy resolution to the issue.

"It needs to be resolved within 72 hours of the next council transitioning into power," he said. "That's got to be the instruction to the people negotiating this."

Regrets... I've had a few

Candidates were also asked to think back on previous council decisions, and to consider what changes they would make if they were given the opportunity.

Charlie Clark selected a familiar topicthe 2014 lockout of Saskatoon Transit workers. Clark said that council made a rushed decision to lockout the workers, brought on by winter weather.

"There was a lot of pressure with other unions to try and get resolution, that there could be a quicker resolution, and instead, it escalated the situation," he said. "It's the law of physics, any action equals a greater reaction. That was the lesson I got from that."

Meanwhile, Don Atchison said that the location of downtown bike lanes was the main thing he would change.

"Removing the bike lanes on 23rd Street and 4th Avenue," he said. "I would put them on 24th Street, I would put them on Spadina Crescent. Those are the places they need to be. What we have instead, we continue to talk about not wanting to have conflict, yet what we've got here is an actual conflict with pedestrians and cyclists."

Meanwhile, Kelley Moore believes the city's tax policy has needed to be changed for years.

"We had a chance to change that a long time ago," she said. "We have made a very expensive city. I want to see growth, but I want to see sustainable growth, and we really have handcuffed future generations with tax increases without seeing where we're getting value."

Urban Growth

Candidates were also asked to give a specific example of how the City of Saskatoon had managed growth properly, and where it didn't.

"One of the areas gotten right here is the future growth plan that was just recently released," said Moore. "It looks at a number of ways where we need to be growing inwards and upwards. The challenge has been, over the last 10years, we haven't put these policies in earlier. What we've allowed, we have enough land on the outskirts of Saskatoon to develop for 76,000 people."

Clark agreed, and said that more infill housing was the best approach.

"I've been working with citizens and leaders and council for 10years on making a new infill guidelines plan," he said. "When infill comes into neighbourhoods, it's designed to fit into the neighbourhoods and to not overwhelm surrounding neighbourhoods.Where the city has gone wrong is adding neighbourhoods on the outside with chokepoints that now require $50 million overpasses. I've been fighting against that kind of planning for 10years."

Meanwhile, Atchison said the city's growth plan has been very impressive.

"The city yards that we've been addressing already, I think is another wonderful area, moving the bus barns out of Caswell Hill is another wonderful thing for rejuvenation," he said. "I think we need to set a number for infill, and I believe that number needs to be anywhere from 10 to 15 per cent of the population needs to be living in the city centre area."

The municipal election will be held Oct. 26.