Tuesday, January 18
PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE (4 pm): This had better be a quick meeting considering the budget meeting is later in the evening. The agenda doesn’t look too bad though. Just a look at the 2011 Local Improvement Program and the winter maintenance review.
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING (5:30 pm): This is the dreaded special meeting to consider the 2011 city budget. I’ve heard stories about these meetings in days of yore going into the wee hours of the morning. I fear this may be one of those. It’s one helluva long agenda. Not only will the operating and capital budgets be considered, the new waste plan is also up for debate. And there are a tonne of delegations scheduled to speak on both of these.
The Waste Plan seems to be coming under fire for two reasons: the additional cost that it will be passing on to people and the fact that it is going to be city run instead of being contracted out to private industry. We ran something this issue about some of the other questions that surround this plan. It’ll be interesting to see how the debate plays out.
As for the budget, it seems less contentious as there are only four delegations on the agenda at present, three of which are familiar names from last year’s budget debate: Jim Elliott, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and the Association of Regina Realtors. Want to bet on what the latter two are there to say? That’s right, they hate the idea of a property tax hike. Considering everything that’s being said about infrastructure deficits and pension liabilities, I suspect their arguments will be about as welcome as some [insert extremely unwelcome thing here],
Wednesday, January 19
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (11:45 am): Looking to formalize the Saskatchewan City Mayors’ Caucus and also to support the extension of infrastructure stimulus funding deadlines from March 31 to October 31.
Thursday, January 20
ARTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE (5:30 pm): Considering their 2011 work plan.
And that’s it. You can download agendas and reports on the city’s website.