Regina city council passes Clean Communities motion

A motion to address the Regina's garbage problem was approved at Wednesday's city council meeting.

Couns. Andrew Stevens and Dan Leblanc put the motion forth last April to address the overwhelming amount of litter and loose garbage found in Regina's streets and alleyways.

With the motion approved, city-led litter pick-up will go from once in the spring to several times, including summer and fall.

There will also be stricter enforcement of bylaws that involve excess litter, illegal dumping and unsightly yards.

The fines for violations of contributing to excess litter are $150 for the first offence, $200 for the second and $250 for the third.

While the motion was put forward with the North Central and Heritage communities in mind, it states that any area that has a reported garbage issue will be addressed.

City boundaries alteration

Another motion addressed Wednesday afternoon concerned the alteration of city boundaries for a northeast portion of the city.

The proposed boundary alteration area is about 2.3 kilometres east of Evraz.

The motion said development in the area by large industrial users will benefit the city with economic growth, but will require access to city services.

It also said development of the area aligns with policies noted in the official community plan and Regina's 2030 economic growth plan.

Coopertown

Also up for discussion was the first zoning amendment for the development of Coopertown. The proposed neighbourhood is in the northwest area of Regina and was introduced by Dream Development in 2013.

The plan for the neighbourhood sees residential development from Armour Road to Ninth Avenue North. The plot of land is nestled between Courtney Street and the Regina Bypass and spans more than 809 hectares.

According to the Dream Development website, Coopertown will be home to approximately 36,000 residents once fully developed.

The motion said the area will have a mix of low, medium and high density residential lots. Dream is proposing residential urban, residential low-rise and residential high-rise zones for the neighbourhood.

Wednesday's motion only covers phase one of the project.

Some people in the neighbourhoods adjacent to Ninth Avenue North said they are opposed to the development of Coopertown as currently proposed. Residents said there has been an influx of noise pollution over the last couple years due to the bypass and increased traffic. Some said their backyards, which face Ninth Avenue North, are now unusable and have even become dangerous due to speeding vehicles.

They would like to see a comprehensive noise attenuation plan for the area — including fencing, berms and landscaping — before the development of Coopertown.

Pesticides

The regulation of non-essential use of pesticides was also on the table at Wednesday's meeting.

City council put the motion forward in March. It says the cosmetic use of pesticides should be regulated.

An estimate of the cost for creating a report on the matter was put forward Wednesday. The report will look at potential effects on the environment and biodiversity in the City of Regina.

The report will also look at the legal considerations of regulations and best practices to maintain areas without the use of pesticides. 

It will also get residents' feedback on the use of pesticides and research public education strategies to reduce usage.

The estimated cost, which is $70,000, includes a partnership with the University of Regina to further research the issue.