I snapped this pic last night. Wow. It’s as if plastering the Riders’ logo all over the two most prominent buildings in town just isn’t showing quite enough support, city hall has to get in on the action. Have they been doing this after a big game all along and I’ve never noticed? Or has Councillor Szarka just started sneaking around after work, flipping lights off and on?

Tuesday, November 16
PUBLIC WORK COMMITTEE (4:00 pm): Looking at the annual increases to the Uniform Assessment Rates. What’s that you ask? That’s the amount you, a “benefitting” property owner, have to pay when the city does work to city infrastructure adjacent to your property. Does that include business owners, say, whose businesses get fragged while work crews are chewing up a chunk of sidewalk outside their door? Looks like it.

Kind of a kick in the arse, I know.

Rates will be going up by 11 per cent for all asphalt and concrete work, 6 per cent for sewer and water main work and 10 per cent for alley lighting improvements. The increases are intended to reflect the rising cost of construction in the province.

The committee will also look at making some tweaks to the Winter Maintenance Policy — something that hasn’t been done since 2006. Of note, the Manager of Winter Maintenance is being given a little more flexibility over what counts as a “snow trigger event”; plows won’t be able to leave ridges of snow higher than 15 cm at transit stops any more; and, because the city’s boundaries have expanded so much, gravel roads are being added as a category of plow-worthy streets.

Public Works will also be looking at a report on the status of this years pothole repair program (all goes well, it says!) and at a recommendation to cut a deal with the Rural Municipality of Sherwood over water supply to Sherwood Industrial Park. (I wrote a blurb about that last one but realized it was waaaaay to boring to be endured and deleted it. You’re welcome.)

Wednesday, November 17
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (11:45 am): Looking at which councillors will be appointed to which committees. You can download the report and get the full list. But here who’s going to be sitting on some of the committees that regularly get talked about on this blog (and a few random ones thrown in for fun):

Arts Advisory Committee: Browne
Board of Police Commissioners: Bryce, Murray
Community and Protective Services Committee: Findura, Hutchinson, Murray, O’Donnell, Szarka
Emergency Measures Committee: Bryce, Findura
Environment Advisory Committee: Clipsham
Finance and Administration Committee: Browne, Bryce, Fougere, Hincks, Murray
MacKenzie Art Gallery Board of Trustees: Browne
Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee: Clipsham
Public Works Committee: Browne, Bryce, Clipsham, Findura, Hutchinson
Regina Appeal Board: Clipsham, Murray, Szarka
Regina Planning Commission: Fougere, O’Donnell, Szarka
Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association Board: Clipsham, Fougere
School Board/City Council Liaison Committee: Browne, O’Donnell
Youth Advisory Committee: Bryce

And that’s it for this week. For complete reports and agendas, go to the city’s website.