NEW: Regina's board of police commissioners has terminated police chief Farooq Sheikh for "inappropriate conduct," after a six-month investigation by the provincial Public Complaints Commission. #yqr #yqrcc

ICYMI: URSU's second attempt at a meeting to vote on dissolving is happening this a.m., after the first was derailed in Sept. Here's a primer on a group of students opposing the meeting, the dissolution & URSU all at once, calling for more accountability from their student gov't. #yqr #UofR

It was indeed an excellent show and taught me that the one universal in city planning no matter where you are in Canada is that someone, at some point, has pitched the idea of putting a dome over public spaces because snow sucks.

From my colleague Brandon Harder: A scheduled vote to dissolve the University of Regina Students’ Union did not go as planned this afternoon, instead adjourning without any vote at all. The virtually-held special meeting ended after students pressed their concerns over its process & legitimacy. #yqr

You've probably seen talk about a looming 13% mill rate increase floating around, b/c of the city's pre-budget meetings going on this month. The inc. isn't set in stone, but rather a hypothetical from admin to illustrate the cost of public services — so we summarized what that includes. #yqr #yqrcc

ICYMI: 'Goldilocks zone:' Why Regina is well suited to use geothermal heat for new indoor aquatic centre #yqr #yqrcc

The City of Regina is going to explore allowing a central homeless encampment site, as an alternative to existing dismantling policies. "Our current approach is just moving people from one place to another. It’s clearly not working," said Coun. Victoria Flores, as the motion's mover. #yqr #yqrcc

@larissagkurz.bsky.social would like to suggest Catalyst Committee 2: Electric Boogaloo

Two employees from (now former) city manager Niki Anderson's office are suing the City of Regina for their abrupt termination earlier this spring, according to court documents obtained by Leader-Post. #yqr #yqrcc

Regina city council has voted to dismiss city manager Niki Anderson — the second ousting in a row from the city’s top-paid position, after council fired predecessor Chris Holden in 2022. Anderson has been on a leave of absence since April. Her contract wasn’t set to end until 2027. #yqrcc #yqr

Regina city council will receive a city manager update on Wednesday. Details are not available in the meeting agenda. City staff say the report is going to be walked in to the council chamber Wednesday and will not be available before then.

The Lowe family evacuated from Denare Beach in June when wildfires raged towards their home — for a few days, they thought. When they returned weeks later, everything had changed. This is their story. #sask

Michele Bear says 12 years is long enough & its time Regina's landfill is searched to find her daughter, Richele. She's also ready to share who Richele was, before she was killed at just 23 years old in 2013. "She always had a smile, was always happy... was always willing to help anybody." #yqr

ICYMI: 'I think of this as my family': Regina encampment residents move as city dismantles their community #yqr #yqrcc #sask

This might have been my last column in the StarPhoenix if I had the opportunity to write it. #Saskatoon #saskatchewan #skpoli #yxecc #newspaper #journalism

As interim city manager Jim Nicol immediately pointed out, reports that come to city council in this way automatically open up the floor for delegates to come speak about them. His comment points out the obvious: council already has a long-meeting meeting problem as it is. #yqr #yqrcc

Some pics from the live taping of the Queen City Improvement Bureau for the Cathedral Village Arts Festival. The QCIB is probably my favourite radio show/podcast and I'll always be awe by the amount of work that @pauldechene.bsky.social and Aidan do for their show #yqrcc

👋🏻🙋🏻‍♀️

It was REAL's 2024 annual submittal — not because there's issue with it, but because REAL has been so "public-facing" as of late and Coun. Mancinelli says he has a comment he wants to make.

BREAKING: Regina city council has held firm on adding fluoride to its water, after a gruelling 8+ hours of debate today. #yqrcc #yqr

Holy shit… two hours ago… Dickson from the Calgary anti-fluoride group was talking about Mclaren's research like it supported his position. AND SHE'S HERE AS AN ADMIN EXPERT on fluoridation. #yqrcc

Mancinelli: On dosage. If I wanted to kill myself by drinking fluoridated water. What would kill me first. The water or fluoride? Dickinson: the water would kill you long before you could consume enough fluoride. #yqrcc

This fundamentally ignores the lengthy 2021 debate that happened and 9 if the 11 council members were not there for. Should I be enjoying my holiday? Yes. This is absolutely wild

Today is fluoride day at #yqrcc & delegates are well underway. Council is considering whether to rescind it's 2021 decision to add fluoride to Regina's water, at the behest of Coun. Clark Bezo (Ward 10). Here's a story of mine from yesterday to chew on during as meeting unfolds:

Leader-Post has confirmed that city manager Niki Anderson's chief of staff, assistant and director of the Indigenous Relations department are no longer employed by the City of Regina. Details as to why have not been offered by a city spokesperson. #yqr #yqrcc

As frustrating as it is to not know (& I get it), this is very true. Another recent example is when council wanted to know if it could buy Glen Elm trailer park from a private landowner — negotiating a multi-million $$ real estate deal in public isn't the most responsible way to handle tax dollars.

