Abandoned buildings top of mind for Regina’s bylaw enforcement during funding request


Regina’s unsecured and abandoned buildings were on the top of the docket during Tuesday’s Executive Council meeting.

The Bylaw Enforcement Branch of the City of Regina proposed multiple amendments to The Regina Community Standards Bylaw in response to a report from the Board of Police Commissioners.

Some of the proposed changes included:

  • Creation of districts for bylaw enforcement and a priority system.
  • Increase of ends for the more extreme property standards violations.
  • Recommendation to allow for more timely responses.
  • An increase in contracted services budget.

Another proposed change in the bylaw would allow officers to immediately ‘secure’ unsecured properties within the same day of issuing an order.

This new protocol would be used in neighborhoods with a higher risk of arson, squatting, vandalism and other property related offenses.

This change would take away the 15-day period for the property owner to appeal the decision after an order was issued.

The enforcement agency also outlined that an “up to date inventory” of vacant and boarded up homes in the city was created. This information could then be shared with the Regina Fire and Protective Services (RFPS) and the Regina Police Service (RPS).

Many of the changes surrounded increasing the efficiency of the bylaw enforcement branch, in order to save the resources of Regina’s emergency services.

“We have identified distinct areas, for example there are more unsecured and boarded up structures in core neighborhoods than there are in suburban neighborhoods,” said Andrea McNeil-Wilson, manager of the Regina Bylaw Enforcement Branch.

“We will focus with a core zone with the suburban enforcement that can deal with those issues that are a priority while treating them both equally but still triaging if we are faced in a neighborhood with both an unsecured structure and overgrown grass and vegetation.”

Part of the proposed amendments was an increase of $50,000 to the Bylaw Enforcement Branch’s budget to cover the cost of ‘increased contracted services.’

However, this request was dropped and the amendments were passed unanimously soon after.


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