Actually, the fact that he wasn't on council for those master plans seems to invalidate them in his mind. Anything that came before his election was airy-fairy tree-hugging wasteful lunacy. He's getting us back to meat-&-potatoes, asphalt-&-concrete common-sense politics! #yqrcc
Conservative use of the word "ideology" fascinates me. In the context of Regina city council, you have Clr Rashovich saying the city's various master plans are driven by "ideology" instead of "common sense."
Of course, dude was not involved in any of those master plans so what does he know? #yqrcc
"Ideological" is code for brainless & unwavering — you're a zombie where politics is concerned. /3 #yqrcc
Oh my god… on the Queen City Improvement Bureau, we're still autopsying the 2026 budget but in my inbox today, it's an invitation to participate in the first round of consultation on the 2027 budget. It never ends. #yqrcc
Sounds like Edmonton has a definition — but of course we can't cut-&-paste that into our bylaw b/c one must have a Made In Regina™ solution (thus, we're forever reinventing the wheel). But at least that would be starting point? I just don't see this as the enormous hurdle it was depicted as #yqrcc
From The Great Good Place by Ray Oldenburg: Americans have substituted the vision of the ideal home for that of the ideal city. The purchase of the even larger home on the even larger lot in the even more lifeless neighborhood is not so much a matter of joining community as retreating from it. Encouraged by a continuing decline in the civilities and amenities of the public or shared environment, people invest more hopes in their private acreage. They proceed as though a house can substitute for a community if only it is spacious enough, entertaining enough, comfortable enough, splendid enough and suitably isolated from that common horde that politicians still refer to as our “fellow Americans.”
To the Regina City Councilors who say that Regina is doing a good job building complete neighborhoods, where the majority of people live in single family housing, a rebuttal from Ray Oldenburg, written in 1989
The entire conversation about doctors needing mansions is absurd
#yqr #yqrcc
#yqrcc is bad for this. "Can we get a report?" and "there hasn't been enough public consultation" (usually because it's not the feedback they wanted to hear.) #circus
Wanting to escape social media platforms run by billionaires & AI fanboys? The Queen City Improvement Bureau is a retrograde rest stop on the Internet Superhighway. No shitty ads, no AI slop, no irritating popups, no fucking billionaires.
Here's our interview with RPL director Jeff Barber
#yqrcc
In case you missed it, here's the Queen City Improvement Bureau interview with the Regina Public Library director Jeff Barber, broadcast the day after council officially reneged on their promise to borrow cash for the library central branch renewal project. #yqrcc
queencityib.com/podcasts/202...
This week on the Queen City Improvement Bureau: Paul totally loses his shit over the city's debt mess. The RPL's Jeff Barber has to talk him off a ledge.
queencityib.com/podcasts/202... #yqrcc
Jeff Barber, the Regina Public Library director, visits the QCIB subbasement to talk about how the central branch project is being held back by the city's debt mess.
Originally broadcast last night on 91.3FM CJTR @accessnowradio.ca
queencityib.com/podcasts/202... #yqrcc
#yqr #yqrcc #Saskatchewan #SK #Sask @pauldechene.bsky.social @trishpaton.bsky.social @saskboy.bsky.social
@pauldechene.bsky.social @trishpaton.bsky.social @saskboy.bsky.social #yqr #yqrcc #Saskatchewan
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Next #yqrcc #yqt needs to deal with parking desert lots in downtown. Some cities are now requiring the parking lots be covered with solar panels overtop of the parked cars.
Council made several decisions on March 25th of public interest, which I have outlined below. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at dfroh@regina.ca. I will break these into two posts. 1. We passed a subclass (increased tax) for Nuisance and Derelict Properties: In addition to enforcement processes and fines for repeat nuisance property offences, we will now tax derelict properties more unless they comply and keep their properties safe and in good standing. Drive through North Central, Heritage, and parts of our ward in Cathedral, and it’s clear we need to address this. We need a subclass for problem properties not because we need revenue, we need a bigger stick. The people living next to these homes deserve it. Keep your property safe or pay more. We shouldn’t apologize for that. The subclass is another tool in our toolbox to create safety and more vibrant area. Unsecured vacant buildings are a major safety risk - both for people living near them, and the emergency responders who risk their lives responding to them. They cost millions to deal with, including fire, police and ambulance visits. They threaten the safety of our neighbours. Edmonton was the first city in Canada to introduce a subclass. It is working very well. They are covering their costs, advancing public safety, and supporting community revitalization. They are so pleased that the are expanding it across the city and considering subclasses for derelict non-residential buildings. Managing derelict properties comes with additional costs to the City. A higher tax rate will help to cover those costs while encouraging property owners to clean up derelict houses. The real reason is why we are doing this is to improve the vibrancy of mature neighborhoods. Great work by Victoria Flores - Ward 6 Regina City Councillor on this file, and thanks to my colleagues who voted for this, including Mayor Chad Bachynski.
