January 14, 2019 - Minutes (Special)
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Special Finance Committee
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Date: |
Monday, January 14, 2019 |
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Place: |
Anderson Room |
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Present: |
Mayor Malcolm D. Brodie, Chair |
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Call to Order: |
The Chair called the meeting to order at 5:02 p.m. |
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MINUTES |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the minutes of the meeting of the Finance Committee held on January 9, 2019, be adopted as circulated. |
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CARRIED |
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RICHMOND PUBLIC LIBRARY |
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1. |
2019 Operating and Capital Budgets for Richmond Public Library |
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In reply to queries from Committee, Susan Walters, Chief Librarian, Richmond Public Library, provided the following information: |
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the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture alternates the use of census population values for Richmond and figures provided by BC Statistics when calculating grant funding; |
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eBooks and eAudiobooks are more costly than print material; however the Library continues to see a substantial increase in the use of digital material; |
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digital materials are valuable to all user groups, particularly to older adults who can increase the font size of eBooks or simply listen to an eAudiobook; and |
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the Richmond Public Library, along with other public libraries across Canada, is part of a campaign to lobby large publishers to make best-selling titles available to Canadian public libraries. |
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Councillor Steves left the meeting (5:12 p.m.) |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the 2019 Richmond Public Library Operating and Capital budgets as presented in this report dated January 10, 2019 from the Chief Librarian and Secretary to the Board be approved with a same level of service municipal contribution of $9,710,500, representing a 3.90% increase. |
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CARRIED |
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FINANCE AND CORPORATE SERVICES DIVISION |
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2. |
2019 Capital Budget |
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Andrew Nazareth, General Manager, Finance and Corporate Services, accompanied by Jerry Chong, Director, Finance, advised that the proposed 2019 Capital budget meets Council’s goals and objectives and presents a total of 128 capital projects. |
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Councillor Steves returned to the meeting (5:17 p.m.) |
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In reply to queries from Committee, various staff provided information regarding the proposed 2019 Capital budget: |
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the installation of video cameras at intersections is under review with the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC; |
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staff do not believe that the condition of the roof at South Arm Community Hall will be problematic; |
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the heat pump at the Community Safety building is not recommended at this time due to its position following the use of the established ranking criteria; |
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the city-assist amount for parkland acquisition is the minimum amount (approximately 1%) the City can put toward the acquisition of land for park in accordance with regulations; the majority of the funds for park land acquisition are funded from Development Cost Charges, which are paid by developers; |
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should the City be unsuccessful in receiving external grant funding from TransLink and ICBC, the projects listed for the Garden City Road Pedestrian and Cyclist Enhancements along Westminster Highway to Lansdowne Road (submission ID 6448) would not proceed; |
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the inclusion of upgrades and repairs to City Hall (submission ID 6369) are proactive in nature; |
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staff will work with consultants on the Parks Advance Planning and Design given the scope of work and technical nature of some reports (submission ID 353); |
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costs for the Affordable Housing 2019 Operating Initiatives (submission ID 6383) can be attributed to costs of staffing to support short term actions identified in Council-approved strategies; |
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the Budget Planning and Monitoring Solution (submission ID 6359) will go through the procurement process to solicit competitive bids; |
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staffing costs for the Contract Life Cycle Management (submission ID 6355) are not ongoing and therefore not part of the Operating budget; |
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the operating costs for Digital Radio Hardware and Licensing (submission ID 6524) can be attributed to radio licencing costs; |
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the City must charge interest when borrowing from reserves in accordance with the Community Charter; and |
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if a reserve fund does not have adequate funds to pay for a project, another reserve fund may be utilized in an effort to benefit from an opportunity. |
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Discussion ensued and Committee provided the following comments on the proposed 2019 Capital budget: |
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the Steveston Community Centre and Branch Library costs are escalating; |
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there is an outstanding referral on Garry Point and therefore, the Garry Point Waterfront Floating Dock construction (submission ID 6070) should be first considered by the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Committee prior to its submission to the Capital program; |
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the mound at Terra Nova Rural Park is a result of excavating soil to examine the potential to include spawning chum salmon at the pond; the soil from the mound should be placed back if the inclusion of salmon is no longer being considered; |
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the consideration of older adults should be at the forefront when the accessibility upgrade at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (submission ID 6388) is being designed; |
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a Steveston Highway multi-use pathway appears daunting as speeding and poor driving habits remain a concern along this stretch of road (included as part of submission ID 5457); |
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additional information on the Gateway Theatre, Minoru Arena, and Minoru Place Activity Centre refurbishments (submission IDs 6366 5518, and 6394) would be valuable as the costs appear high; |
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a breakdown of costs for Watermania (submission ID 6368) would be valuable as the bleachers and fitness centre flooring appear to be in good condition; |
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additional information on Vehicle and Equipment Reserve Purchases (Public Works and Corporate Fleet ) (submission ID 5735) is needed; in particular a speaker system for a stage is requested and it would be valuable to know whether the system is currently not functioning or whether it is being upgraded to a new system; |
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safety upgrades for the Railway Greenway exclude any measures to slow cyclists down (included as part of submission ID 5459); |
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funds allocated toward a walkway along the west side of No. 6 Road between Bridgeport Road and Cambie road (included as part of submission ID 5454) may be better utilized in an area of greater need and higher pedestrian traffic; |
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additional information on the replacement of streetlights with LED lights would be helpful as LED lights raise concern in relation to their effects on urban wildlife and humans (submission ID 5662); |
