Mayoral Candidates for Regina 2024

With respect to the food waste bylaw as it applies to condominiums, I will work with CCI and condominium owners to find an actual affordable food waste solution for condo owners before allowing the food waste bylaw officially comes into effect for condominiums. It seems odd to me to have a bylaw enforced for all but a service that can only service some. I have heard of some creative products in the market that target condo owners to support this type of problem and would be excited to investigate those options.

I understand the math behind this approach to equate the operational cost of services on a per dwelling basis. However I do believe the Waste Utility Rebate Program should be expanded to include adjustments for specific dwelling types as the waste bin size alone does not necessarily dictate the amount of waste a dwelling will produce. Therefore you still have some residents subsidizing the cost of waste management for others.

The steps I would take to reduce the gap between single and multi family dwellings are:
Expand the Waste Utility Rebate Program to include provisions for multi family dwellings.
Ask city administration to investigate alternative food bin solutions where the city can provide food waste services for condominiums. If a private company can do it, I don't understand why the city cannot.
Work with CCI to learn what has worked in other jurisdictions and aim to bring new creative solutions to Regina.

Garbage Collection and Recycling: Where do you stand on the Food Waste bylaw as it applies to Condominiums?

I will continue to advocate for change to the Waste Management Bylaw 2012-63 for Condominiums. After meeting with CCI, it was evident that there was a flawed organics implementation plan being put forth for City Council recommendation. With my support, Council approved a date change to the implementation of the food & yard waste program (May 8th, 2024) for condominiums which were:

1. Approve a one-year extension to all “multi-family” to put a food waste management plan in place, to permit the Canadian Condominium Institute to engage in meaningful consultation with the City and others on available alternative waste food management plans available to condominiums to meet organic waste disposal, garbage disposal and recycling requirements, including a user pay model by December 1, 2024;  

2.Instruct the City Solicitor to prepare an amendment to The Regina Administration Bylaw No. 2003-69 to make the necessary housekeeping changes, as detailed in Appendix B, to be brought forward to the meeting of City Council following approval of these recommendations by City Council; and

3.Instruct the City Solicitor to prepare an amendment to The Waste Management Bylaw No. 2012-63 to amend section 37.2 to remove the date of July 1, 2024, and replace it with July 1, 2025; and make the necessary housekeeping changes as detailed in Appendix C to be brought forward to the meeting of City Council following approval of these recommendations by City Council. 

Property Taxes/Assessments: Where do you stand on the user pay for all city services for all residential homeowners regardless of type of home owned?

I supported the user pay model for waste services to ensure the City of Regina was diverting waste from the landfill with the understanding that a new landfill will cost $50-$100 milllion to replace and considering the objectives outlined in the Energy and Sustainability Framework: action 8.3 Establishing an organic compost program with a goal of 95 percent capture of organics for composting by the year 2030. 

It is important that the principle of fairness is applied across all residential housing types.  

Condominium Services: What would you do to reduce or eliminate the gap between single family homeowners and Multi residential homeowners in services provided by the city and the unequal costs and if so what would those steps include?

I would commit to the following - with the understanding that the majority of City Council must approve any initiatives:
i) Ensuring there is a competitive market, as-in more than one vendor/technological solution, that is able to provide organic waste services for condominiums 
ii) Collaborate with CCI, administration, and other condominium corporations to understand the issues of condominium corporations and to ensure fairness in City policies as they relate to condominiums.