Trash fee going up
WINNIPEGGERS will pay $9 more in waste diversion fees per single family home next year to support curbside compost collection five years before the service starts.
On Thursday, city council approved a plan to raise the fee on Jan. 1, 2025, to begin collecting money for green carts and kitchen pails.
Green cart pickups should begin in 2030.
Free outdoor pools on long weekend
WINNIPEGGERS can visit all outdoor city pools for free during the August long weekend.
Thursday, city council approved a call to waive admission fees at heated outdoor pools from Aug. 3. to 5.
The move, expected to cost about $22,000, will be funded from a land dedication reserve and the mayor’s office.
Stricter Standards for vacant buildings
OWNERS of all vacant buildings will face strict standards to board up their properties to prevent break-ins and fires.
Thursday, city council voted to require the most stringent boarding procedures for all vacant buildings, which will require stronger materials, such as thicker plywood and longer screws.
Council also approved two motions that aim to speed up new housing development.That will end the city’s formal pre-application process for developments by Dec. 31, 2024.
The changes remove the requirement for a traffic study to be completed before a development application can be accepted for residential or mixed-used projects with 20 or more housing units in a single structure.
Mayor Scott Gillingham expects the changes to help get housing built more quickly.
Councillor deemed tardy for meeting
A councillor was publicly called out for arriving late to Thursday’s city council meeting.
After Coun. Russ Wyatt (Transcona) criticized Speaker Devi Sharma for speaking on a council decision without following the rule to hand her role over to the deputy speaker first, Sharma suggested Wyatt was tardy.
“And I’d like you to come to work on time, too,” said Coun. Sharma (Old Kildonan), after Wyatt’s complaint.
Following council’s lunch break, Sharma agreed to retract the comment at Wyatt’s request.
He told council he had warned the Speaker Wednesday he would be late for the meeting.
“You knew I was going to be late. I told you why last night,” Wyatt said, addressing Sharma.
He did not provide the reason he was late.
After the initial comments, Mayor Scott Gillingham said he would be open to tracking when council members are late to city meetings, though he didn’t commit to call for the change himself.
“I’d be very open to… that being tracked in the future as to whether I or councillors are late. I think that’s fair. We’re working for the public,” said Gillingham.
Senior city staff to settle larger legal claims
THE dollar value of legal claims senior City of Winnipeg staff can settle without involving elected officials is about to rise.
On Thursday, city council voted to significantly hike the dollar amounts.
The city solicitor will have the power to approve settlements up to $100,000 (increased from $10,000), the chief financial officer will approve settlements up to $250,000 (increased from $100,000), the chief administrative officer will handle those up to $500,000 (up from $100,000) and executive policy committee will decide on settlements up to $750,000 (up from $250,000.)
City council approval will still be required to settle claims worth more than $750,000, tripling the current $250,000 threshold.
City approves secondary plan
A vision to revitalize Winnipeg’s downtown has been approved.
A secondary plan to implement CentrePlan 2050 is now final. It aims to add green space, calm traffic, reimagine Graham Avenue and attract new residents.
The plan sets a target to ensure at least 350 new residential units get built in the city centre each year until 2030, followed by 500 annually after that.
Mayor stuck in New York City
MAYOR Scott Gillingham was forced to attend the July city council meeting remotely on Thursday, after his flight was cancelled.
The mayor was prepared to leave New York City on Wednesday night but was stuck there after a storm prevented his flight from leaving. Gillingham was away on city business, attending Bloomberg Harvard city leadership initiative sessions with other civic leaders.
The initiative is meant to develop strategies which Gillingham hopes will help address vacant and derelict properties.
— Joyanne Pursaga
Joyanne Pursaga
Reporter
Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.
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