Regina Minute: Hospital Parkade, Snow Budget, and Aquatic Centre Proceeds

Regina Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Regina politics

This Week In Regina:

• There are no Council or Committee meetings this week. Council is on break for the holidays.
  
  
• The City’s snow budget for 2024 is $10.6 million, up from previous years. Snow removal is prioritized based on road categories, with major arterials cleared first and residential streets requiring 15 cm of snow before full plowing. The City operates under a "storm mode" during snow events, with crews continuously monitoring conditions and working through the storm. While snow removal is expensive, costing millions each year, the City uses a five-year average to budget and then adjusts for unpredictable weather. Last year, Regina exceeded its snow budget due to severe weather, but is expected to stay within the 2024 budget if December's weather remains normal.
  
  
• Regina General Hospital’s new four-storey parkade is set to open today, with over 1,000 parking spaces. The structure includes 320 spaces for the public and 685 reserved for hospital staff, easing congestion and improving access to healthcare services. The new parkade also features motion-sensor lighting, an emergency response system for staff, and electric vehicle charging stations. The $22.4 million project will also provide parking for staff who have been on waitlists for spaces. 

Last Week In Regina:

• Regina's newly-elected Council chose not to reconsider the approval of the indoor aquatic facility budget, a motion left over from the previous council. The $245-million facility will replace the aging Lawson Aquatic Centre by 2028, with significant federal and provincial funding. While the reconsideration motion proposed exploring alternatives like refurbishing the Lawson, the new Council decided to proceed with the project as planned. In addition, Council passed a 1.34% mill rate increase to fund a critical water network expansion and approved part of the capital plans. 
  
  
• Council has decided to forgive $1.33 million in COVID-related back rent owed by the Saskatchewan Roughriders to avoid a potential legal dispute. The Roughriders owed a total of $3.6 million for 2020 and 2021, after games were canceled due to the pandemic. A negotiated settlement was reached in October, where the City agreed to waive part of the debt in exchange for the club paying the remaining $2.2 million. Despite some council opposition, including concerns from residents, the settlement was seen as the best option to maintain a positive relationship with the football club.
  
  
• Regina police have reported a 44% increase in speeding tickets issued by photo radar machines in 2024 compared to the previous year. This surge includes more than 11,000 tickets in school zones, a 34% rise from 2023, and a nearly doubled number of tickets from high-speed zones, reaching 3,373. The increase is largely attributed to improvements in the photo radar technology, which had previously faced issues with batteries and lenses. Although there was a dip in ticketing in November due to poor road conditions and snow, the overall trend reflects better camera performance.