REGINA -- Several new items were approved at City Council’s final meeting of 2020 on Wednesday.

Council approved increasing Regina Exhibition Association Limited’s debt limit by $8 million to $21 million. A proposal from REAL said it was struggling to make money due to a lack of events this year. Council also approved providing $700,000 a year to REAL starting in 2021 to help pay debts.

A McDonald’s planned to be built on the Evraz Place campus was given a 40 year lease by council. A long discussion surrounding the process lead to council asking administration to develop a report looking at creating an open and transparent procurement process with REAL, for choosing businesses on the Evraz Place campus and how local businesses apply.

Council also decided to amend the traffic bylaw to remove the portion of 9 Avenue North from Pinkie Road to Pasqua Street from the Heavy and Long Haul Combination Route. The amendment means heavy trucks will no longer be allowed on the roadway unless they are using the most direct route to and from a destination from the Heavy or Long Combination Vehicle Route. Administration will draft a report to determine the implications of preventing heavy truck traffic on that road and the resulting impact on other areas of Regina. The changes to the route will take effect on Jan. 1, 2020.

“The truck report coming forward I think is, as a city, we want truck traffic in our city. It’s indicative of industry and business and the economy humming along, so I think that would be the bigger picture that council is going to have to look at,” Mayor of Regina Sandra Masters said.

Council also established a new COVID-19 Recovery Reserve. It will take $14,289,000 from the federal Safe Re-Start Program. As well, $2,000,000 of the federal Safe Re-Start Program funding will also be used to fund the previously approved Regina Economic Recovery Grant Program.

Also approved on Wednesday; a two-year 40 per cent tax exemption extension for licensed nonprofit childcare centres. A motion from councillor Andrew Stevens was also approved, to call on governments to introduce an affordable childcare program. Stevens said the move will put the city in an advocacy role and would mandate that affordable childcare becomes a priority for governments.

A discretionary use application was also approved, to allow the development of an existing vacant building at 3433 5 Ave. The building would include administrative offices and community and cultural hub offering Indigenous community-based programs and services.

A change was made to the “Design Regina: The Official Community Plan Bylaw” on Wednesday. Council agreed to accommodate future commercial development opportunities within the “Cathedral Area Neighbourhood Plan.”

Council approved tax exemptions for 25 non-profit groups for 2021.

City council also approved a Heritage Regina application to get the “Darke Block” located at 2125 11 Ave. a Municipal Heritage Designation.