General Purposes Committee Meeting Minutes - December 4, 2000

Date:

Monday, December 4^th, 2000

Place:

Anderson Room
Richmond City Hall

Present:

Mayor Greg Halsey-Brandt, Chair
Councillor Linda Barnes
Councillor Malcolm Brodie
Councillor Derek Dang
Councillor Lyn Greenhill
Councillor Ken Johnston
Councillor Kiichi Kumagai
Councillor Bill McNulty

Absent:

Councillor Harold Steves

Call to Order:

The Chair called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m.

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the General Purposes Committee held on Monday, November 20^th, 2000, be adopted as circulated.

CARRIED

PROPOSED LATE NIGHT (RAVE) EVENT LOCATION - 11460 HORSESHOE WAY (GUJARATI SOCIETY OF BC)
(Report: Nov. 30/00, File No.: 8060-20-7179) (REDMS No. 239070, 202263) (Referred from the November 20^th, General Purposes Committee meeting.)

City Solicitor Paul Kendrick advised that correspondence had been received from the Gujarati Society of BC (dated December 4^th, 2000, a copy of which is on file in the City Clerks Office), requesting that consideration of the matter be delayed until after January, 2001, due to the unavailability of a number of its members.

Discussion then ensued among Committee members and staff on the action which should be taken. In response to questions, advice was given that the rave party moratorium now in effect would not affect the application submitted by the Gujarati Society, as the events currently held at 11460 Horseshoe Way ended at 2:00 a.m.

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

It was moved and seconded

That consideration of the application of the Gujarati Society to add 11460 Horseshoe Way, to the approved sites to hold Late Night Events (Raves), be referred to the February 19^th, 2001 meeting of the General Purposes Committee; and

that the Gujarati Society of BC be urged to:

make every attempt to alleviate the concerns of the adjacent property owners; and

hold the public information meeting, as previously directed at the November 4^th, 2000 General Purposes Committee meeting.

The question on the motion was not called, as the Chair called for delegations on this matter.

Ms. Susan Heer, of Nautic Distributors Ltd., #107 - 11480 Blacksmith Place, advised that the Riverside Industrial Park Business Association would be holding a meeting in January of 2001, to address all issues relevant to the Association, including rave and rave-like events. She also expressed concern that this morning the area surrounding 11460 Horseshoe Way had been littered with garbage and had not been cleaned up until this afternoon.

A brief discussion ensued among Committee members and Ms. Heer about the amount of parking provided by the Society, and clarification was provided that the Societys property provided parking for 96 motor vehicles.

Mr. John Jefferson, of #103 - 10471 Blacksmith Place, questioned why the Society, if it provided 96 parking stalls, needed to utilize the parking lots of adjacent businesses. He also commented that whatever the event being held at 11460 Horseshoe Way, the same problems arose.

Discussion continued among Committee members and staff, during which Mr. Kendrick advised that the staff review on rave events would include an examination of many regulations, including provincial, fire and health. He further advised that the Society was complying with the requirements of the City's Zoning & Development Bylaw, and that the uses permitted under that zone were not defined separately.

Concern was expressed however during the discussion, that the Society had had every opportunity to hold the public information meeting and to address the concerns of adjacent business owners, and to delay consideration of their application would only make the situation worse.

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

OPPOSED: Cllr. Johnston
McNulty.

CITY ACHIEVEMENT HIGHLIGHTS - INTERIM REPORT
(Report: Nov. 20/00, File No.: 0103-01) (REDMS No. 236970)

The Manager, Divisional Programs, Shawn Issel (on behalf of the Organizational Performance & Communications Team), accompanied by the Manager, Communications & Public Affairs, Ted Townsend, briefly reviewed the report with Committee members.

Discussion then ensued among Committee members and staff on various aspects of the report and proposed brochure. The suggestion was made during the discussion that notations should be made in the report as to whether projects were on-going or had been completed. The request was also made that the final report be made accessible to the public, either through computers or the City's web site. The suggestion was also made that the brochure should contain more white space and photographs.

It was moved and seconded

That a City Achievements pamphlet (as outlined in the report dated November 20^th, 2000, from the Manager, Divisional Programs on behalf of the Organizational Performance & Communication Team), be approved.

