Date:

Monday, July 5, 2010

Place:

Anderson Room

Richmond City Hall

Present:

Mayor Malcolm D. Brodie, Chair

Councillor Derek Dang

Councillor Evelina Halsey-Brandt

Councillor Greg Halsey-Brandt

Councillor Ken Johnston

Councillor Bill McNulty

Councillor Harold Steves

Absent:

Councillor Linda Barnes

Councillor Sue Halsey-Brandt

Call to Order:

The Chair called the meeting to order at 4:47 p.m.

MINUTES

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the Finance Committee held on Monday, June 7, 2010, be adopted as circulated.

CARRIED

COUNCILLOR GREG HALSEY-BRANDT

1.

POLICY ON USE OF COUNCIL CONTINGENCY AND COUNCIL PROVISION ACCOUNTS

(File Ref. No.:)

Councillor Greg Halsey-Brandt provided background information and advised that the words “Committee Chair’ of the proposed recommendation should be replaced with “Mayor or a member of Council”.  He commented that under the proposed policy, a Council member would have a role in bringing forward each report that recommended the use of the Council Contingency or Council Provisional Accounts.

Discussion ensued and Committee commented that the funds of both the Council Contingency and Council Provision accounts are controlled solely by Council as a whole and not any individual member of Council. 

Committee members remarked the following:

§          

if Council or Committee were not satisfied with a staff recommendation on the use of the accounts, Council could simply refer it back to staff;

§          

if staff were to recommend using the accounts to fund a proposed project, alternate sources of funding should also be recommended;

§          

the accounts are seldom accessed and therefore, for some, there was no issue at hand; and

§          

that the proposed policy would add another layer to the process and whether that was advisable.

It was moved and seconded

That the policy for the use of funds from the Council Contingency and Council Provision accounts is as follows:

The use of the Council Contingency and Council Provision accounts may be identified as a funding source on projects proposed by individual Council members, through Council or a Committee of Council or for Council initiatives.  Senior staff may recommend either account as a funding source for civic issues or Council initiatives but must have the concurrence of the Mayor or a member of Council before the report recommending the expenditure is brought forward to the relevant committee.

DEFEATED

Opposed: Mayor Brodie

Cllrs. Dang

Johnston

McNulty

See Page 6 for further action taken on this matter.

BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT

2.

2009 SURPLUS APPROPRIATION

(File Ref. No.:  03-0970-06-01) (REDMS No. 2916351)

Committee reviewed each staff recommended one time expenditure request as outlined in the staff report dated June 29, 2010, from the General Manager, Business & Financial Services, entitled “2009 Surplus Appropriation” and in response to comments and queries made by Committee, staff noted the following:

§          

the Facilities Management division was relocated to the Hollybridge offices (City Hall North) as senior management aimed to bring together key departments under one roof;

§          

the lease and maintenance costs of the Hollybridge offices was not included in the budget process as it is a one time request;

§          

both City Hall North and West are temporary buildings, and senior management hope to relocate staff in those two buildings to the existing RCMP building once the new RCMP facility is constructed;

§          

the Building Approvals division often generates a surplus for the City, however when development slows down, revenue drops, but staff work continues steadily; the proposed Building Permits Stabilization fund would help bridge finance the division should development decrease again as it recently did; and

§          

the cleaning of the plaza areas outside of the Brighouse and Lansdowne Canada Lines stations are the City’s responsibility and due to the overwhelming number of users at these stations, staff anticipate putting forward an ongoing request to the 2011 budget process.

It was moved and seconded

That the December 31, 2009 surplus be appropriated as outlined in the staff report, dated June 29, 2010, from the General Manager, Business and Financial Services for the following items:

(1)

Hollybridge Lease and Maintenance Costs ($253,603)

(2)

Outside Legal Costs ($400,000)

(3)

Spray Equipment for Pesticide Bylaw and  Maintenance ($70,000)

(4)

Building Permits Stabilization Fund ($496,500)

(5)

Manager District Energy (Temp) ($146,000)

(6)

Data Collection and System Integration related to new Fleet Management Software ($225,000)

(7)

Cleaning of two Canada Line Station Plazas ($40,000)

(8)

Social Planning Strategy ($95,000)

(9)

Richmond Fire Rescue (RFR) Master Plan ($90,000)

(10)

Watermania Filter Replacement Project ($115,000)

(11)

Parks Open Space Strategy ($120,000)

(12)

City Hall West Maintenance Costs ($118,200)

(13)

Richmond Museum ($8,000)

The question on each one-time expenditure request was called individually as follows:

(1)

Hollybridge Lease and Maintenance Costs ($253,603)

CARRIED

Opposed: Cllr. McNulty

(2)

Outside Legal Costs ($400,000)

CARRIED

(3)

Spray Equipment for Pesticide Bylaw and Maintenance ($70,000)

CARRIED

(4)

Building Permits Stabilization Fund ($496,500)

The question on Item 4 was not called as the following amendment was introduced:

It was moved and seconded

That $200,000 be appropriated for the Building Permits Stabilization Fund.

