It was moved and seconded

That the agenda for the December 4^th, 2006 meeting of the General Purposes Committee be accepted as amended to add as Item No. 5, “Snow Removal”.

CARRIED

MINUTES

1.

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the General Purposes Committee held on Monday, November 20^th, 2006, be adopted as circulated.

CARRIED

DELEGATION

7

2.

Anne Murray, Vice President, Community & Environmental Affairs, Vancouver International Airport Authority (VIAA), (including James Watson and Tom Chen, the City representatives to the VIAA), to provide an update on:

(1)

the Aeronautical Noise Management Committee;

(2)

the Five Year Noise Management Plan; and

(3)

progress on implementing noise management initiatives.

(File No.:  0153-01)

Ms. Murray introduced Tom Chen and James Watson to the Committee.  Mr. Chen, in addressing the Committee, stated that he was one of two citizen representatives appointed to the Aeronautical Noise Management Committee (ANMC), and that he had been a member since 1996.  Mr. Chen then spoke about Mr. Watson, explaining that Mr. Watson had been a member for the past fifteen years and that he was now completing his final term. 

Mr. Chen and Mr. Watson, with the aid of a PowerPoint presentation (a copy of which is on file in the City Clerk’s Office, along with material relating to VIAA Noise Management Plan), reported to the Committee on:

§            

the composition of the Aeronautical Noise Management Committee; its purpose and objectives

§            

the 2004-2008 Noise Management Plan

§            

initiatives which had been implemented

§            

the 2015 NEF Contour – Forecast aircraft movements relating to the North Runway

§            

the VIAA’s noise monitoring network

§            

the total number of noise complaints which had been received for the period 2001 to 2005 shown through (i) a bar graph, and (ii) a location map to show the areas in which the complainants resided

§            

the 2006 year to date:  aircraft runway landings and take-offs (245,620) down 2% from 2005; noise complaints (367) down 16% from 2005; and Richmond residents represent one-third of the 2006 complaints, similar to 2005

Discussion then took place among Committee members and the delegation on such matters as:

§            

the steps, if any, which the ANMC was taking to deal with small aircraft operations including low-flying aircraft, helicopters and float planes, and the complaints received from Richmond residents about these aircraft

§            

the ‘open skies’ policy; the issues arising from this policy such as the potential for an increase in aircraft noise and the action being taken by the ANMC; the importance of the potential benefits of the ‘open skies’ policy to the Airport and to the City; whether the VIAA was taking any action to minimize the impact of increased movement of planes (both day and night) on the surrounding area, such as relocating the small aircraft operations component to other regional airports

§            

incompatible land use planning and how this related to the City’s development plans, and how the City and the Airport could work together to deal with this issue

§            

proper utilization of the airport runways and the rationale for constructing a third runway

§            

the frequency of public meetings (open houses) and the number of ANMC meetings held on an annual basis

§            

who the citizen representatives were supposed to represent, and whether a City committee was required to deal with the noise complaints being received by the airport

§            

the action taken by the ANMC to mitigate noise issues

§            

how the airport dealt with noise complaints received from the public; how quickly the airport responded to a complaint once the complaint had been made; and how the public was advised of the steps to take to file a noise complaint with the airport.

During the discussion, Mr. Chen and Mr. Watson were thanked for their hard work and dedication in serving on the Committee.

In concluding the discussion, Mayor Brodie thanked Mr. Chen and Mr. Watson for their continuing years of service on the Aeronautical Noise Management Committee.

STANDING ITEM

3.

OVAL UPDATE AND SUMMARY

(Report:  November 30, 2006, File No.:  01-0370-02) (REDMS No. 2036153)

A brief discussion took place among Committee members and the Director, Major Projects, Greg Scott, on the cost reduction which had been achieved; the percentage of project tenders which had been completed; the hours of work at the Oval site, and whether the funding for the pedestrian bridge and waterworks project had been included in the budget.

It was moved and seconded

That the General Purposes Committee receive the Executive Summary of Project Status Report dated October, 2006 and the Project Cost Overview dated October 27, 2006 for information.

CARRIED

ENGINEERING & PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

4.

GREEN FLEET POLICY

(Report:  Nov. 24/06, File No.:  02-0780-00) (REDMS No. 2034322, 2035599, 113094)

The Manager, Fleet & Environmental Programs, Suzanne Bycraft, introduced Environmental Coordinator Julie Beer and Mike Lederer of Fleet Operations to the Committee.  Ms. Beer then briefly reviewed the purpose of the report.

