Council Meeting Minutes - September 25, 2000

Time:

7:00 p. m.

Place:

Council Chambers

Richmond City Hall

Present:

Mayor Greg Halsey-Brandt
Councillor Linda Barnes
Councillor Malcolm Brodie
Councillor Lyn Greenhill
Councillor Kiichi Kumagai
Councillor Ken Johnston
Councillor Bill McNulty
Councillor Harold Steves

City Clerk - J. Richard McKenna

Absent:

Councillor Derek Dang

Call to Order:

Mayor Halsey-Brandt called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

It was moved and seconded

That:

the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting held on Monday, September 11^th, 2000; and

the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting for Public Hearings held on Monday, September 18^th, 2000,

each be adopted as circulated; and that the TransLink "Board in Brief" dated September 20^th, 2000, be received for information.

CARRIED

That the following matters be added to the Council as additional items:

Official Community Plan Amendment Bylaw No. 7111 and Zoning & Development Bylaw No. 7112, for 6000 No. 5 Road and 12040 Westminster Highway; and

Development Permit (DP 99-170128) for 6000 No. 5 Road and Westminster Highway; and

appointment of an alternative delegate to the Municipal Insurance Association of British Columbia; and

That Municipal Ticket Information Authorization Bylaw No. 7139, Bylaw No. 7149 be deleted from the "Bylaws for Adoption" portion of the Council Agenda.

CARRIED

The Director, Parks, Dave Semple, accompanied by the Manager, Parks Administration & Programs, Mike Redpath, through a video presentation, presented the City's Blooming Beautiful garden contest winners for 2000, to Council.

It was moved and seconded

That Council resolve into Committee of the Whole to hear delegations on agenda items (7:20 p.m.).

CARRIED

Delegations from the floor on Agenda items -

Item No. 14 - Application for Agricultural Land Reserve Appeal - Sungold Entertainment Corp.

Mr. Brian Hayes expressed support for a new horse racing facility in Richmond. He spoke about the removal of the subject properties from the Agricultural Land Reserve to accommodate the proposal, and the application submitted by Sungold Entertainment Corp., which he felt would provide a major contribution to both the Richmond and British Columbia economy.

Mr. Doug Savage, of 11580 Cambie Road, commented on the hardships of dairy farming. He spoke in support of the proposed horse racing track because he felt that it would be an asset for not only East Richmond but all of Richmond.

Mr. Bob Dhillon, of Sunnymede Crescent, voiced his support for the proposed race track.

Mr. Ken Hart, of 6691 Gibbons Drive, read aloud a letters from the following Richmond residents, John and Doreen May of 15551 Cambie Road; Don and Carol Wilson, TSC Nursery Sales Ltd., of 18071 Westminster Highway; Gordon and Caroline McKay, of 22140 Chaldicott Road; Olive and Donald May, of 15680 Westminster Highway; and Michael Knox, of 13420 Westminster Highway, who supported the proposed race track. These letters are on file in the City Clerks Office.

Mr. Billie Konyk, of 9260 Saunders Road, spoke about the tax revenue which the City would receive if the project was approved, and expressed his support for the proposed horse racing track. He urged Council to authorize the application to the Agricultural Land Commission.

Mr. Rob McRae, stated that he had many concerns about the proposal put forward by the applicant, who had not contacted the residents living in the area of Westminster Highway and Kartner Road. Mr. McRae then spoke about the negative impact which the proposal would have on the surrounding area, including an increase in crime and traffic, He urged Council to deny the application and to continue to protect all farmland in the Agricultural Land Reserve.

Ms. Leah Boatman, spoke in support of the project., indicating that horses were also part of the agricultural industry.

Ms. Joan Turner, spoke about her love for horses, and the work that she does in that industry. She suggested that the proposed track would not only offer a unique opportunity to the community but would also provide increased employment and revenue for the City. Ms. Turner urged Council to approve the application.

Mr. Steve Bryant, a resident of Surrey, and a trainer at Hastings Park in Vancouver, suggested that the work of raising and racing horses was all part of the agricultural industry, and he urged Council to support the application.

