Council to vote on pot zoning, garbage and food trucks

Regina city council is expected to put the final touches on its marijuana zoning bylaw at Monday night’s meeting.

The focus of the zoning bylaw is to maintain a one-block buffer zone between marijuana dispensaries as well as parks, daycares and schools. The downtown area will be exempt from the buffer zone bylaw.

City administration had to rework the initial bylaw to include a reciprocal buffer zone which means a daycare couldn’t open next to a marijuana dispensary which is already approved.

Council will also vote on a permanent change to city garbage collection to pick up bins every other week in the winter months.

The city tested out the move towards collecting garbage every second week this past winter as a pilot project.

Following Monday night’s vote, homeowners may also get the choice of having two bins.

There may be more food trucks in City Square Plaza for the rest of the summer if council votes to keep permit prices down.

The number of food trucks running in the city dropped this spring after the city hiked permit fees by $300. CJME first reported on the issue in May after several food truck operators expressed frustration over the sudden fee hike up to $1,800 that technically took effect last summer after all permits had been paid.

Mayor Michael Fougere agreed to review the new fees and administration has now come back with a recommendation for no change to the fees this year. There is an option to reduce the permit price.

-with files from Kevin Martel and Britton Gray