Regina Minute: Issue 64

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

📅 This Week In Regina: 📅

• The Executive Committee will meet on Wednesday at 9:00 am. The Committee will review the Municipal Front-Ending Lift Stations report, which recommends several actions to support wastewater infrastructure projects. A front-ending policy is a municipal strategy where the City takes on the responsibility of funding and constructing major infrastructure projects upfront, rather than waiting for private developers or individual property owners to pay for them as development occurs. Later, the City recovers these costs by charging development levies or area-specific development charges. The report proposes amendments to the Development Levy Bylaw to establish municipal front-ending policies for the Northwest Regional and Westerra Wastewater Lift Stations. Funding strategies include transferring nearly $11 million from the General Utility Reserve and seeking approximately $66.8 million from the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund.
  
  
• The Committee will discuss a new Four-Step Budget Process for the City of Regina’s 2026/2027 budget cycle to address concerns about the current process’s lack of transparency and insufficient time for Council debate. This new approach spreads budget development and review from June through December, allowing earlier sharing of information, improved Council engagement, and more thorough discussion of service levels, costs, and funding priorities. Key steps include setting service level budgets, identifying new requests, detailed Council review in special meetings, and final approval in December. The process is designed to enhance transparency, accountability, and alignment with strategic plans without additional financial or legal impacts. While it requires more Council meeting time, it aims to offer better-informed budget decisions, reflecting community priorities.
  
  
• The Committee will also review the 2024 annual update on Regina’s Parks Master Plan. Key 2024 achievements noted in the report include hosting 14 Indigenous ceremonies - exceeding the annual target of 8 - and planting 35 fruiting trees and 20 fruiting shrubs, with 1,000 additional trees and shrubs distributed to residents. Potable water use for irrigation was reduced by 23.5%, surpassing the 2025 target of a 5% reduction. Staff training on native plant identification reached 10% of permanent Parks employees, moving toward a 25% target by 2026. Tree plantings addressed 112 vacancies from 2023, with 182 trees added along the Devonian Pathway, while naturalized lands increased by 1.5% (24 hectares), reaching 13.5% of park lands and heading toward a 25% goal by 2028. The Plan also includes efforts to update the Urban Forest Management Strategy, enhance park accessibility and safety, and foster four-season use.
  
  
• Also on the agenda is the creation of Regina’s new “Volunteer RECognition Pass Program” to acknowledge the contributions of local volunteers through complimentary access to City recreation facilities. Launching in January 2026, the program offers eligible volunteers a personalized three-admission pass, redeemable at City-owned facilities like the Sportplex and outdoor pools. Survey feedback from 101 non-profits showed that 95% see volunteers as essential, 84% support the pass idea, and 61% prefer the three-admission model. The program is expected to cost $500 annually for printing and distribution and will be managed using clear guidelines to ensure fairness and prevent misuse. Passes are available to Regina-based non-profits meeting specific criteria, with individual volunteers limited to one pass per year. If approved, Regina will be the first Canadian municipality to formally recognize volunteers with a dedicated facility pass program.
  
  
• Parents of students in Regina Public Schools are asking the school board trustees to delay cuts to the elementary band program rather than reverse them outright. The school division plans to reassign about a third of band teachers this fall due to a $2.65 million budget deficit, citing funding challenges linked to inflation and new teacher contracts. Parents have hired a consultant to analyze the band program’s viability and will present findings soon to help explore alternatives. Some trustees expressed empathy, noting their own children’s involvement in band, and showed openness to considering the consultant’s report before the final budget vote on June 24th. The consultant questioned whether the cuts truly save money if jobs aren’t being eliminated and suggested integrating band into existing arts classes as a possible solution. The meeting saw strong community attendance, reflecting widespread concern about the future of music education in the district. Trustees acknowledge the difficult financial situation but remain hopeful for collaborative solutions.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

The City is developing a new Urban Forest Management Plan to guide how it manages trees and green spaces for the next 15 years - and there is a survey open for feedback.

With more than half a million trees across Regina, this new plan could have significant long-term costs - and consequences - for residents and taxpayers.

Take the survey before June 30th:

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

This week's sponsor is you! We don't have big corporate backers, so if you like what you're reading, please consider making a donation or signing up as a monthly member.

Having said that, if you are a local business and are interested in being a sponsor, send us an email and we'll talk!