Mr. Jamie Reighton, of 2260 56^th Avenue, Langley, provided information on the difficulties which he encountered in obtaining feed for his horses at Hastings Park, and suggested that a race track location in Richmond would held to alleviate these problems. He urged Council to approve the Sungold application.

Mr. Bill Laterno, of Ackroyd Road, also representing the William Chen family, suggested that the silent majority who supported the race track proposal, were not being heard. He urged Council to support the application.

Mr. George Crossley, of Fedoruk Road, expressed concern about (i) the provision of only one access to and from the proposed development; and (ii) the negative impact which the development would have on the surrounding area because of increased traffic, noise and vandalism.

Mr. Louie Gagnon, General Manager of the Sandman Hotel, suggested that the proposed race track would make Richmond the gateway to the Lower Mainland and beyond. He provided information on the current vacancy rates in local hotels and commented that the location of the race track in Richmond would help to alleviate this situation.

Ms. Frances Clark, of 8160 Railway Avenue, spoke in favour of the proposed application. A copy of her submission is on file in the City Clerk's Office.

Ms. Marlene Hart, advised that she was speaking on behalf of the business sector. She then read aloud a letter from Cindy Trang, the operator of Humptys Family Restaurant, who supported the location of the proposed race track in Richmond. Ms. Hart also read out a list of restaurants and hotels which supported the race track, as well as correspondence from Mr. Wally Bishop of Stevens Insurance, who supported the proposed race track because of the increase in economy which would result.

Mr. Todd May, of 15411 Cambie Road, talked about the mutual support provided by those in the farming community, and expressed concern about the negative impact which the proposed race track would have on the economic viability on farming in the future. He spoke in opposition to the proposed location of a race track in Richmond.

Mr. Kim Hart came forward, and requested an additional 15 minutes to make a presentation on the proposed race track.

It was moved and seconded

That the delegation be given an additional 15 minutes to make his presentation.

CARRIED

Mr. Hart then spoke about the history of horse racing in Richmond, and used site plans to explain the proposal to Council.

Ms. Colleen Chambers, of 7751 Minoru Boulevard, urged Council to deny the application because of (i) the increase in gambling which would result if the race track was approved; (ii) the negative impact which the proposal would have on the agricultural land; and (iii) the fact that the regulators of the Vancouver Stock Exchange had not accepted the Sungold Entertainment Corp. application because of the lack of a focussed business plan.

Mr. Steve Hopkins, a resident of Mission, spoke in support of the proposed race track.

Item No. 12 - Application for Agricultural Land Reserve Appeal (Exclusion) - Richberry Farms Ltd.

Mr. Abel Atwal, accompanied by Mr. Peter Dhillon, owner of Richberry Farms, provided information on the history of the property and the application now being considered. Mr. Atwal spoke in favour of the proposed exclusion from the Agricultural Land Reserve.

It was moved and seconded

That Committee rise and report (9:19 p.m.).

CARRIED

(Recommendation forwarded from the Regular (closed) Council meeting.)

It was moved and seconded

That Awards for Innovation Policy 6401 be amended to ensure that the cash award of a maximum of $500 would be "$500 net".

CARRIED

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the General Purposes Committee meeting held on Monday, September 18^th, 2000, be received for information.

CARRIED

(Report: Sept. 8/00, File No.: 6045-11) (REDMS No. 185851)

R00/17-7

It was moved and seconded

That staff initiate a public consultation program to determine the level of acceptance for increased flood construction requirements in Richmond.

CARRIED

(Report: Sept. 12/00, File No.: 6455-01) (REDMS No. 177714, 172601)

R00/17-8

It was moved and seconded

That an additional Parking Patroller position be created and added to the City's position complement control.

CARRIED

(Report: Aug. 31/00, File No.: 8060-20-7150) (REDMS No. 181693, 164161)

R00/17-9

It was moved and seconded

That Board of Variance Establishment and Procedure Bylaw No. 7150 be introduced and given first, second and third readings.

