No, my mood has not fucking improved since my Six in the Goddamn Morning of earlier today.
Not helping matters is I've discovered an interesting tidbit about the Downtown Neighbourhood Plan deliberations slated for a week from today (which I mentioned in Point 3 of said Six in the Goddamn Morning).
The city sent a notice out yesterday informing some folk that the plan would be discussed at a special meeting of the Regina Planning Commission.
Here's a quote from that notice:
"Please be advised that the Regina Planning Commission will be considering the above report at a special meeting sheduled for Friday, September 18, 2009 at 11:45 a.m., in Henry Baker Hall, Main Floor, City Hall. You are welcome to attend this meeting. The agenda will be made public at 11 a.m. on Thursday, September 17 and you will be able to access the report and Regina Downtown Neighbourhood Plan on the 17 by visiting www.Regina.ca>City Council and Committees > View meeting calendar, agendas & decisions > Sept 18 Regina Planning Commission. The website will also reflect the changes that have been made to the Regina Downtown Neighbourhood Plan since it was released in May 2009."You read that right. The plan will be released a mere day before the meeting at which it will be discussed.
Now I was always under the impression that, as reliably as daybreak following night, taxes coming due in April, hangovers following a Friday "editorial meeting", reports to be considered at RPC one week were released on the Friday before the meeting. I thought that was the whole reason behind this four month delay: people needed more than a week to read the plan.
This time around, we're getting 24 hours to go over what's been changed. (The changes, by all accounts, inspired by concerns coming mainly from the development community.)
Granted, the bulk of the plan has been available for months so it's time to get things moving along. But still.... a day to go over the final draft and sort through any changes? Why the break with tradition? Why isn't the modified version online right now so that those of us with a few other commitments in our lives can have a chance to go over the new version before the meeting?
(And, by the way, if you have any questions about the final draft once it's released, you can apparently contact the city's senior planner with them. That'd give you about seven hours of work time to read the thing, grok the changes then get him on the horn.)
You can still download the original version of the plan on the city's website. By all accounts, most of this will still be valid a week from now. (I'd like to say that for certain, but obviously, I can't.)
And keep in mind, where it says in that memo I quoted from, "You are welcome to attend", that doesn't just refer to people who get a notice. Anyone can speak before RPC. That includes you. All you have to do is show up before the meeting and put your name on the list of speakers.
More on this when, and if, we get anything.
.jpg)
5 comments:
Paul - thank you so much for always keeping this stuff at the forefront! I try to stay on top of the city's affairs but it seems to always fall to the side - so thank you for always putting up reminders. I will be there on the 18th for sure.
There's a media briefing at 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 18 where Bob Bjerke will discuss details of the plan and Mayor Pat Fiacco will be available to take questions and participate in a media scrum. At the RPC meeting folowing that the Plains Hotel site redevelopment proposal will also be considered.
Laura: Thanks for reading. Especially through all the cranky stuff. Hope to see you on the 18th.
Greg: Any word on when that follow-up RPC meeting will be? The city website says the Sept 23 meeting -- the one immediately after the Downtown Plan meeting -- has been canceled due to a lack of agenda items.
I just meant at the meeting you mentioned in your post. There's a media briefing on the downtown plan at 10:30 on the 18th. Then there's the planning commission meeting at 11:45. According to the city's press release, that meeting will also include some discussion of the Plains proposal.
Oh! Now I understand. Thx.
Post a Comment