Special city council meeting on City Hall encampment set for Thursday

The tent city in front of City Hall will be discussed officially inside that building Thursday.

The City of Regina announced Wednesday a special city council meeting is to be held Thursday at 2 p.m., to consider a report on the homeless encampment that has been in the courtyard in front of City Hall since June.

The agenda for the meeting said city council would be asked to provide direction on “how to address the encampment in the short-term, given the challenges associated with the encampment continue to evolve.”

According to the agenda, council has a choice to make about the encampment’s future.

“The direction sought by Administration would, from the broadest point of view, fall into one of two categories: Either maintain the status quo through summer and fall or take additional/alternative actions specifically intended to expedite decommissioning of the camp,” the agenda said.

“The option to provide Administration with more specific direction related to either of those broad categories lies within Council’s discretion.”

The report said the city has paid $55,000 to date to cover the costs of additional security, service delivery and maintenance and repair. The report said the cost to the city is projected to be about $40,000 to $70,000 per month for as long as the encampment continues.

The encampment sprang up in June to raise awareness about homelessness in the city. The report said that as of Tuesday, there were 83 tents on the grounds of City Hall with a point-in-time head count of 28 people at the site.

The city has said the Regina Police Service and Regina Fire and Protective Services have done wellness checks and walkthroughs to make sure the residents are doing well. As well, city staff have been in touch with camp volunteers as the city tries to help those on the site.

On July 19, a woman died of a suspected drug overdose in the encampment. A candlelight vigil for Elisa (Lala) Tuckanow was held Monday night.

The agenda said 20 overdoses have been reported at the camp to date.

As well, the agenda said there have been 36 calls for service to police for complaints ranging from possible weapons on site to threats of violence to vandalism. The fire department has responded to two fires at the encampment.

According to the report, there have been 64 comments from residents about the tent city; 52 of those opposed the camp (including 11 from businesses or employees who had been “affected negatively by the encampment”). Nine commenters had suggestions or wanted to help the residents, and three were concerned about homelessness but didn’t support the camp.

The agenda also said the city had received 15 reports from staff members who expressed health and safety concerns about the camp or reported violence, thefts or drug use.

It noted that on Wednesday, park maintenance employees refused to work on the basis of “unusually dangerous” working conditions.

“Administration is now following its established process to respond and ensure employee safety is prioritized,” the report said. “This includes on-site counselling services now being provided to Parks Staff who have been affected.”

The report said a survey of City Hall employees had been done to see what impact the camp has had on them. Of the 399 respondents, 82 per cent said the tent city had negatively impacted their well-being.

“This likely reflects concerns with biohazards throughout the front property, firearms and other weapons onsite, and the inherent risk entering and exiting the building to report to work,” the agenda said.

“ For many employees, the encampment presents their first real exposure to people experiencing homelessness, along with the activities and impact of addictions and drug use. While their concerns may be disproportionate to the actual risks, the impact on their well-being is real.”

Delegations wanting to address council Thursday have to register with the Office of the City Clerk by 11 a.m., the release said. They can register by calling 306-777-7262 or emailing Clerks@Regina.ca and providing their full name and contact information.

“The Clerk has waived the requirement for written submissions from delegations for this meeting only,” the release said.