MINUTES

1.

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the General Purposes Committee held on Monday, November 7^th, 2005, be adopted as circulated.

CARRIED

FINANCE & CORPORATE SERVICES / ENGINEERING & PUBLIC  WORKS DIVISIONS

2.

COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS DISPENSING STATION

(Report:  Oct. 6/05, File No.:   02-0780-01) (REDMS No. 1674810)

Discussion ensued among Committee members and staff on the rationale for the RCMP reverting to gasoline-powered vehicles, during which concern was expressed about the potential increase in pollution in the City as a result of this decision. 

Questions were raised about whether the City could demand that the RCMP participate in the City’s commitment to reduce greenhouse emissions.  However, it was noted that the decision was made at the Federal level, and the suggestion was made that a strong letter of protest be sent to the Federal Government that the fuel used for the RCMP fleet must be environmentally friendly.

It was moved and seconded

That the contract for a Compressed Natural Gas Pumping Station at the City Operations Yard be cancelled.

CARRIED

It was moved and seconded

That a letter be sent, strongly urging the E Division, RCMP, to reconsider compressed natural gas and other environmentally sensitive fuels for use in the RCMP fleet.

CARRIED

3.

DFO/GARDEN CITY LANDS AND TRADE AND EXHIBITION

(Report: Nov. 17, 2005; File No. 08-4105-10-04)  (REDMS No. 1700418)

Chief Administrative Officer George Duncan, accompanied by the Manager, Economic Development, Lee Malleau, advised in response to questions as to why this matter was on the agenda for today’s meeting rather than the first meeting in December, that a Director of the Board of VANOC was concerned that the City appeared not to be committed to providing high performance sport in the Oval. 

(Cllr Dang entered the meeting – 4:13 p.m.)

Discussion ensued, with Committee members expressing support for the adoption of a recommendation which would confirm the City’s commitment to high performance sport and sport fitness in the Richmond Oval facilities, both during the 2010 Games and as a legacy to them.  As well, Committee members also supported the deferral of the Trade & Exhibition Centre matter to the first General Purposes Committee meeting in December to allow full public discussion on the proposal.

As a result the following motion was introduced.

It was moved and seconded

(1)

That a letter be immediately sent from Mayor and Council advising VANOC:

(a)

of the City’s unanimous staunch commitment to high performance sport and sport fitness in the Richmond Oval facilities, both during the 2010 Games and as a Legacy to them; and

(b)

that comments made in relation to a ‘trade and exhibition centre’ at the Oval site were intended to refer to a building adjacent to the Oval itself; and

(2)

That staff advise VANOC immediately of the Committee decision.

The question on the motion was not called, as Committee members offered their support for the proposed resolution.  At the same time, staff were also requested to comment in a subsequent report, for discussion at the December General Purposes Committee meeting, on the feasibility of a companion site for the trade and exhibition centre; whether Tourism Richmond would be interested in such a proposal; and possible problems.

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

4.

OVAL – FORM AND CHARACTER, SCHEMATIC DESIGN (SDR)

(Report:  Nov. 18/05, File No) (REDMS No. 1669855)

The Director, Major Projects, Greg Scott, accompanied by Marion LaRue and Gene Kinoshita, two members of the Design Team, gave a short video presentation on City’s vision for its Speed Skating Oval.

Following the completion of the video presentation, the Design Team members used site plans to explain the design, layout, interior and exterior design features, and building materials to be used in the construction of the oval.  Discussion then ensued among Committee members, the delegation and staff on such issues as:

§           

the feasibility of retaining the proposed lobby and the etched glass windows

§           

whether the fitness equipment would be removable

§           

whether the proposed diagram and layout ‘was etched in stone’

§           

the ability of the facility to provide space as needed for high performance sports

§           

whether any consideration had been given to locating the Richmond Museum within the facility

§           

whether the facility would be operated by the City or by a Board of Directors

§           

the types and sustainability of the building materials to be used in the construction of the facility; the life expectancy of the proposed building;

§           

the number of people who could be accommodated in the north plaza area

§           

the process which was followed to obtain public input

§           

the feasibility of ‘tweaking the plans’, and whether the result would be a smaller building footprint

§           

the process to provide regular updates to Council on the specific costs of designing and constructing the oval facility to ensure that the budget was adhered to

§           

the feasibility of including such amenities as a rowing tank in the building

§           

the ease in moving goods and equipment from the plaza to the lower level of the building

§           

whether there would be an opportunity to roller blade along the dyke on the north side of the building

§           

the cost of maintenance on that section of the building exterior which would be constructed of wood

§           

how the piles of ice found outside of arenas, which resulted from use of ice clearing equipment (Zamboni) to clean ice surfaces, would be dealt with.

(Cllr. Steves left the meeting at 5:05 p.m., and returned at 5:14 p.m., during the above discussion.)

(Cllr. Barnes left the meeting at 5:10 p.m., and returned at 5:12 p.m.)

During the discussion, Committee members voiced their approval for the proposed design of the Oval facility, describing the design as beautiful and awesome.  Mayor Brodie referred to recent comments in local newspapers about budget overruns relating to the Oval, and he advised that the construction of the Oval facility was ‘on time and on budget’.

It was moved and seconded

That the report (dated November 18^th, 2005, from the Director, Major Projects), entitled Oval - Form and Character, Schematic Design Report (SDR) be received for information, and that staff proceed with detailed design of the Oval building with continued valued engineering to meet project budget,

and that a communication plan be prepared for release to the public regarding the Oval, and that staff prepare a list which could be published of the environmental elements which have been included in the facility.

CARRIED

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (5:47 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, November 21^st, 2005.

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Mayor Malcolm D. Brodie
Chair

Fran J. Ashton
Executive Assistant, City Clerk’s Office