YORKTON - Yorkton Council has been wrestling with the idea of setting an emergency response fee cap under the city’s Fire Prevention Bylaw for weeks now.
Monday at their regular meeting they almost got the amendment done, but after first and second readings passed three votes to two – Councillors Greg Litvanyi and Quinn Haider sat opposed -- they could not achieve unanimous consent to give the changes third reading.
In presenting to Council Monday Fire Chief Trevor Morrissey explained that in “September 2024 a Bylaw was unanimously passed to amend the Fire Bylaw to enable the City of Yorkton to charge firefighting fees for services provided.”
“In May 2025 an amendment to the Bylaw was presented to clarify that the firefighting fees would not be applicable to basic firefighting services and it would only be applied to additional resources such as additional units and additional firefighters. It was also proposed to place a maximum charge to residential properties at $5,000. This amendment was defeated on third reading with a tied vote 3-3,” detailed a report circulated to Council.
In a Committee of the Whole Meeting in August 2025 and Council Meeting in September 2025, Council raised concerns and recommended that administration prepare another report, said Morrissey.
On September 22, 2025 a motion was defeated to rescind the current firefighting fees.
“At that same meeting Council directed Administration to prepare a Bylaw to amend the Firefighting Bylaw Emergency Response fee structure to put a maximum charge on firefighting cost recovery at $5,000 for residential and $50,000 for Commercial properties,” said Morrissey.
Morrissey said work was carried out to assess the possible impact of the proposed changes.
“Since that meeting, administration has met with insurance groups including local brokers, SGI Insurance, and HUB international to discuss Fire Department cost recovery. In that meeting our professional partners could not confirm or deny that these charges would affect premiums in our city, citing the issue as “very complex”. It was noted that Yorkton premiums, barring any single large scale disaster, are not solely affected by any one criteria. The group was asked if there was any indication that the results of firefighting bylaws in other municipalities who have been charging for the past 10 years have experienced premium increases. The response was that there is no evidence that there has been premium increases in those municipalities due strictly to the firefighting charges,” he said.
“Administration used the opportunity to ask questions relating to fire fighting expense coverage which is currently included in, or can be added to, existing property insurance policies in the City of Yorkton. It is the responsibility of the brokers to identify risks to their clients and provide insurance solutions to address those risks. The changes to the Bylaw identify the potential need for brokers and insurers alike to analyze this exposure for their clients and offer a solution which addresses the need at a mutually beneficial cost.”
Litvanyi wanted to know how much time insurance reps had to compile information on rates?
Morrissey said there was time without noting an exact amount, then added it was a case of the representatives suggesting rates are set from complex influences not a particular thing like a municipal fee.
Mayor Aaron Kienle added “they knew what the meeting was about.”
While noting, the full financial impact of this bylaw will be unknown until actual fire events occur, Morrissey added, “However as per the report, over the past five years the City would have had the ability to collect approximately $71,000 if the maximum limits had been in place as per this proposed Bylaw amendment, and $97,400 without caps in place.”
Litvanyi was not convinced.
“We all know I’ve been against this from the start,” he said, adding he didn’t see the dollars that the city might garner being enough against extra dollars residents may face in insurance premiums.
“I don’t see there being any benefit.”
Morrissey said fires of significant scale have been limited, but no one knows what may occur.
“Over the last several years Fire Protective Services have not responded to a significant number of extremely large fire events however that may not be the case in the future. We simply can't accurately predict this however the changes put forward in the Bylaw assist us to better manage the financial risk to the City should a single large event or multiple events occur,” he said.
