REGINA — Regina city council has shot down an amendment to restrict non-residental delegates from appearing in meetings.
Per approval of a motion, non-residents could only appear in a council meeting if they received approval from a councillor after submitting a request to appear as a delegate.
Sarah Turnbull (Ward 5) said her motion was intended to make the delegate process more efficient.
Under the current bylaw, any person could request to appear in front of council by a certain date with a submission that relates to and respects the subject matter.
During a special city council meeting discussing whether the city would implement fluoride in its drinking water, several delegates outside Regina, including residents from Calgary, Ontario and the U.S., presented their stance.
Council ended up taking roughly 7-8 hours to listen to every delegate.
Turnbull said it's important to ensure council hears from its citizens on their concerns when making a decision.
Rather than decide on changing the bylaw Wednesday, council agreed to vote on directing administration to come back with a report on changing delegation procedure.
Council voted 6-5 against directing a report to administration, with Dan Rashovich (Ward 1), George Tsiklis (Ward 2), Victoria Flores (Ward 6), Shanon Zachidniak (Ward 8), Jason Mancinelli (Ward 9), and Clark Bezo (Ward 10) voting against.
Meanwhile, Mayor Chad Bachynski, David Froh (Ward 3), Mark Burton (Ward 4), Turnbull, and Shobna Radons (Ward 7) voted in favour.
Another part of the motion was creating a better experience for delegates and an easier way for community feedback.
This included, but not limited to, creating a viewing lounge and child area within the cafeteria for delegates to stay in.
Some councillors didn’t agree with these suggestions.
“It's taking the role of what we do here and turning it into more of an entertainment,” said Bezo.
While not supporting the motion, other councillors agreed with its intent.
“There remain incredible barriers to get into council,” said Froh, referring to challenges disabled people or single parents working face as delegates during the day.
Council supported a new motion directing administration to report back to the executive committee on ongoing processes to improve delegates' experiences.
These processes include upgrades to A/V equipment inside Henry Baker Hall, new agenda management software accessible for the public, and engagement regarding accessibility for public meeting rooms.
A detailed report will be supplied in Q4 2025.