For those watching the federal election in Canada tonight, we've got you! Much like for the provincial elxn, Leader-Post & Star-Phoenix reporters will be live blogging from candidate HQ's in Saskatoon and Regina once polls start reporting in tonight. Keep tabs on our coverage here:

NEW: The University of Regina’s Students’ Union has filed a lawsuit against the U of R for its decision to sever its fee agreement with URSU as of this summer — a decision that essentially defunds the student union if it stands. #yqr

ICYMI: During last week's #yqrcc meeting, councillor Clark Bezo said he didn't think the city should lease space to Good Trouble Network for a food security program due to "political extremism" on the group's social media. Good Trouble said it was "disappointing" to be singled out in that way. #yqr

If a councillor had questions about the group then they should've asked those questions to the group.

BREAKING: Regina Board of Police Commissioners has removed Chief Farooq Sheikh from active service, as a complaint against him is being actively investigated by the province's complaints commission. #yqr #sask

BREAKING: University of Regina president Jeff Keshen says the university will be terminating its agreement w/ U of R's students' union to collect student fees, over concerns about the org's financials. A statement sent to campus today says the uni has "lost confidence" in URSU. #yqr

ICYMI: University of Regina students' union denies involvement in Women's Centre disruption #yqr URSU's general manager says there was no "organizing" on its part to disrupt the centre's meeting in March. “Our position is that the students are the victims here," he told the LP.

ICYMI: Harbour Landing expansion at risk after zoning changes near airport: stakeholder #yqrcc #yqr

ICYMI: City of Regina takes first steps toward revitalizing Taylor Field property #yqrcc #yqr

From me out of yesterday's #yqrcc meeting: City council agreed to declare houselessness a crisis & lobby the provincial & federal gov'ts for help. "We have plans to address chronic unhoused people in our community. What we need now is the resources to implement it," said David Froh, after the vote.

Honestly, shout out to the residents from Glen Elm trailer park who were also here until the last word was said. That takes some serious passion, sitting through 10+ hours of city council when no one's paying you to 👀

ICYMI: 'We will do all we can': Regina city manager tells staff she's committed to saving jobs amid proposed budget cuts #yqrcc #yqr tinyurl.com/ysrdfuxm

NEW: In a set of quick votes today, Regina's city council approved a new, lower 7.33% mill rate increase & a utility rate increase of 5.82% to finally end four days of deliberations. #yqrcc #yqr leaderpost.com/news/local-n...

City councillors are paid a base salary of $58,793, so this pledge would offer just shy of $6,000 — I don't even think I can calculate how small a percentage that would be to the mill rate or the city's $841M operating line. #yqrcc #yqr

We're starting off hot this morning 👀

And we're here for day 4 of Regina's budget! By my (very rough) math, council has managed to whittle the mill rate down from an 8.5% to a 7.5% inc. so far — but not w/out tension yesterday. Hearing some frustration still this a.m., as councillors mill about before the meeting. #yqrcc #yqr

Could go either way. Froh has recused himself, so there are only 10 votes to whip here — so five votes lands as a split & automatic fail. #yqrcc

This is one of a small handful of amendments that have been successful so far & it effectively adds 0.07% onto the standing mill rate increase. #yqrcc

Putting it out there that Daren Anderson *just* started as the city's CFO as of January. #yqrcc

NEW: I've started keeping a tally of some of the ways Regina city councillors are attempting to alter the city's budget on the floor of the meeting — but failing — b/c they're generating some interesting debate this week. Stay tuned, as there's likely more to come. #yqrcc #yqr

And an immediate update: the livestream is having technical difficulties, so meeting is recessing until 10:30 a.m. to resolve the issues. #yqrcc #yqr

Council got pretty testy at times yesterday as some councillors & even a few on city staff pushed back against the biggest & most boneheaded of the Grumpy Facebook Grandpas' Big Cuts. Cracks were starting to show in council's much vaunted "Civility." /6 #yqrcc

And day 3 of Regina's budget talks dawns! Most eyes will be at the legislature today for the #sask budget but I am still here at city hall, keeping tabs. Things were starting to heat up yesterday — we'll see what goes on today. #yqrcc #yqr

From me today: City budget talks are finally digging in, with $2.3M cut today from the Regina Police and REAL budget asks (so far). Talks continue over the greater operating, capital and utility budgets, as city councillors nitpick their way through various line items one-by-one. #yqrcc #yqr