March 23, 2020 - Minutes

Place:

Council Chambers
Richmond City Hall

Present:

Mayor Malcolm D. Brodie
Councillor Chak Au
Councillor Carol Day
Councillor Kelly Greene (attending via teleconference)
Councillor Alexa Loo
Councillor Bill McNulty
Councillor Linda McPhail
Councillor Harold Steves (attending via teleconference) 
Councillor Michael Wolfe

Corporate Officer – Claudia Jesson

Call to Order:

Mayor Brodie called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

RES NO.

ITEM

MINUTES

R20/6-1

1.

It was moved and seconded

That:

(1)

the minutes of the Regular Council meeting held on March 9, 2020, be adopted as circulated;

(2)

the minutes of the Special Council meeting held on March 16, 2020, be adopted as circulated;

(3)

the minutes of the Regular Council meeting for Public Hearings held on March 16, 2020, be adopted as circulated; and

(4)

the Metro Vancouver ‘Board in Brief’ dated February 28, 2020, be received for information.

CARRIED

AGENDA ADDITIONS & DELETIONS

R20/6-2

It was moved and seconded

(1)

That “Enhanced Enforcement Measures to Support Provincial Health Orders” be added to the Council Agenda as Item No. 15A;

(2)

That Item No. 13 – “Credit Card Payment Service Fee Bylaw No. 9536, Amendment Bylaw No. 10166” be deleted from the Council Agenda; and

(3)

That Item No. 16 – Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7560, Amendment Bylaw No. 10165, be deleted from the Council Agenda.

CARRIED

Mayor Brodie noted that since no members of the public were present at the meeting, a motion to resolve into Committee of the Whole to hear delegations from the floor on Agenda items and to rise and report (Items No. 2 to 4) would not be necessary.

PRESENTATION

Dr. Meena Dawar, Medical Health Officer, Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), provided an update on the COVID-19 pandemic, noting the following:

§   

the situation is evolving rapidly and the number of cases have exceeded 539 in British Columbia and 10 cases in Richmond;

§   

a small percentage of cases involve younger individuals and most individuals exhibit mild symptoms;

§   

the Province has taken measures to slow infection, including issuing a declaration of emergency, issuing a declaration of public health emergency, issuing restrictions on the size of gatherings, facilitating the closure of schools and closures of restaurants, bars, and personal services;

§   

VCH has increased staffing to assist with containment efforts;

§   

a large proportion of cases in the Vancouver Coastal Health region are related to community transmission;

§   

residential care facilities have taken measures to reduce infection, including restricting visitors except for compassionate visitations and screening facility staff for infection;

§   

travellers returning to Canada are requested to self-quarantine for 14 days except for asymptomatic health care workers who may continue to work;

§   

testing strategies include testing for individuals with severe symptoms, health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities;

§   

family physicians have capability to test suspected cases; however VCH is exploring utilizing centralized testing facilities;

§   

the capacity of testing will increase as the backlog of pending tests are resolved;

§   

a surveillance of individuals with mild symptoms is taking place in BC;

§   

residents are encouraged to avoid public gatherings and physical distancing recommendations may be in place for the foreseeable future;

§   

VCH currently has sufficient medical supplies; however VCH staff are continually sourcing additional supplies;

§   

public donations of medical supplies are accepted by the BC Divisions of Family Practice;

§   

the majority of infections are spread by symptomatic individuals;

§   

VCH has taken measures to expand hospital capacity, including the deferral of elective surgeries.

Discussion ensued with regard to:

§   

reporting violators of health orders;

§   

expansion of testing;

§   

expanding communication strategies to encourage compliance of health orders; and

§   

supporting outreach services that target vulnerable individuals.

Council commended Dr. Dawar and health care workers for their service during the pandemic.

CONSENT AGENDA

R20/6-3

5.

It was moved and seconded

That Items No. 6 through No. 11 be adopted by general consent.

CARRIED

6.

COMMITTEE MINUTES

That the minutes of:

(1)

the Community Safety Committee meeting held on March 10, 2020;

(2)

the General Purposes Committee meeting held on March 16, 2020; and

(3)

the Public Works and Transportation Committee meeting held on March 17, 2020;

be received for information.

7.

Traffic Intersection Cameras Implementation Planning 
(File Ref. No. 09-5350-01; 10-6450-08-01; 12-8060-20-010160) (REDMS No. 6329429; 6410712)

(1)

That Consolidated Fees Bylaw No. 8636, Amendment Bylaw No. 10160, which adds a service fee for video footage requests, be introduced and given first, second and third reading;

(2)

That the Consolidated 5 Year Financial Plan (2020-2024) be amended to include the operating budget impact of implementing the Traffic Intersection Cameras system of $100,000 funded by an estimate of $50,000 from revenue and a reallocation of resources from the Community Safety Division; and

(3)

That staff develop a communication plan to inform the public of the implementation of the Traffic Intersection Cameras system and how to request video footage.

ADOPTED ON CONSENT

8.

