MINUTES

1.

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meetings of the Finance Select Committee held on Tuesday, November 9^th, 2004 and Monday, November 15^th, 2004 be adopted as circulated.

CARRIED

2.

2005 ADDITIONAL LEVEL REQUESTS

(Report:  January 24/2005, File No.:  03-0970-01/2005-Vol 01) (REDMS No. 1409443)

The General Manager, Finance and Corporate Services, Rod Kray, the Acting Director of Finance, Jerry Chong, and the Manager, Revenue, Ivy Wong, responded to questions from Committee on various components of the report.

During that discussion direction was given that staff provide a memorandum that would i) outline the effect the use of civilian staff was expected to have on relieving officers of their daily administrative tasks; ii) identify any such additional changes that could occur over the long term that would increase the number of constables on the street; iii) include an analysis of the number of constables including the impact of the Integrated Homicide Team on the overall complement of RCMP officers; iv) identify the actual percentage of the RCMP complement that actively provide service to the City; and  vi) the implications of the PRIME and CPIC positions on policing services.

Cllr. Barnes joined the meeting during the above discussion – 4:10 pm.

Direction was also given that i) the budget reports be amended to reflect the surplus casino funds for 2004 of approximately $4 Million to be allocated to the Capital Building Infrastructure Reserve Fund pursuant to Council direction of November 22^nd, 2004; ii) the Capital Building Infrastructure Reserve fund 2005 contribution of $1.8 Million; and iii) once surplus figures were known and discussed by the Finance Select Committee, that a proportion of those funds be allotted to the Road Rehabilitation Program.

The Chair acknowledged the hard work and due diligence of staff that had resulted in a property tax increase under the rate of inflation, and he expressed his appreciation of both to staff and Committee members for achieving this.

It was moved and seconded

That:

(1)

the 2005 Additional Levels report (dated January 24, 2005  from the Budgets and Accounting Manager) be received; and

(2)

the following 2005 Additional Level Request items be approved:

i)

RCMP - 1 Officer ($129,000)

ii)

RCMP - 2 City Station Assistants ($101,400)

iii)

RCMP - 1 PRIME Electronic Records Management position (IT) ($74,400)

iv)

RCMP - 1 GIS Plainclothes Assistant ($47,700)

v)

RCMP - 1 CPIC Clerk ($47,700)

vi)

Information Technology - Hansen Service and Maintenance Agreement ($50,000)

vii)

Fire Rescue - Records Management System ($127,400)

viii)

Roads and Construction-Asphalt Rehabilitation Program ($150,000)

ix)

Clerks – Auxiliary and part time staff ($20,000)

x)

Treasury – Point of Sale (POS) Clerk ($61,160)

(3)

Other-Library-Additional Hours of Service for Cambie Library ($58,415) to be funded by the Library’s surplus.

CARRIED

3.

2005 CAPITAL BUDGET AMENDMENT
(Report:  January 24/2005, File No.:  03-0970-01/2005-Vol 01) (REDMS No. 1409441)

Discussion ensued among Committee members as to whether more detailed information was required on the land acquisitions, as a result of which direction was given that a report be provided that would include - i) the general strategy for land acquisitions, and in particular parkland acquisitions; and, ii) the ability to finance from the identified funding sources, and the balance which would remain in those sources once the amendments to the 2005 Capital Budget were carried out.

It was moved and seconded

That the 2005 Capital Budget be amended to add the following items;

(1)

$15 M for the acquisition of the North Loop Road property,

(2)

$10 M for Strategic Land acquisitions, and

(3)

an additional $3.9 M for Parkland acquisitions

CARRIED

4.

FIVE YEAR FINANCIAL PLAN (2005 – 2009)
(Report:  January 31/2005, File No.:  ) (REDMS No. 1412310)

A discussion ensued among Committee members and the Acting Director of Finance, Jerry Chong, during which:

i)

a suggestion was made that the ‘Breakdown of Municipal Tax of $1 on Average Household’ chart, on page 33 of the agenda package, and perhaps the ‘Breakdown of Budget by Division’, should be included in the property tax notices;

ii)

direction was given that a report be provided on the status of the Capital Building and Infrastructure Reserve fund.  In addition, the payment of debt for the No. 2 Road Bridge, including the date that the City would be debt-free, and, an update of the status of the reserve accounts completed in 2004, was requested to be included in the report;

iii)

a request was made that the visual presentation of the $0.04 amounts shown on page 33 of the report be made visually identical; and

iv)

a request was made that a visual representation be provided of  a) when the City would be debt free, and b) the reserve accounts.

It was moved and seconded

That:

(1)

the proposed 5 Year Financial Plan (2005 – 2009) be approved; and

(2)

a process of public consultation regarding the Five Year Financial Plan (2005 – 2009) be undertaken before the bylaw is adopted as required under Section 165 of the Community Charter.

CARRIED

5.

TAX ASSESSMENTS - COMMERCIAL STRATA VERSUS TRADITIONAL MALLS(Report:  January 5/2005, File No.:  ) (REDMS No. 1407741)

The Chair indicated that this item would be referred to the next meeting of the Finance Select Committee at which time Richmond MLA Greg Halsey-Brandt would make a presentation to the Committee.

6.

MANAGER’S REPORT

There were no reports.

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (5:05 p.m.).

CARRIED

Certified a true and correct copy of the Minutes of the meeting of the Finance Select Committee of the Council of the City of Richmond held on Monday, January 31^st, 2005

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Councillor Kiichi Kumagai
Chair

Deb MacLennan
Administrative Assistant