2. Council formally recognized there is currently not enough debt room to proceed with the Central Library Renewal Project, as originally intended, which was to commit between $92-$119m in debt towards Central Library. The City requires debt room for upgrades for the wastewater treatment plan. These upgrades will service the entire city, and were always planned, but administration has flagged they are required earlier than anticipated. The Regina Public Library Board will now consider what is best for Central Library, and how best to proceed and what other options can be explored to ensure we have a vibrant and sustainable Central Library in Regina. 3. Council passed an Animal Bylaw Update. The proposed bylaw updates strengthen how the City responds to aggressive and dangerous dogs by closing gaps in enforcement. Fines, fees and definitions are being modernized to reflect current practices in other Canadian municipalities. Judges are getting more powers to address dangerous dogs and keep people safe. The changes encourage responsible pet ownership, set clearer expectations for animal control, improve public safety, strengthen service delivery and help ensure dangerous animals are managed effectively. Several notable changes include letting the City seek a court issued interim order for dangerous animals speeding up enforcement and improving public safety. Conditions could include requiring the dog to be muzzled and leashed at two metres or less in public. Other notable changes are that dogs must be leashed on all public property. Off leash dog parks will remain an exception, but dogs must still be under verbal control when in the dog park. Currently, dogs can be off leash on public property if they are under verbal control.
Future work will including looking at cats to prevent roaming, which will protect birds and also cat welfare. We will also be promoting responsible pet ownership. Additionally, staff will be working with the Humane Society who has the mandate and legal authority to address Animal cruelty, which is a Provincial Government responsibility. 4. Council rezoned the city owned property located at 4025 Parliament Avenue to “MH”, which will allow for commercial development. Revenue from the sale will support the costs incurred to develop a critic pitch adjacent to the property. Cricket is the fastest growing sport in Saskatchewan. Ongoing property tax is expected to be over $400k, and the land sale should bring in millions for the city. This land has been vacant for many years. My hope is to see development similar to that on Pasqua with a mix of retail, restaurant, and professional services. The rezoning creates opportunities for neighbourhood amenities, services and employment by maximizing the use of existing infrastructure. The Mixed-High Rise zone is intended to accommodate a range of medium intensity development along non local streets, major transportation corridors and areas served by transit. Rezoning this property would shift it from an underutilized site to an active, productive asset that contributes to municipal revenue through property taxes.
#yqrcc #yqr March 25 council report
passed a subclass (increased tax) for Nuisance and Derelict Properties
Ok… council is on toi bylaws so this meeting is almost over. I have to go.
Thanks for following along everybody.
#yqrcc
Tsiklis reverses his vote on the nuisance property motion #yqrcc
Vote on main motion as amended.
Carried 10 to 1. Only Tsiklis votes against. #yqrcc
Flores: Overall, I'm really excited to see we are continuing to do work & getting to place where we're dealing w/ nuisance properties so the investments we're making pay off sooner. #yqrcc
Flores: I'm happy to hear we'll have another tool to deal w/ this issue. #yqrcc
I did not see this happening. #yqrcc
Vote on Flores' amendment to introduce a tax subclass to deal w/ nuisance & derelict properties: Carried 6 to 5.
Wait? What? Carried????!!
Mayor, Froh, Turnbull, Radons, Flores & Zachidniak vote in favour. #yqrcc
Flores: When we are not doing anything, i asked what it costs yearly dealing w/ this, admin says $1mil, not counting fire & police. We have a successful model from Edmonton. Let's add another stick so we're not just doing the status quo. #yqrcc
The cost should be on the taxes, not the city. It shouldn't be a cheaper route to demolition in the ciy where demolition by fire seems to be a common strategy for landowners. #yqrcc
Flores: We keep hearing about the awesome stick power that bylaw has to deal w/ this. Problem is, you have to call over and over again & it takes a long time to get anything done. I lived by a house like this for years. Had to escalate to calling SCAN before anything happened. #yqrcc
Flores: What I've heard from residents who have to put up w/ this is people just leave these properties & do nothing to them b/c it costs them nothing. #yqrcc