CARRIED

(Report: Sept. 14/00, File No.: 1850-02) (REDMS No. 158564)

R00/17-10

It was moved and seconded

That a financial contribution of $70,000, of which 50% would be paid back by employees on a user fee system, toward the cost of outfitting and equipping a Corporate Wellness Centre at City Hall, be authorized.

CARRIED

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held on Tuesday, September 19^th, 2000, be received for information.

CARRIED

(AG 00-086824 Report: Aug. 24/00, File No.: AG 00-086824) (REDMS No. 180815, 185802) (Referred from the September 11^th, 2000 Council Meeting.)

R00/17-12

It was moved and seconded

That Richberry Farms Ltd. be authorized to apply to the Agricultural Land Commission for the exclusion of properties at 20471, 20491, 20511, 20531, 20551, 20571 and 20591 Westminster Highway.

CARRIED

OPPOSED: Cllr. Barnes
Steves

(RZ 00 173517) (Report: September 1/00, File No.: 8060-20-7060 and 7161) (REDMS No. 172738, 183256, 183252)

R00/17-13

It was moved and seconded

That Bylaw No. 7160, to amend Attachment 3 to Schedule 1 of Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 7100 (as shown in Schedule A attached to and forming part of Bylaw No. 7160), be introduced and given first reading.

That Bylaw No. 7160, having been examined in conjunction with the Capital Expenditure Program, the Waste Management Plan, the Economic Strategy Plan, and the 5 Year Financial Plan, is hereby deemed to be consistent with said program and plans, in accordance with Section 882(3) of the Local Government Act.

That Bylaw No. 7160, having been examined in accordance with the City Policy No. 5002 on referral of Official Community Plan Amendments, is hereby deemed to have no effect upon an adjoining Municipality nor function or area of the Greater Vancouver Regional District, in accordance with Section 882(3)(d) and (e) of the Local Government Act.

That Bylaw No. 7161, for the rezoning of 23231 Hamilton Road, and 23211 & 23251 Dyke Road from "Light Industrial District (I2)" to "Business Park Industrial District (I3)", be introduced and given first reading.

CARRIED

(AG 00-176704) (Report: September 6/00, File No.: AG 00-176704) (REDMS No. 184349)

R00/17-14

It was moved and seconded

That authorization for Sungold Entertainment Corp. to apply to the Agricultural Land Commission for a horse racetrack at 6220 and 6131 No. 8 Road, BE DENIED.

CARRIED

OPPOSED: Cllr. Kumagai

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the Public Works & Transportation Committee meeting held on Wednesday, September 20^th, 2000, be received for information.

CARRIED

(Report: Sept. 7/00, File No.: 6500-01) (REDMS No. 176012)

R00/17-16

It was moved and seconded

That the proposed Management Plan for the Richmond/Airport-Vancouver Rapid Transit Study, (as outlined in the report dated September 7^th, 2000 from the Manager of Transportation), be endorsed.

That the proposed staff participation on the Richmond/Airport-Vancouver Rapid Transit Study Steering Committee and Technical Committee and other activities related to the study work plan be endorsed.

That a Richmond Rapid Transit Public Advisory Committee, consisting of local Richmond stakeholders, be established to provide input on specific aspects of the study related to Richmond's portion of the line and other general issues that may have an impact on Richmond; and that staff report to Council on the proposed composition of the Committee, including a Council representative.

That staff report to Council on the study progress at key decision points of the study, including the conclusions and recommendations reached at the end of the Needs Assessment and Rapid Transit Line Definition phases.

That the above recommendations be conveyed to the TransLink Board of Directors and other agencies participating in the study.

That the Mayor and City Clerk be authorized to execute the memorandum of understanding for Phase 2 of the Richmond/Airport-Vancouver Rapid Transit Study.

CARRIED

(Report: Sept. 21/00; File No.: 6480-01) (REDMS 190455)

R00/17-17

It was moved and seconded

That the Greater Vancouver Regional District and the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority be advised that City Council requests that the public consultation process being held include a referendum on the various funding options, and that copies of the correspondence be forwarded to all member municipalities of the GVTA.

