REGINA – Several delegates and a full gallery from the Regina Blue Dot Movement hoped to get council on board with their two-part motion at Monday’s meeting.
The first element was a non-binding commitment to include environmental concerns in decisions. The city’s official community plan (OCP) says environmental impacts will be factored into decisions, so this wasn’t an issue.
The second element is a commitment to call on the provincial and federal governments to include an amendment to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms outlining the right to a healthy environment.
This drew concern from a majority of council and the mayor, due to the potential legal, environmental, and financial consequences of such a change.
Councillor Bob Hawkins put forward a motion to refer Blue Dot’s pitch to administration so they could draw up a report on the implications.
After a lengthy period of debate, council ultimately voted 8-2 in favour of the referral. Councillors Shawn Fraser and Wade Murray felt comfortable moving ahead with Blue Dot as is.
Once a report is drafted it will to the city’s executive committee, and then back to council.
“The report that’s going to come back will speak to our initiatives that we’ve done. How well we’ve done, and benchmarks to what Blue Dot’s asking us to do and then talk about what those implications would be,” explained Mayor Michael Fougere.
Despite not getting full support, Blue Dot project members left feeling good about the result.
“It really shows that they are supportive and willing to engage in this discussion, and for them to want to be fully informed and not just sign off because they feel pressured is actually really meaningful for us,” said Regina Blue Dot Movement organizer Kelly Husack.
The Blue Dot Movement is part of a nationwide movement started by David Suzuki. Since 2014, 110 communities have voted in support of the project. Davidson is the only municipality in Saskatchewan to do it so far.
Laneway Housing
The next step in the city’s laneway/garden suite pilot project moved ahead with unanimous council support.
This type of infill housing includes small detached or separate homes being built on the same lots as existing homes.
In this phase of the project a limited number of building permits will be issued, and the city anticipates 10 to 20 applications.
The homes will have to adhere to several regulations including height (one to one-and-a-half storeys), a maximum of two bedrooms, and must include at least one parking stall.
The city’s OCP outlines the establishment of an effective infill housing strategy with an eventual target of 30 per cent infill housing in older neighbourhoods. This is being done to minimize the impact of urban sprawl and renew aging housing stock.
2016 Municipal Election
City council quickly approved the 2016 municipal elections regulations, which were approved by the executive committee earlier this month.
This includes an election budget increase of nearly $360,000 over 2012. The school boards will pick up half of the $867,454,20.
With the pirce increase the city will upgrade vote counting equipment and implement election management software to streamline the election production process.
The regulations also establish where polling stations will be and what special voting measures will be in place for those who can’t make it to the conventional polls on Oct. 26.
As per the recommendations, candidates will once again not be asked to provide a criminal record check.
Wage Increase
Council voted unanimously on a two per cent wage increase for out-of-scope, or non-union employees. This comes to an estimated cost of $433,000.
Leibel Field Donation
Over the past few years Regina Minor Football (RMF) has invested about $2 million into Leibel Field in Wascana Park. Now they will be building a facility on the grounds, which will ultimately be donated to the city.
The facility will include office space, a classroom, a viewing area, and change rooms.
RMF see the facility as a necessary expansion to accommodate their growing player base. This year over 1,800 kids registered, their highest amount to date.
Once the $3-million facility is complete, RMF will donate it to the city for public use, and will also handle building upkeep.
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