Food truck rebate approved

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This article was published 25/06/2021 (1590 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Food truck operators dishing out meals during this year’s COVID-19 pandemic-depressed season will get a break from Winnipeg city hall.

City council has approved a 10 per cent rebate on mobile vendor permit purchases this year, which will include refunds to those who already paid the fee.

Many food trucks did not set up downtown, after COVID-19 led a large portion of area office staff to work from home. Some trucks moved to private parking areas near businesses, while others simply stayed parked.

The city’s website notes the price of a seasonal mobile vendor permit can range from $332 at a non-metered spot, to as high as $3,670 for a larger truck in a prime “high-demand” area.

No action to fund police body cams

A call to for the city to spend $32 million over six years to equip Winnipeg police officers with body cameras has been rejected by council.

On Thursday night, council voted to take no action on the request to add new funding for the project through its 2022 budget process. Instead, the idea was referred back to the Winnipeg Police Board for further discussion.

The Winnipeg Police Service has supported the camera initiative as a way to improve transparency and provide a visual record of officer interactions with the public.

However, Mayor Brian Bowman argued police already have a sufficient budget to pay for the technology, if they deem it a priority.

Approved funding for outreach vans

The City of Winnipeg has approved more than $400,000 to support outreach efforts that assist vulnerable Winnipeggers.

Council voted Thursday to provide $268,683 to the Main Street Project and $134,341 to St. Boniface Street Links, both of which travel through the city to reach Winnipeggers who are homeless or otherwise in need.

A city report notes the organizations can transport vulnerable people to emergency shelters, conduct well-being checks, and may also give out warm food and clothing, as needed. That work can lessen the workload on Winnipeg’s emergency services staff, who might otherwise be called out to support individuals in need.

Infill strategy approved

Winnipeg’s hotly debated infill strategy has been approved.

Council voted 11-3 to finalize amended guidelines Thursday night, with Couns. Sherri Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry), Shawn Nason (Transcona) and Kevin Klein (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood) opposed.

The final rules mean the city will not allow a lot to be split in two if it is served by a gravel back lane in a single-family zoned area, following concerns traffic increases quickly deteriorate such routes. An exception would allow lot splitting in areas where two legal lots are currently covered by one home.

Several developers told the city strict limits to gravel lane builds could make some projects too expensive to pursue, though some councillors argued that will have limited impact because only 10 per cent of city lanes are made of gravel.

The city will also create a secondary plan for the Glenwood neighbourhood, where residents have made hundreds of complaints about specific infill builds.