Council moves to get pools opened
Officials aim to have one outdoor facility, several indoor ones ready by mid-july
Regina’s outdoor Regent Park Pool will open this summer, tentatively on July 17 — the earliest city workers can get the facility ready for guests.
Indoor pools will open sooner that that, if the Saskatchewan government’s reopen plan allows for it: The North-west Leisure Centre could reopen as soon as July 6, the Lawson on July 13, and the Sandra Schmirler on July 20 — if the city can acquire enough staff to work at the latter pool.
In a motion to reopen the city’s pools at Wednesday’s city council meeting, Coun. Lori Bresciani (Ward 4) asked that her colleagues consider the “mental health cost” of having no pools open for the summer. “When we hear from residents and they say that this is their one joy in the summer,” said Bresciani, and “the pools have become their family vacation.”
City administration spoke to the possibility of opening the city’s other two outdoor pools, Massey and Dewdney, but strict maintenance schedules meant they couldn’t be ready before Aug. 7.
As it is, the Regent pool won’t be maintained as usual. There will only be spot painting, instead of a complete strip and repaint.
City manager Chris Holden said in previous years, outdoor pool attendance usually drops off in August, after the Queen City Exhibition (which is not happening this year, either).
Since the city hadn’t budgeted to operate its outdoor pools this year, due to COVID -19, opening Regent will cost approximately $200,000 in unplanned expenses. Coun. Mike O’donnell (Ward 8) urged city councillors to think about where that money will come from, and voted against opening the outdoor pool for 2020.
The Regent pool will be able to welcome 100 people, and the city will implement free transit for people across Regina to access the pool in the northwest quadrant of the city.
It will also offer free drop-in swim times at the indoor pools.
SPEAKING OF LEISURE AND WATER …
Councillors Andrew Stevens (Ward 3) and John Findura (Ward 5) proposed a motion with a hope of leading to a more affordable water bill for low-income residents of Regina.
Stevens said 11 per cent of Regina residents are considered low-income.
Stevens said there is a “means test” that allows residents an affordable leisure pass and affordable transit pass, giving people a break on the full cost of those cityrun services. He would like to see the same sort of means tests for residents’ utility bill for water.
To reduce the cost of water for just some people, though, was a point of contention for some members of council.
Bresciani said we “shouldn’t be pitting one against the other” and the cost should be lowered for everyone; Coun. Sharron Bryce (Ward 7) agreed, “it should be more affordable to everyone though.”
Mayor Michael Fougere said “everyone is suffering” due to economic woes of COVID -19. This motion could lead to a “Pandora’s box” of implementing a base tax, and he would need more information to do that.
Even so, it passed seven to four — the three aforementioned members of city council, plus Joel Murray (Ward 6), were opposed.
The motion calls for administration to prepare a report for the public works and infrastructure committee for the first quarter of 2021 that:
“Outlines options to help offset the cost of water and sewer for low income residents by way of means-tested grants, billing options, and fee waivers;” and, “Establishes a political advocacy strategy aimed at the federal and provincial governments with the aim of alleviating the financial burden for low-income residents with regards to water and sewer billing and costs.”
BYLAWS AND BARRIERS
While good fences make good neighbours, fences that were ignorantly installed or predate city rules can make bylaw officers come after you.
At least, that was the case before a motion by Coun. Jerry Flegel (Ward 10) passed on Wednesday.
He said many fences in Regina don’t comply to the traffic bylaw 9900, in that they are less than two metres from the curb. Over the decades, a homeowner might have incorrectly installed a fence, and it will cost a current homeowner thousands of dollars to replace if city workers have to access the property for maintenance.
Flegel moved to have city administration report to the public works and infrastructure committee on possibly amending the traffic bylaw, by reducing the minimum setback for fences from two metres to 0.6 metres, in cases of a curb only and no sidewalk.
Flegel also wanted to see “all current pending non-compliance violations or orders to comply” suspended until this report came back to city council.
City solicitor Byron Werry said he didn’t want to make suspending the bylaw “absolute,” but said officers could exercise discretion on a case-by-case basis as the bylaw is possibly being reviewed.
The motion passed, with only Bryce opposed, citing a safety concern.
OTHER ISSUES ON THE TABLE
City administration will bring in technology this summer that allows city council to vote electronically and have recorded votes.
That’s after a motion by Coun.
Bob Hawkins (Ward 2) passed unanimously.
“There is no more democratic obligation than for us to be transparent … in how we’re voting,” Hawkins said.
Councillors will be able to vote with the push of a button, temporarily in secret; as results of all councillors pop up on a screen at the same time, results of a vote will be unveiled.
Hawkins moved to “disestablish” the priorities and planning committee. His rationale was that business of that committee — which comprises all members of city council — gets muddied up with business of executive council — which also comprises all members of city council.
Hawkins said P&P could be disbanded and its business could simply be covered in executive council, which could host more meetings.
While Fougere said “the practice has not met the ideal here,” he voted to keep the committee, as did five other councillors.
Fougere said there should be a clear practice for “discernment between urgent and important” for each committee. So, P&P is here to stay.
As the mayor pointed out during that part of discussion, there’s often too much business to cover in one council meeting per month.
“I think we worked well years ago with two council meetings per month. We wouldn’t face what we have today, which is a large agenda that could well go into tonight or maybe we’ll stop before we’re finished.”
City council was still meeting at the Leader-post’s print deadline.