Cyclist safety on council’s mind this week
From cycling safety to single-use plastics, Jennifer Ackerman takes a look at what’s coming up at Regina’s monthly city council meeting Monday night
Council will vote on a motion brought forward by Ward 6
Coun. Joel Murray that aims to improve cycling safety.
The motion proposes that a vehicle passing a cyclist at a speed over 60 km/h must maintain a distance of 1.5 metres from the cyclist, and when passing a cyclist under 60 km/h, a distance of one metre must be maintained.
It also suggests a fine structure be designed, implemented and enforced through a bylaw to be put before council during the first quarter of 2020.
“We have heard from our membership and the message is clear: motorists’ behaviour makes cyclists feel unsafe using the streets,” said a written submission from Brandon Wright of Bike Regina in support of the motion. “For some, this is no more than an annoyance; for others, it keeps them off the streets, and as a result, off their bikes.”
PARKING AT OLD TAYLOR FIELD
Ward 10 Coun. Jerry Flegel is pushing forward with his hopes of turning the old Mosaic Stadium site (Taylor Field) into a temporary parking lot to relieve parking pressures on the neighbourhood during large events in the area.
Council will vote on a motion that asked administration to bring forward a report to the Public Works and Infrastructure committee by the end of 2019 that details the cost, options, implications, construction timeline and potential revenue that could be generated by restoring the site into an interim parking lot.
The idea was first brought to council as an inquiry by Flegel in July.
“The Grey Cup is coming next year, and I just thought it might be something to look at because it’s sitting there vacant,” he said at the time.
Fougere agreed that there was “lots of opportunity there,” but others worried that it would slow down phase three of the Regina Revitalization Initiative (RRI) — a new neighbourhood on the Taylor Field site.
SINGLE-USE PLASTICS
Council will vote on a motion that would ban the use of single-use plastic shopping bags and implement enforcement mechanisms, such as a fine, for dealing with violations.
The motion points to examples across world where this is already being done, including Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Hawaii, France and more.
Last May, council approved a study on limiting single-use plastics, including items like takeout containers and straws. That report is scheduled to come before council early next year.
Monday night’s motion deals specifically with single-use plastic shopping bags and also calls for public engagement and consultations to help create the bylaw, identify best practices in other cities and a public education campaign be undertaken to prepare the public in advance of the bylaw.
DOWNTOWN PUBLIC WASHROOMS
The Regina Downtown Business Improvement District (RDBID) will be speaking in support of a proposed one-season pilot project that if approved would test stand-alone public washrooms in the downtown area.
The pilot project would cost $20,000, which would be requested through the 2020 budget. It would include a temporary washroom facility on City Square Plaza from May until September of 2020 and be open from dawn until dusk.
“In support of this project, RD BID commits to wrapping the washroom unit in decorative vinyl wrap, similar to our traffic control box art project, so as to reduce the opportunity for graffiti,” said executive director of RDBID Judith Veresuk’s written submission to Monday night’s meeting.
RDBID has also committed to providing one staff member to conduct hourly checks Monday through Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
PUSH FOR MORE CITIZEN MEMBERS ON BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS
Regina is the last major Canadian city to have more elected officials than citizen members on its Board of Police Commissioners — two city councillors are looking to change that.
A notice of motion to be introduced Monday calls on city administration to look into the process for expanding the membership of the board by two citizen members, resulting in a total membership of seven.
The motion emphasizes that the board “could benefit from the addition of community-based policing and justice experts.” It is currently comprised of the mayor, two members of council and two citizens, one of whom must be Indigenous.
It also points out that other major Canadian cities like Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Vancouver all have a majority of citizen members.
Simply a notice of motion on Monday, it will not be debated until next month’s city council meeting.
THE COOK RESIDENCE
After a lengthy back and forth between the owners of the historic Cook Residence, heritage property advocates and the city, council will officially pass a bylaw to designate 3160 Albert Street a heritage property on Monday night.
The owners have long argued that the cost to restore the property if it were to be designated with heritage status was unreasonable, but in the end, council agreed that it’s the heritage value of the property that should guide their decision, not renovation costs.
The monthly city council meeting takes place Monday at 5:30 p.m. in the Henry Baker Hall on the main floor of City Hall.