Moose Jaw City Council will be discussing discontinuing the printing and mailing of property tax prepayment notices during tonight’s meeting. 

Currently, city administration mails out notices reminding residents of the annual discount period between Jan. 1 and March 31 each year. The discount period gives residents a one per cent discount on the municipal portion of any property tax when it is paid during this period. 

If passed, the paper notices would be discontinued starting next month, and a communications campaign would be done instead through social media, the city’s website and other methods to get the word out. 

It’s estimated that discontinuing the paper notices would save the city over $9,000 and reduce paper usage. 

Also on the agenda are two recommendations from the Public Art Committee. 

The first is a proposed installation of a Red River Cart at Tourism Moose Jaw by the New Southern Plains Metis Local 160. The project is expected to cost over $15,000 which would be funded by the New Southern Plains Metis. 

If passed, the exact location would be determined by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department in consultation with Tourism Moose Jaw. 

The Public Art Committee also received a request from the Downtown Moose Jaw Association for a seven-foot-tall Ukrainian sunflower sculpture. 

The committee will be recommending that city council approve the sculpture pending a review of the location and that the costs be funded by the Downtown Moose Jaw Association. 

Finally, Coun. Kim Robinson is expected to bring forward a motion for an exemption for hawks and falcons under Bylaw 5432, Keeping of Prohibited Animals. The motion would allow hawks and falcons for the purpose of falconry as long as the bird is registered with a provincial, national or international association. 

There was some controversy at the last city council meeting when Robinson gave notice of the motion. Coun. Dawn Luhning called for a point of order as a similar motion was defeated on Oct. 10 when a falconer was denied an exemption by city council. 

Under section 28 of the procedures bylaw for motion reconsideration, new information must be presented, and notice must be given 24 hours after the motion was given in order for it to be reconsidered. 

City solicitor Andrew Svenson told city council on Oct. 24 that, in his view, the motion was different because Robinson’s motion, while similar, deals with an amendment to a bylaw and not an individual's request for an exemption. 

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