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additional information on the type of traffic signals would be valuable, particularly on the inclusion of traffic signal countdown timers where possible (submission ID 576); |
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it is concerning to see that upgrades to City Hall, a relatively new building, are proposed; and |
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consideration of the proposed 2019 Capital budget should be deferred until after the current Council’s term goals have been established. |
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Discussion further ensued and it was noted that additional time was needed to effectively review the proposed 2019 Capital budget. |
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As a result of the discussion, the following referral motion was introduced: |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the 2019 Capital Budget as presented in the staff report titled “2019 Capital Budget” from the Director, Finance dated January 11, 2019 be referred back to staff for more information on the following: |
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(a) |
Steveston Community Centre and Branch Library; |
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(b) |
Minoru Aquatic Centre Demolition (submission ID 6245); |
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(c) |
Garry Point Waterfront Floating Dock Construction (submission ID 6070); |
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(d) |
Terra Nova Rural Park Viewpoint Seating Area (submission ID 6371); |
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(e) |
Steveston Highway Multi-Use Pathway, Shell Road to Mortfield Gate (submission ID 6451); |
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(f) |
Gateway Theatre Infrastructure Replacements Phase 2 (submission ID 6366); |
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(g) |
Minoru Arena System Renewals (submission ID 5518); |
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(h) |
Minoru Place Activity Centre Program – Implementation (submission ID 6394); |
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(i) |
Watermania Aging Mechanical and Building Envelope Infrastructure Replacement Phase 2 (submission ID 6368) |
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(j) |
Vehicle and Equipment Reserve Purchases (Public Works and Corporate Fleet) (submission ID 5735); |
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(k) |
Arterial Roadway Improvement Program (submission ID 5459); |
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(l) |
Neighbourhood Walkway Program (submission ID 5454); |
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(m) |
Streetlight LED Upgrade Program (submission ID 5662); |
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(n) |
Traffic Signal Program (submission ID 576); |
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(o) |
City Hall Upgrades and Repairs (submission ID 6369); |
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(p) |
Parks Advance Planning and Design (submission ID 353); |
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(q) |
Budget Planning and Monitoring Solution (submission ID 6359); |
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(r) |
Contract Life Cycle Management (submission ID 6355); and |
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(s) |
Roofing and Infrastructure Replacements (submission ID 5519). |
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CARRIED |
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The Chair stated that the order of the agenda would be varied to consider Item No. 4 – 2019 One-Time Expenditures next as it relates to the Capital budget. |
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4. |
2019 One-Time Expenditures |
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Discussion took place and the following comments from Committee were noted: |
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additional information and explanation as to why the Steveston Museum Exhibit Update and the Collections Assessment and Artefact Storage Planning are not recommended for one-time expenditures would be helpful; |
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the need for a Shipyard Operations Supervisor position is questionable; |
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updates to the Steveston Museum exhibit should be done in-house as part of staff work plans; |
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needs assessments are carried out regularly and therefore, funding for another one may not be prudent; and |
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additional time to review the proposed 2019 one-time expenditures is needed. |
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In reply to queries from Committee, staff advised that (i) due to a loss of sponsorship and decrease in provincial gaming funds, staff are requesting a one-time expenditure to continue the Art Gallery school art program, (ii) the request for funds towards sanding, salting and snow removal is to replenish the Rate Stabilization account, which was utilized last year for operational response to deliver maximum service levels, (iii) the Cultural Centre Precinct Study is to examine how the Cultural Centre will fit into the greater context of the area in light of the construction of the Minoru Centre for Active Living. |
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As a result of the discussion, the following referral motion was introduced: |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the staff report titled “2019 One-Time Expenditures” from the Director, Finance, dated January 2, 2019, be referred back to staff for additional information on all items. |
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CARRIED |
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3. |
2019 Proposed Operating Budget |
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Mr. Nazareth provided background information, highlighting that the proposed Operating budget meets Council’s goals and objectives. |
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The Chair noted that the referral on the Capital budget necessitates a referral on the proposed 2019 Operating budget. |
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In reply to a query, Mr. Nazareth reviewed the figures listed in Table 13 – Proposed Rate Stabilization Utilization as presented in the staff report titled “2019 Proposed Operating Budget” from the Director, Finance dated January 3, 2019. |
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Discussion took place on the proposed options for the 2019 Operating budget and the Chair remarked that when staff report back, each element as laid out in the recommendation will be considered individually, and therefore Council will build the final budget. |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That 36 additional firefighters with 12 in 2019, 12 in 2020, 12 in 2021 and zero in 2022 be approved. |
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CARRIED |
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The Chair directed staff to provide Council with updated figures and related financial impact as a result of the additions to Richmond Fire-Rescue and RCMP personnel. |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That 51 RCMP officers and 20 municipal employees over three years (2019, 2020, 2021) with 19 RCMP officers designated for 2019 be approved. |
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CARRIED |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the “2019 Proposed Operating Budget” from the Director, Finance dated January 3, 2019, be referred back to staff. |
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CARRIED |
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Discussion took place on the timeline for reporting back and the Chair directed staff to provide the Finance Committee agenda and materials a week prior to the reports’ consideration at the February 4, 2019 Finance Committee meeting. |
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4. |
2019 One-Time Expenditures |
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Please see Page 6 for action on this matter. |
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5. |
Consolidated 5 Year Financial Plan (2019-2023) Bylaw No. 9979 |
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This matter was not considered. |
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ADJOURNMENT |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the meeting adjourn (6:33 p.m.). |
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CARRIED |
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Certified a true and correct copy of the Minutes of the Special meeting of the Finance Committee of the Council of the City of Richmond held on Monday, January 14, 2019. |
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Mayor Malcolm D. Brodie |
Hanieh Berg |