It’s a big week at city hall but I have to be quick so I’ll stick to the highlights.

First up, I really didn’t think this was ever going to happen but city staff are finally — after three years — bringing the Downtown Neighbourhood Plan bylaw to Regina Planning Commision on Wednesday. I know… crazy, right? I haven’t had time to read it closely to see if anything has changed from that old final draft but after a quick breeze through it really doesn’t look like a whole lot is different in there. Which makes me wonder… why did this take three years again?

Second, tonight, city council will be considering the stadium Memorandum Of Understanding. There will be 10 delegations speaking about the project. Only one seems to be in favour. Here’s a good bit from Colin Stewart’s presentation (slightly edited):

What $278,000,000 could mean for the City of Regina:
• Provide 11,173,633 nights of shelter at Souls Harbour Rescue Mission’s shelter.
• Cover 139 years of entirely funding SHRM’s operation.
• Upgrade Regina’s sewage treatment plant twice.
• Pay for 10% of the cost of updating the city’s fresh water supply.
• Construct 1,000 affordable housing units.
• Based on an average rent of $800 per month, would pay one full year’s rent for almost 29,000 tenants.
• Cover the current shortfall in the City of Regina pension plan entirely.
• Assuming $70,000 per year for a first year constable, would pay for 397 new police officers for 10 years.
• Average salary of a Regina Transit bus driver is $30,000 per year. We could hire 926 bus drivers for ten years.
• Fees for curbside recycling for 158,333 households for ten years.

Council will also be considering Phase One of that Downtown Transportation Strategy that, as discussed at length last week, proposes we sort of put one-way car traffic on the plaza but sort of not really. It’s confusing.

And, of course there is the preservation of the Davin Fountain to consider, a land sale to Habitat for Humanity, a parking study, and lots and lots more. Should be a long but worthwhile meeting.

That’s Monday night. Starts at 5:30. Be there and (thereby) be square.