Municipal boundaries, new community centre on Regina city council's agenda Wednesday

Regina city council is set to discuss municipal boundaries, a new community centre and residential drainage when it meets Wednesday afternoon.

Amending the current wastewater and storm water bylaw — which was last updated in 2016 — is among the first items on the agenda.

City administration is suggesting council vote in favour of a new bylaw that would allow for the protection of city-owned drainage infrastructure, and for the enforcement of new and existing lot grading regulations.

Council has budgeted up to $366,000 for this project. That included $125,000 for running a public awareness campaign, purchasing vehicles and equipment, and another $225,000 for two new positions to deliver the service.

The public awareness campaign would educate residents about how to maintain proper drainage on their properties, focusing on things like lot grading guidelines and requirements, and the enforcement process.

Archibald Jephtas-Crail, a resident of Ward 10 in Regina, is among the two delegations set to speak at Wednesday's meeting. 

In a letter to council, Jephtas-Crail is asking that a drainage system be created for existing city easements, noting the spring runoff from the easement behind their home usually leads to flooding.

"Despite my pleas to city council over the years, nothing has been done to alleviate the problem of water collecting in the easement and seeping into my basement," Jephtas-Crail wrote. "Our situation is not unique, and we have done all we can to fix the problem."

The president and CEO of the Regina and Region Home Builders' Association is also expected to go before council in support of the amendments.

In order to proceed with the new Viterra canola crushing facility — which was unanimously approved by city council last year, despite some business opposition — city administration is proposing an adjustment to the municipal boundaries. It would dip into the RM of Sherwood, north of Regina.

The city's current land doesn't "adequately accommodate the needs of the proposed development," according to a financial strategy and sustainability report submitted to council.

"Not proceeding with a boundary alteration will jeopardize the economic opportunity presented by Viterra," the report reads.

"As development would occur outside the city's boundary and no property taxes would be collected by the city, recovery of any city services provided to Viterra and any other costs incurred by the city related to the development would need to be recovered through extra municipal surcharges or other charge structures which would likely serve as a deterrent to Viterra locating in the capital region."

The report says the facility is expected to generate roughly $1.3 billion in revenues, once it's up and running. The report doesn't say what time period the $1.3 billion applies to.