CARRIED

(Report: Sept. 7/00, File No.: 6500-01) (REDMS No. 183414)

R00/17-18

It was moved and seconded

That the submission of the following five projects for cost-sharing be endorsed as part of the TransLink 2001 Major Road Network Capital Development Plan:

Garden City Road and Sea Island Way intersection improvements;

Garden City Road and Bridgeport Road intersection improvements;

Gilbert Road traffic safety and cycling improvements (Granville Avenue to Dinsmore Bridge);

Westminster Highway traffic safety and cycling improvements (No. 6 Road to No. 7 Road); and

Transit passenger facilities to accommodate transit services on existing major roads.

That staff report to Council, through the Public Works & Transportation Committee, on the outcome of the evaluation by the Major Roads Technical Advisory Committee on the proposed Richmond submission to the 2001 Major Road Network Capital Development Program.

CARRIED

(Report: Sept. 11/00, File No.: 1090-01) (REDMS No. 186285)

R00/17-19

It was moved and seconded

That staff pursue establishing a partnership with the local automobile dealers and manufacturers to secure a one-year pilot study for an electrically powered vehicle as part of the City's fleet for a grant application to be submitted by the City to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Green Municipal Enabling Fund.

That the electrically-powered vehicle pilot program be referred to the Corporate Sponsorship Committee for review.

That, if the grant from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Green Municipal Enabling Fund is approved for the above study, a project steering committee be established with representation by Council, as required under the terms of the grant agreement.

CARRIED

(Report: Sept. 21/00, File No.: 6175-01) (REDMS No. 190295)

R00/17-20

It was moved and seconded

That a letter supporting the GVRD Planning & Environment Committee position on the Sumas 2 Energy Generating Facility be sent to the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council in the State of Washington, and to the Provincial Environment Minister.

CARRIED

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes and the Chairs amended report for the meeting held on September 13^th, 2000, be received for information.

That the recommendations of the Panel to authorize the issuance of:

a Development Permit (DP 00-174676) for property at 7351 and 7371 Moffatt Road; and

Development Variance Permits for properties at:

13611 Smallwood Place (DV 00-174568); and

13220 Smallwood Place (DV 00-174878)

be endorsed, and the Permits so issued.

CARRIED

It was moved and seconded

That Development Variance Permit (DV 00-174210) for the property at 12033 Riverside Way, be referred to a Public Hearing in October.

Prior to the question on the motion being called, staff were requested to report to the Public Hearing on how a restrictive covenant could be registered on the title of the property which would to restrict the use of the property during certain hours.

The question on Resolution No. R00/17-22 was then called, and it was CARRIED.

(Report: Sept. 17/00, File No.: 7400-01) (REDMS No. 188913)

R00/17-23

It was moved and seconded

That a letter be sent to the Minister of Small Business, Tourism, and Culture informing the Ministry that the City will not be submitting a formal bid for the BC Summer or BC Winter Games this year.

That staff annually review future organized games bids with participation from Sports Council, to determine the overall level of community interest in the co-ordination of future games events for Richmond.

CARRIED

(Report: Sept. 8/00, File No.: 0060-20-MIAS1) (REDMS No. 185989)

R00/17-24

It was moved and seconded

That Rebecca Findlay be appointed as an alternative delegate and be registered with the Municipal Insurance Association of British Columbia, to allow her to attend meetings of the MIA and to vote in the absence of the Voting Delegate Mr. Jim Bruce.

CARRIED

It was moved and seconded

That the following bylaws be adopted:

(RZ 95-000186, 6000 No. 5 Road and 12040 Westminster Highway)

(RZ 95-000186, 6000 No. 5 Road and 12040 Westminster Highway).

CARRIED

It was moved and seconded

That the recommendation of the Panel to authorize the issuance of Development Permit (DP 99-170128) for property at 6000 No. 5 Road and 12040 Westminster Highway, be endorsed and the Permit so issued.

CARRIED

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (10:50 p.m.).

CARRIED

Certified a true and correct copy of the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Council of the City of Richmond held on Monday, September 25^th, 2000.

_________________________________

_________________________________

Mayor Greg Halsey-Brandt

City Clerk (J. Richard McKenna)