Present:

Mayor Michael Fougere

Councillor Lori Bresciani

Councillor Sharron Bryce

Councillor John Findura

Councillor Jerry Flegel

Councillor Bob Hawkins

Councillor Jason Mancinelli

Councillor Joel Murray

Councillor Mike O'Donnell

Councillor Andrew Stevens

Councillor Barbara Young

Regrets:

Also in Attendance:

City Clerk, Jim Nicol

Deputy City Clerk, Amber Ackerman

City Manager, Chris Holden

City Solicitor, Byron Werry

Exec. Director,Financial Strategy & Sustainability, Barry Lacey

Executive Director, Louise Folk

Executive Director, Citizen Services, Kim Onrait

Executive Director, City Planning & Community Dev., Diana Hawryluk

Director, Citizen Experience, Jill Sveinson

Director, Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services, Laurie Shalley

Director, Roadways & Transportation, Chris Warren

Manager, Social & Cultural Development, Emmaline Hill

That City Council receive and file this communication.

That City Council receive and file this communication.

That City Council receive and file this communication.

That City Council receive and filed this communication.

That City Council:

Responding to COVID-19 Financial Impacts

1.      Address the shortfall in operating revenues to cover the anticipated additional costs in 2020 created by the COVID-19 pandemic and approve the following:

a.      Adjust operating programs and services as outlined in Appendices D (Open Space Service Levels), E (Spring Sweep Program) and F (Transit Service Enhancements);

b.      Direct Administration to implement expense reduction measures up to $7,400,000 as identified on page 11 of this report; and

c.      Defer up to $7,200,000 of capital programs and projects with the funding to be redirected to offset operating costs created by the pandemic as identified on page 11 of this report.

Property Tax Related

2.      Approve The Regina Property Tax Bylaw, 2020 and The Education Property Tax Bylaw, 2020, as prepared by the City Solicitor and which sets out the rates as outlined in Appendix A.

3.      Delegate authority to the Executive Director, Financial Strategy and Sustainability or their delegate to finalize and approve amendments to the property tax collection and payment agreement that the City has with the Government of Saskatchewan to allow the City to pay the education portion of the taxes as it is collected instead of based on the collection pattern from the previous year.

4.      Delegate authority to the Executive Director, Financial Strategy and Sustainability or their delegate to finalize and approve amendments to the property tax collection and payment agreement that the City has with the Regina Roman Catholic Separate School Division No. 81 to allow the City to pay the education portion of the taxes as it is collected instead of based on the collection pattern from the previous year.

5.      Delegate authority to the Executive Director, Financial Strategy and Sustainability or their delegate to finalize and approve amendments to the property assessment and taxation services agreement that the City has with the Global Transportation Hub Authority to allow the City to pay the Global Transportation Hub levy as it is collected instead of based on the collection pattern from the previous year.

6.      Authorize the City Clerk to execute addendums to amend the agreements referred to in recommendations 3, 4 and 5 upon review by the City Solicitor.

7.      Approve the property tax exemptions as listed in Appendix B subject to the Government of Saskatchewan approving the exemption or partial exemption of the education portion of the taxes for amounts that are $25,000 or greater.

8.      Authorize the Executive Director Financial Strategy & Sustainability or his delegate to apply to the Government of Saskatchewan on behalf of property owners for any exemption of the education portion of the taxes that is $25,000 or greater as outlined in Appendix B.

9.      Approve The Properties Exempt from Taxation as a result of the 2013 Municipal Boundary Alteration Bylaw, 2020 as prepared by the City Solicitor and which sets out the property tax exemptions outlined in Appendix B. 

REAL

10. Authorize the Executive Director, Financial Strategy and Sustainability for the City to negotiate, approve and enter into all necessary agreements with The Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL) and HSBC Bank Canada on behalf of the City and generally to do all things and to execute all documents and other papers in the name of the City, in order to facilitate the change to REAL’s credit facilities as outlined in Appendix C to this report;

11. Instruct the City Solicitor to prepare amendments to Bylaw 2015-25, being The Regina Exhibition Association Limited Borrowing and Guarantee Bylaw, 2015 to amend the credit facilities in that Bylaw based on the terms and conditions authorized by the Executive Director, Financial Strategy and Sustainability and Appendix C to this report;

12. Pursuant to clause 5.2(f) of the Unanimous Member’s Agreement for REAL, REAL is authorized to amend the credit facilities outlined in REAL’s loan with HSBC Bank Canada based on Appendix C to this report on the condition that the amendments do not increase the existing maximum loan amount of $13,000,000;

13. Authorize the Executive Director, Financial Strategy and Sustainability, as the City’s proxy, to exercise the City’s voting rights in REAL to approve any organizational resolutions or documents that may be required of REAL in relation to the proposed changes to the credit facilities in Bylaw 2015-25 as outlined in this report;

Housing Incentive Program

14. Amend the Housing Incentives Policy to add the following provision:

“6.1.16              Notwithstanding Section 6.2.6, in response to, and during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, and under similar emergency measures, the Executive Director, City Planning and Community Development has discretion to relax the requirement that an Occupancy Permit is issued before grant payments for affordable rental housing applications are disbursed where construction of the project is near completion and the applicant has entered into a capital contribution agreement with the City.”  

Delegation of Emergency Powers             

15. Delegate authority to the City Manager or designate to exercise any powers of a local authority, City or City Council under any legislation, order or otherwise, and any actions which must be authorized or approved by Council are hereby authorized, except those authorities that are not permitted by law to be delegated provided that the authority is required to be exercised in response to the pandemic emergency. The City Manager shall notify Council of any exercise of authority pursuant to this resolution as soon as reasonably possible and Council shall retain the right to cancel or amend any decisions made by the City Manager under this authority.