It’s been a while since I’ve been to a council meeting that ended with cries from the gallery of “Shame” and “Disgrace!” But – oh joy! — that’s how the month-long council-meeting marathon rounded out.
Why so cranky, gang? Well, that was because 12 delegations came out and sat through a four hour meeting so they could stand and express their support for a motion from Councillor Stevens calling for council to affirm the importance of provincial Crown Corporations, only to have council vote that motion down in a seven to three vote.
Saskatchewanians do love their Crowns. Do not cross them.
Of course, their anger had been primed by the fact that council had just before this voted down another motion by Councillor Stevens, this one requesting city administration look into the feasibility of Regina Transit offering free bus service to school & daycare kids on field trips. That motion, however, wasn’t completely defeated as Councillor Young referred the substance of the motion to a meeting of the School Board Liaison Committee. But, fury was rising in the gallery because throughout debate of this motion council demonstrated a stunning lack of knowledge about Regina Transit.
I mean, it was embarrassing. I’m betting almost no-one on council has ever ridden a bus.
So all that happened. Council also passed the neighbourhood plan for Coopertown, a greenfield development that Councillor O’Donnell described as like putting a city of Moosejaw on the city’s northwest. Hey! No worries now about hitting that 30 per cent infill development target that the city has never, ever hit!
Council also took time out to laud, in the most laudatory of terms, the massively oversizedness of a new Costco surface parking lot.
We are so very proud of our asphalt wastelands. Three cheers for us!
Here’s a minute-by-minute twitter blow-by-blow of the Monday April 24 meeting. It will thankfully be the last meeting for a month.
You can stay up-to-date on all my council live-tweeting by following my live tweet account @PDCityHall.