CARRIED

LOWER MAINLAND POLICING STUDY
(Report: Nov. 29/00, File No.: 5350-00) (REDMS No. 236975, 203939, 157828)

Chief Administrative Officer George Duncan briefly reviewed the report with the Committee. During his review, he advised that correspondence (dated November 28^th, 2000, from RCMP Commissioner G. Zaccardelli) had been received which confirmed the long term commitment of the RCMP to municipal policing in Canada and particularly with their contracting partners in the Lower Mainland. (A copy of this correspondence is on file in the City Clerks Office.)

Discussion took place among Committee members and Mr. Duncan on the proposed recommendations of the Lower Mainland Policing Study, and on such issues as:

staffing levels, and the lack of information on the number of police officers who were actually in Richmond

reporting procedures and the line of responsibility

the level of service which would be offered by the RCMP under the new process and whether the result would be increased administrative efficiency.

It was moved and seconded

That the British Columbia Policing Study Municipal Client Primary Issues including all policy, procedural changes and recommendations outlined in the Report - Lower Mainland (British Columbia) Policing Study - Mid Term Update (attached to the report dated November 29^th, 2000, from the Chief Administrative Officer) be endorsed.

That staff be authorized to proceed with implementation of policy, procedural changes and recommendations including the signing of Letters of Understanding between the City and RCMP as outlined in the Report - Lower Mainland (British Columbia) Policing Study - Mid Term Update.

CARRIED

NEW FULL TIME POSITION TO BE CREATED WITHIN THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT
(Report: Nov. 17/00, File No.: 1810-10) (REDMS No. 226328)

It was moved and seconded

That a new regular full time position of Micro-Computer Specialist be established in the Information Technology Department, and that the funding be provided by an offsetting reduction from the Information Technology Departments computer maintenance consulting budget.

CARRIED

2001 UTILITY BUDGETS AND RATE BYLAWS
(Report: Nov. 14/00, File No.: 8060-20-7193/7194/7192) (REDMS No. 222972, 228653, 228655, 228672)

The Director of Finance, Danley Yip, briefly reviewed the report with the Committee.

Discussion ensued on the proposed utility rates. The suggestion was made during the discussion that an insert should be included with the utility rate bills, to provide information on the increase in water rates for 2001. The request was also made that information be included on those costs which relate to the Greater Vancouver Regional District.

Reference was also made by Councillor Kumagai to the schedules to Solid Waste and Recycling Regulation Amendment Bylaw No. 7192. He expressed concern that rate stabilization was being implemented, and he circulated to Committee members, information on what the utility rates would be if rate stabilization was not applied. Discussion then took place among Committee members and staff on such issues as (i) the rationale for applying rate stabilization; (ii) the reasons for the increase in the cost of providing and monitoring local water supplies; and (iii) whether the City would initiate a water metering system.

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

It was moved and seconded

That the 2001 Utility Expenditure Budgets (as presented in the report dated November 14, 2000 from the General Managers, Finance & Corporate Services and Engineering & Public Works) be approved as the basis for establishing the 2001 Utility Rates.

That the following bylaws, which bring into effect the above 2001 Utility Rates, be introduced and given first, second and third readings:

City of Richmond Waterworks and Water Rates Bylaw No. 5637, Amendment Bylaw No. 7193 (2001);

City of Richmond Sanitary Sewer Rates Bylaw No. 5681, Amendment Bylaw No. 7194 (2001); and.

Solid Waste and Recycling Regulation Bylaw 6803, Amendment Bylaw No. 7192 (2001), with an amendment to delete Schedules A, B, C and D, and to substitute Schedule A (to reflect the amended utility rates proposed by Councillor Kumagai) which is attached and forms part of these minutes.

CARRIED

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (5:25 p.m.).

CARRIED

Certified a true and correct copy of the Minutes of the meeting of the General Purposes Committee of the Council of the City of Richmond held on Monday, December 4^th, 2000.

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Mayor Greg Halsey-Brandt
Chair

Fran J. Ashton
Executive Assistant