REGINA - A new amendment put forward by the executive committee addresses concerns business owners located near the new permanent shelter have raised for months.
After city council approved the Eagles Club back in the fall as the location of their permanent homeless shelter for summer 2025, resolution 10 of the motion stated the city would determine eligibility expenses occurring from the shelter.
These included items like lighting, hiring security, graffiti and more. However, city council amended resolution 10 back in Jan., which concerned businesses within 250 metres of the shelter regarding receiving compensation.
City council heard from stakeholders in the area and directed administration to further consult with them.
A report came back to the executive committee on Wednesday stating the city plans to add lighting in alleyways while limiting visibility into the shelter with plants/shrubs.
While businesses were happy with the consultation, they believed more was still needed.
Daniel Turgeon of Town & Country Plumbing requested councillors to provide a clear mandate to city administration to fund an emergency shelter and good neighbour security maintenance fund.
With this fund, Turgeon said this will cover the cost of a remote security system for businesses, adding fencing and more.
Turgeon also requested a mandate for city administration to formalize a public backstop for business owners within 100 metres of the shelter.
He noted that through the 'Good Neighbour Plan,' businesses are supportive of the shelter and want to work with the city to make this a thriving area.
However, in the event businesses near the shelter lose property value, Turgeon wants the city to provide compensation through tax abatement.
Bobby Krznar of LK Auto Collision supported Turgeon’s request. He said if these issues aren’t addressed, he cannot support the opening of the shelter.
"[We] will start a process for filing a petition to shut it down even if you open it," he said.
Wendy Miller, executive director of the Heritage Community Association (HCA), said there needs to be respect for the research done by these businesses.
Miller added, "I think we need to be proactive rather than reactive."
She noted the HCA has picked up hundreds of pounds of garbage in certain parts of the area between Jan. and March, which included finding needles.
From what she heard from many councillors, Miller felt there was a huge disconnect between them and the community. She invited councillors to take a walk to see the reality of what business owners are speaking about.
Potential Compensation
After hearing from the delegates, Ward 2 Coun. George Tsiklis put forward an amendment which provided compensation for stakeholders within 100 metres of the shelter.
Further dialogue led to changes to the original amendment, with several key points.
City administration would report back to the executive committee in July 2025 to develop a good neighbourhood maintenance compensation program to support businesses within 100 metres of the emergency shelter.
Also, determining eligibility for compensation for expenses occurred would be established through a "mechanism to access and distinguish between pre-existing conditions and new impacts that emerged from the shelter."
Niki Anderson, city manager, noted it would be normally difficult for the city to determine the result of damages due to a property in the area.
The last point is developing eligibility requirements for surrounding businesses and financial parameters to balance support for businesses.
The amendment passed 8-2, with Shobna Radons (Ward 7) and Shanon Zachidniak (Ward 8) voting against it.
Ward 3 Coun. David Froh spoke about the ongoing discussions today. "[This] reflects the fact that we have to get it right [as a city]."
Froh noted they won't be able to give everything the businesses want, so he believes the dialogue is about striking a balance.
He also said there are no concerns with the opening of the shelter, as it's still set for July.
The final decision to approve the amendment will come at the April 9th city council meeting.
