Delegations the focus on first night of 2020 city budget talks

Regina city council used Monday night to focus on hearing from delegations on the first round of 2020 budget talks.

A few dozen delegates spoke before councillors, sharing their thoughts on everything from the funding of community associations to environmental sustainability.

However, the majority of delegations gathered in Henry Baker Hall to express their opposition to redeveloping the Regent Park Golf Course into a recreation hub.

Out of the 19 delegates on the agenda who were set to speak about it, only a handful were in attendance to voice their opinions before council. But their message was united and often repeated in each of their written submissions: “It is important that the trees on the land not be destroyed.”

Bobbi Stadnyk is a part of the group of delegates who opposed the redevelopment. She’d like to see it remain open green space with some walking paths.

“This is one of the oldest urban forests in Regina and to start ripping the trees out for a sports field and some washrooms and a toboggan hill is absolutely ludicrous,” Stadnyk said after the meeting.

Mayor Michael Fougere said he’s taking into consideration the delegations’ opposition to the redevelopment, but he emphasized that no plan — including tree removal — is yet in place.

“When you read the delegations’ (submissions), it’s almost as if we’re going to take out all the trees — and we’re not. We’re going to replant trees, but there’s no design yet,” he said. “I understand the feeling and emotions of losing trees, but … we’re not going to be just carpet-bombing all the trees into having no trees there at all.”

Fougere added that, despite the higher number of delegations that showed up in opposition to the redevelopment, there are many people and groups in the community who look forward to it.

“In the context of the last three years of discussions (council) has had, there has been significant support for the redevelopment of that site in a respectful way,” he explained.

A proposed $1.3 million is set aside in the 2020 budget for the Regent Park Golf Course redevelopment.

While nothing is finalized, Fougere said the next year is expected to be spent focusing on the redesign with construction likely beginning in 2021.

Wascana Pool rebuild

A handful of delegations appeared before council Monday night to oppose the idea of rebuilding Wascana Pool as a water park.

The general consensus from delegates — which included longtime Wascana Pool patrons and an aquatic club — was to reconstruct a rectangular 50 metre by 24 metre pool instead.

“A 50 m pool facilitates multiple, varied, concurrent uses. As an example, water polo can be played in one half the pool while swimmers swim laps in the other half. Or, some youth can dive in the deep end while other youth frolic in the shallower half. And a 50 m pool sets up outdoor aquatics for future population growth and future, unknown benefits,” Rob Nelson, the president of the Regina Multisport Club, said in his written submission to council.

Karen Rose echoed Nelson’s calls for a 50 m pool to be built, adding she felt the consultation around the Wascana Pool redesign wasn’t sufficient.

“You used a couple of random surveys to justify your plan,” she told council. “I do not understand why no one from the City Planning Committee, or any city councillors or the architect never bothered to actually speak with the people who use the pool every day, rain or shine, or temperature — people who have used the pool for years.”

Fougere accepts delegations’ concerns around consultation.

“If people are seeing that we didn’t discuss the pool properly, they have a right to say that. I would say we’re going to have a pretty robust discussion around that pool (Tuesday). I think there are some different views on what we should do,” he said. “I want to hear from administration — how did that consultation go? What did you hear?”

Fougere noted that currently no design has been finalized for the new pool.

$7.5 million is allocated in the proposed 2020 budget for the Wascana Pool rebuild.

Calls for better transit service

Four delegations appeared before council Monday night to express their concern around transit in the city.

Most wanted an extension of hours and routes, and a couple delegates asked council to consider the possibility of free transit.

Dylan Morin uses both the city transit and paratransit systems. He said he’d like to see hours extended on Sundays and holidays.

“I attend Special Olympics Regina track … and I have to rely on a ride when I could be relying on transit or paratransit,” he explained, adding he’d like council to reconsider adding a bus route to the airport.

“A better transit system would benefit all in the City of Regina — many people with disabilities, many people who don’t have vehicles.”

Fougere said he’ll take into consideration the points raised by the delegations, but mentioned council has other plans for city buses as well.

“Our first priority is a transit hub downtown to draw people downtown — which I think is really important — but to invest in infrastructure as well,” he explained.

Though, after hearing from delegates Monday night, Fougere said the $40 million earmarked in the proposed budget for transit could go up.

“I think we’re going to see some requests to increase that (funding), and I think it’s a question of council as a collective (asking) ‘do we want to increase the pace of that reinvestment or do we want to just stay where we’re at?'” Fougere explained.

Other items

Council also heard from Bike Regina Monday night. The group is asking council to double the bike infrastructure funding next year to $500,000 and every year after that.

The Central Zone Board — which represents community associations from the Al Ritchie, Cathedral, Heritage, Eastview and North Central neighbourhoods — appeared before council to ask for greater funding as well.

Environmental sustainability was also a hot topic amongst delegations. A few delegates brought up the idea of installing solar panels on city-owned buildings and using more renewable energy over the next couple decades.

Mill rate, police budget to be discussed Tuesday

In addition to discussing what delegations brought up Monday night, council is set to discuss the proposed mill rate increase of 3.25 per cent Tuesday.

The tax hike would see a Regina homeowner with an assessed property value of $350,000 pay an extra $5.60 per month or $67.20 per year.

Fougere has said he’d like to get the mill rate down to under three per cent.

The Regina & District Chamber of Commerce told council Monday night they’d also like to see the mill rate even lower, suggesting the city take advantage of the projected $6.5 million surplus.

The Association of Regina Realtors and Canadian Federation of Independent Business have given their written submissions to council, asking for the mill rate to be lowered as well.

The Regina Board of Police Commissioners Budget also needs to be finalized Tuesday.

Heading into the meeting, police are proposing a net operating budget of $85,629,300 — that includes expenditures of $96,028,900 and revenues of $10,399,600.

The money would go towards staffing four frontline police constables and six civilian jobs, along with a few casual positions.

However, Ward 10 Coun. Jerry Flegel doesn’t think that’s adequate enough to deal with Regina’s rising crystal meth problem.

Flegel is expected to bring forward a motion asking for city administration to compare how the Regina Police Service stacks up to those in other cities across Western Canada.