The question on the amendment motion was not called and members of Committee provided their rationale for establishing a Building Permits Stabilization Fund or not.

The question on the amendment motion was then called and it was DEFEATED with Councillors Dang, G. Halsey-Brandt, Johnston, and McNulty opposed.

As a result,

It was moved and seconded

That the main motion be amended by deleting Item (4) "Building Permits Stabilization Fund" ($496,500). 

CARRIED

Opposed: Mayor Brodie

Cllrs. E. Halsey-Brandt

Steves

(5)

Manager District Energy (Temp) ($146,000)

CARRIED

(6)

Data Collection and System Integration related to new Fleet Management Software ($225,000)

CARRIED

(7)

Cleaning of two Canada Line Station Plazas ($40,000)

CARRIED

Opposed: Cllrs. Dang

McNulty

(8)

Social Planning Strategy ($95,000)

CARRIED

(9)

Richmond Fire Rescue (RFR) Master Plan ($90,000)

CARRIED

Opposed: Cllr. G. Halsey-Brandt

(10)

Watermania Filter Replacement Project ($115,000)

CARRIED

(11)

Parks Open Space Strategy ($120,000)

CARRIED

(12)

City Hall West Maintenance Costs ($118,200)

CARRIED

(13)

Richmond Museum ($8,000)

CARRIED

The Chair remarked that with the deletion of Item #4 “Building Permits Stabilization Fund”, $496,500 of the 2009 surplus has not been appropriated. 

The Chair then invited members of Committee to speak to other items in the December 31, 2009 surplus appropriation staff report that were not recommended by staff for the 2009 surplus appropriation.

Discussion ensued and Committee spoke on the following items as outlined in the report:

§          

14 – Preparing for Carbon Neutrality ($90,000);

§          

18 – Fire-fighter Drill Compliance ($50,000);

§          

20 – Arts Strategy Update including a Cultural Facilities Plan ($20,000);

§          

22 – Locate and Organize City 2010 Photographs for Archives ($12,100);

§          

26 – London Farm Resurface Pathways ($12,000); and

§          

28 – Wildlife Management ($114,800).

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

It was moved and seconded

That the following items as listed in the December 31, 2009 surplus appropriation staff report be funded from the remaining 2009 surplus:

(1)

Item 14 – Preparing for Carbon Neutrality ($90,000);

(2)

Item 18 – Fire-fighter Drill Compliance ($50,000);

(3)

Item 20 – Arts Strategy Update including a Cultural Facilities Plan ($20,000);

(4)

Item 22 – Locate and Organize City 2010 Photographs for Archives ($12,100);

(5)

Item 26 – London Farm Resurface Pathways ($12,000); and

(6)

Item 28 – Wildlife Management ($114,800).

The question on the motion was not called as it was requested that the proposed items be considered separately.

The question on Part 1 was then called and it was CARRIED.

The question on Part 2 was then called and it was CARRIED with Cllr. Johnston opposed.

The question on Part 3 was then called and it was CARRIED.

The question on Part 4 was then called and it was CARRIED.

The question on Part 5 was then called and it was CARRIED.

The question on Part 6 was then called and it was CARRIED.

Discussion ensued and it was determined that $197,600 of the 2009 surplus was not appropriated.  As a result of the discussion, the following motion was introduced:

It was moved and seconded

That $197,600 of the remaining 2009 surplus be transferred to the Council Provision account.

CARRIED

COUNCILLOR GREG HALSEY-BRANDT

1.

POLICY ON USE OF COUNCIL CONTINGENCY AND COUNCIL PROVISION ACCOUNTS

(File Ref. No.:)

Discussion ensued regarding the proposed recommendation and as a result the following motion was introduced:

It was moved and seconded

That the policy for the use of funds from the Council Contingency and Council Provision accounts is as follows:

The use of the Council Contingency and Council Provision accounts may be identified as a funding source on projects proposed by individual Council members, through Council or a Committee of Council or for Council initiatives.  In addition to the Mayor and any Councillor, senior staff may recommend either account as a funding source for civic issues or Council.  Whenever possible, alternative funding sources should be identified if a recommendation is made by staff.

CARRIED

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (6:54 p.m.).

CARRIED

Certified a true and correct copy of the Minutes of the meeting of the Finance Committee of the Council of the City of Richmond held on Monday, July 5, 2010.

_________________________________

_________________________________

Mayor Malcolm D. Brodie

Chair

Hanieh Floujeh

Acting Executive Assistant

City Clerk's Office