Cities #WithRefugees Campaign 
(File Ref. No. 07-3300-01) (REDMS No. 6389787 v. 4; 6391057)

That City Council demonstrate its commitment to promoting inclusion and supporting refugees by signing the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Cities #WithRefugees pledge, as outlined in the staff report titled “Cities #WithRefugees Campaign”, dated February 19, 2020 from the Director, Community Social Development.

ADOPTED ON CONSENT

9.

QUADRICYCLE BUSINESS – PROPOSED BYLAW AMENDMENTS TO PERMIT PERMANENT OPERATION
(File Ref. No. 12-8275-06; 12-8060-20-010128/10143/10145) (REDMS No. 6400125 v. 5; 6399847;  6400998; 6400015)

(1)

That Business Licence Bylaw No. 7360, Amendment Bylaw No. 10145, to add a definition of a quadricycle operation, be introduced and given first, second and third reading;

(2)

That Vehicle For Hire Bylaw No. 6900, Amendment Bylaw No. 10128, as amended, to add regulations and requirements for the operation of a quadricycle, be introduced and given first, second and third reading; and

(3)

That Consolidated Fees Bylaw No. 8636, Amendment Bylaw No. 10143, which quantifies the Vehicle for Hire business fee for a quadricycle operation, be introduced and given first, second and third reading.

ADOPTED ON CONSENT

10.

ICBC-City of Richmond Road Improvement Program – 2020 Update 
(File Ref. No. 01-0150-20-ICBC1-01; 03-1000-03-006) (REDMS No. 6372030 v. 3)

(1)

That the list of proposed road safety improvement projects, as described in Attachment 2 of the staff report titled “ICBC-City of Richmond Road Improvement Program – 2020 Update,” dated January 23, 2020 from the Director, Transportation, be endorsed for submission to the ICBC 2020 Road Improvement Program for consideration of cost-share funding; and

(2)

That should the above applications be successful, the Chief Administrative Officer and General Manager, Planning and Development be authorized to execute the cost-share agreements on behalf of the City, and that the Consolidated 5 Year Financial Plan (2020-2024) be amended accordingly.

ADOPTED ON CONSENT

11.

Mitchell Island Environmental Stewardship Initiatives Update 
(File Ref. No. 10-6175-04-01; 10-6125-11-06) (REDMS No. 6397888 v. 7; 6414149, 6414150, 6414151)

(1)

That the Mitchell Island Stormwater Infrastructure Feasibility Study proposed within the staff report titled “Mitchell Island Environmental Stewardship Initiatives Update”, dated February 20, 2020 from the Director, Sustainability and District Energy, be endorsed and a funding application to conduct a feasibility study be prepared and submitted to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund; and

(2)

That the Chief Administrative Officer and General Manager, Engineering and Public Works be authorized to enter into funding agreements with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities should the project be approved for funding, as outlined in the report titled “Mitchell Island Environmental Stewardship Initiatives Update”, dated February 20, 2020, from the Director, Sustainability and District Energy, and that the Consolidated 5 Year Financial Plan (2020-2024) be amended accordingly.

ADOPTED ON CONSENT

12.

Proposed South Arm Jetty Tidal Marsh Project: Provincial Land Tenure Application 
(File Ref. No. 10-6150-11-01; 10-6125-30-008) (REDMS No. 6423982)

Please see Page 7 for action on this item.

CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA

12.

Proposed South Arm Jetty Tidal Marsh Project: Provincial Land Tenure Application 
(File Ref. No. 10-6150-11-01; 10-6125-30-008) (REDMS No. 6423982)

R20/6-4

It was moved and seconded

That, for the purposes of environmental enhancement and consistency with the City’s Flood Protection Management Strategy, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s Provincial Land Tenure Application for a 30 year lease, as identified in the “Proposed South Arm Jetty Tidal Marsh Project: Provincial Land Tenure Application” report dated March 3, 2020, from the Director, Sustainability and District Energy, be supported.

The question on the motion was not called as discussion ensued with regard to (i) encouraging the Port to explore alternative locations for the proposed project, (ii) potential loss of habitat and erosion of marshland, (iii) other Port projects taking place in the Lower Mainland, (iv) the project’s timeline, and (v) the terms of the Land Tenure Application.

In reply to queries from Council, staff noted that the Province is seeking input from stakeholders on the proposed project and that the proposed recommendation focuses on the proposed land tenure application and not a general endorsement of Port of Vancouver activities. Also, staff noted a potential overall habitat and flood protection benefit from the proposed project; however the City can request that the Port explore alternative locations for the project.

As a result of the discussion, the following referral motion was introduced:

R20/6-5

It was moved and seconded

That the staff report titled “Proposed South Arm Jetty Tidal Marsh Project: Provincial Land Tenure Application” dated March 3, 2020, from the Director, Sustainability and District Energy be referred back to staff for more study and to request for an extension of time for the City to provide comments.

CARRIED

NON-CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS

GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE 
Mayor Malcolm D. Brodie, Chair

13.

Credit Card Payment Service Fee Bylaw No. 9536, Amendment Bylaw No. 10166 
(File Ref. No.) (REDMS No.)

