Regina Minute: REAL Bailout, Baseball Lease, and Final Council Meeting

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

This Week In Regina:

• The Accessibility Advisory Committee, originally scheduled for Tuesday, is cancelled due to a lack of agenda items.
  
  
• On Wednesday, at 9:00 am, there will be a meeting of City Council. It will be the last meeting of this particular Council, before the upcoming municipal election. The agenda includes amendments to the Election Bylaw to simplify the mail-in ballot application process by removing the requirement to submit a copy of the back of government-issued identification (the front suffices). Council will also consider approving a long-term lease of Currie Field to the Regina Red Sox Baseball Club for a period of 25 years, with an option for a 25-year renewal. (More on this below!). Additionally, there will be a motion to reconsider a previous decision regarding the construction of a new Indoor Aquatic Centre, potentially exploring options for retaining and upgrading the Lawson Aquatic Centre or selecting a different location for the new facility.
  
  
• Regina commuters can expect the conclusion of several major construction projects, leading to the removal of detours soon. The 11th Avenue Revitalization Project is in its final stage, with road and sidewalk remediation scheduled over the coming weeks, allowing transit service on 11th Avenue to resume for winter. While the intersection of Albert Street and Dewdney Avenue will reopen, traffic restrictions will still be in place along Dewdney due to ongoing work on water and sewage lines. Additionally, the Southwest Sewer Upgrade Project continues in AE Wilson Park, affecting access to the Rick Hansen Optimist Playground and adjacent pathways.

Last Week In Regina:

• The Executive Committee voted to recommend approving an agreement between the City and the Regina Red Sox for a 25-year lease at Currie Field. The agreement allows the team to pay a nominal fee of $1 per year and provides an annual grant of $110,000 for ballpark operations, which also covers property taxes. The lease includes an option for a 25-year renewal and stipulates that the City will reimburse the Red Sox for any upgrades made if a new stadium is built before the lease ends. Additionally, the proposal contains provisions for the team’s relocation if a new stadium is constructed at either the former Taylor Field or downtown rail yards. The lease will be presented to Council as a whole for a final vote on October 9th.
  
  
• Council reaffirmed its commitment to funding the Central Library renewal project, approving up to $119 million despite concerns about spending. A motion to reconsider the decision was brought forward by four Councillors (Cheryl Stadnichuk, Lori Bresciani, Terina Nelson, and Shanon Zachidniak), who cited budget overruns on other projects like the Indoor Aquatic Centre. Ultimately, other Councillors voted against the reconsideration motion, allowing the library project to proceed. Only 7 out of 11 Council members were present during the original July vote to fund the project.
  
  
• Council approved an additional $4 million in funding for the Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL) to support its operations through the end of October. The request for this funding came amid concerns that without it, REAL would exhaust its $6.8 million line of credit and be forced to cease operations, impacting various scheduled events. Council voted 8-2 in favor of the funding, with Mayor Sandra Masters and Councillor Bob Hawkins voting against it, citing a lack of clarity on the necessity of the additional funds. The approved money will reduce the City's General Fund Reserve to $12.6 million, below the recommended minimum, and more substantial budget requests from REAL are anticipated for 2025 and 2026.