Please see page 2 for action on this item.

14.

cessation of Cash transactions during covid-19 outbreak 
(File Ref. No. 03-1240-01) (REDMS No. 6434866)

R20/6-6

It was moved and seconded

That the City of Richmond ceases to accept cash transactions at City Hall until September 30, 2020.

CARRIED

15.

Utility Amendment Bylaws – Utility Billing Due Date Amendment 
(File Ref. No. 12-8060-20-010168/10169/10170) (REDMS No. 6435639; 6435303; 6435305; 6435306)

R20/6-7

It was moved and seconded

(1)

That each of the following bylaws be introduced and given first, second, and third readings:

(a)

Waterworks and Water Rates Bylaw No. 5637, Amendment Bylaw No. 10168;

(b)

Drainage, Dyke and Sanitary Sewer System Bylaw No. 7551, Amendment Bylaw No. 10169; and

(c)

Solid Waste & Recycling Regulation Bylaw No. 6803, Amendment Bylaw No. 10170; and

(2)

That staff be authorized to advertise the proposed bylaw amendments and a corresponding extension to the 2020 flat rate utility bill due date in anticipation of bylaw adoption.

CARRIED

15A.

ENHANCED ENFORCEMENT MEASURES TO SUPPORT PROVINCIAL HEALTH ORDERS 
(File Ref. No. 12-8060-20-010171/10172) (REDMS No. 6435999; 6436005; 6436003)

R20/6-8

It was moved and seconded

(1)

That Business Licence Bylaw No. 7360, Amendment Bylaw No. 10171, to increase fines for businesses not in compliance with the terms of Business Licence Bylaw No. 7360, be introduced and given first, second and third readings;

(2)

That Business Regulation Bylaw No. 7538, Amendment Bylaw No. 10172, to increase fines for businesses not in compliance with the terms of Business Regulation Bylaw No. 7538, be introduced and given first, second and third readings;

(3)

That Council endorse, as reasonable in the current circumstances, a notice procedure for these bylaw amendments as follows, which deviates from that set out in Council Policy 9311:

(a)

following third reading, notice be made via news release and posted on the City's website;

(b)

such notice will invite those who believe they are affected by the proposed bylaws to send written representations to the City Clerk by email or mail so that they are received on or before noon on Friday, April 3, 2020; and

(c)

the anticipated date of adoption for the bylaws is Monday, April 6, 2020; and

(4)

That Council endorse the Chief Licence Inspector to suspend the licence of any business found to be not in compliance with health orders, as outlined in the report titled, “Enhanced Enforcement Measures to Support Provincial Health Orders”, from the General Manager, Community Safety, dated March 23, 2020.

The question on the motion was not called as discussion ensued with regard to (i) current enforcement of health order violations, (ii) encouraging compliance through warnings, and (iii) expansion of enforcement capability and patrols.

In reply to queries from Council, staff noted that bylaw officers are able to issue suspensions and fines up to $10,000 to non-compliant businesses. Staff added that once proposed bylaw amendments are in place, fines for violations can be increased to $50,000. Also, staff noted that the public can communicate with bylaw staff by emailing bylawrequest@richmond.ca, which is monitored daily.

The question on the motion was then called and it was CARRIED.

16.

AMENDMENTS TO THE COUNCIL PROCEDURE BYLAW – ELECTRONIC MEETINGS AND PARTICIPATION BY MEMBERS 
(File Ref. No. 12-8060-20-010167) (REDMS No. 6433396; 6433349)

R20/6-9

It was moved and seconded

That Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7560, Amendment Bylaw No. 10167, which introduces amendments relating to electronic meetings and participation by members, be introduced and given first, second and third readings.

CARRIED

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Mayor Brodie announced measures taken by the City to address the COVID-19 pandemic including facility closures and program cancellations. He directed residents to the City’s website for a full list of facility closures and program cancellations.

BYLAWS FOR ADOPTION

R20/6-10

It was moved and seconded

That Consolidated Fees Bylaw No. 8636, Amendment Bylaw No. 10142 be adopted.

CARRIED

R20/6-11

It was moved and seconded

That Richmond Zoning Bylaw No. 8500, Amendment Bylaw No. 9982 be adopted.

CARRIED 
Opposed: Cllrs. Greene 
Wolfe

DEVELOPMENT PERMIT PANEL

R20/6-12

17.

It was moved and seconded

(1)

That the minutes of the Development Permit Panel meeting held on March 11, 2020, and the Chair’s report for the Development Permit Panel meetings held on October 17, 2019, be received for information; and

(2)

That the recommendation of the Panel to authorize the issuance of a Development Permit (DP 18-829234) for the property at 5631, 5635, 5651, 5691, 5711, 5731 and 5751 Steveston Highway be endorsed, and the Permit so issued.

CARRIED

ADJOURNMENT

R20/6-13

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (8:48 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, March 23, 2020.

_________________________________

_________________________________

Mayor (Malcolm D. Brodie)

Corporate Officer (Claudia Jesson)