Discussion then ensued among Committee members and staff, during which, in response to questions, information was provided that:

§            

the life span of a vehicle using biodiesel was approximately ten years

§            

approximately 20 to 25% of City vehicles operated on diesel fuel

§            

as recommended under the proposed policy – ‘Monitoring and Reporting’, all corporate fleet practices including fuel consumption, would be monitored and the results reported in the City’s annual State of the Environment report

§            

the ‘Idle-Free School Program’ was a partnership between the City and the School District; groups of students were implementing the anti-idling programs at their schools however they were encountering problems with parents who continued to allow their vehicles to idle while waiting to pick up students; four local high schools had taken on the challenge, and the program would be introduced to elementary schools in January, 2007

§            

any vehicle purchased by the City, including forklifts and other off-road equipment would be covered by the proposed policy

§            

vehicles no longer required by the City were disposed of, if possible, through local auctioneers

§            

the Automated Fuel Management & Disposal System would allow staff to accurately track the consumption of fuel in any City vehicle, as well as providing the means to identify those vehicles which were due for maintenance

§            

with reference to the City’s Car Pool Program, approximately 40 to 50 vehicles were being used to provide transportation to groups of four or more individuals, and that 25 vehicles were used by groups of two.

During the discussion, concern was expressed about the use of biodiesel and the impact which the development of this fuel had on the environment, and a suggestion was made that staff should be searching for an alternative fuel source to replace biodiesel fuel.

Reference was made to the wording of the third bullet under ‘Acquisition’, as stated in the proposed policy, and following a brief discussion, it was agreed that the word “initiative” would be deleted from that bullet.

Reference was made to the ‘Idle-Free School Program’, and a discussion took place on whether an ‘anti-idling’ bylaw would be an effective tool to convince parents to turn off their vehicles while waiting for students.  Information was provided that in other municipalities, anti-idling bylaws were not actively enforced and the opinion was expressed that introduction of a bylaw which would not be enforced to any degree might not be the best process to follow.  Further information was provided that City staff felt that Richmond could show strong leadership and undertake a more comprehensive corporate program to communicate to and educate the public about the damage caused to the environment from idling vehicles.  With reference to the school program, information was provided that the students had created a postcard-sized brochure which was being handed out to the parents.

During the discussion, disappointment was expressed about the cancellation of funding by the Federal Government for the 1-Tonne Community Challenge, and the suggestion was made that a letter should be written to the Federal Government commending the  program and encouraging the continuation of this program.

A question was raised about whether information existed in the form of printed criteria to explain why certain types of vehicles were being allowed to idle rather than being turned off, and Cllr. Evelina Halsey-Brandt asked that she be provided with a copy of this information.

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

It was moved and seconded

(1)

That “City Vehicles – Alternative Fuel Sources Policy No. 2006” (adopted on April 22^nd, 1991), be rescinded.

(2)

That the proposed “Green Fleet Policy” (as per the report dated November 24^th, 2006, from the Environmental Coordinator), be adopted.

(3)

That a letter be written to the Prime Minister and to Richmond’s MPs to offer support for the 1-Tonne Challenge and to encourage the continuation of this program.

CARRIED

5.

SNOW REMOVAL

Councillor Chen requested information from staff on the cost of snow removal as a result of the recent snow storm.

In response, information was provided that approximately $160,000 had been spend to date on salaries, etc., for work crews, equipment maintenance, etc., and $60,000 for the purchase of salt.  Advice was given that staff were in the process of completing an analysis of the snow removal operation.

In answer to further questions, advice was given that residents were required to remove all snow from the sidewalks fronting their properties by 10:00 a.m. of the morning following a snow storm.  Staff confirmed that the snow removal regulations would be reviewed to ensure that single family residents were included. 

During the discussion, staff were requested to provide members of Council with a ‘snow removal priority list’ along with an explanation on where snow removal first takes place, annual budget, etc.  Advice was given that staff would be undertaking a workshop with the Public Works crews to determine ‘what had been done right’ and where mistakes occurred. 

Discussion continued, with the Public Works crews being congratulated on doing an excellent job of snow removal.  Reference was made to the removal of snow at bus stops, and information was provided that snow removal at bus stops was approximately third on the priority list, and that it was the responsibility of the City to ensure that the snow was removed from these areas.

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

It was moved and seconded

(1)

That City Council convey its thanks to those Public Works crews which were involved in the recent snow removal operations; and

(2)

That staff report to the Public Works & Transportation Committee on the City’s experiences with the recent snow storm, including any recommendations for additional equipment which may be required in the future.

CARRIED

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (5:42 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, 2006.

_________________________________

_________________________________

Mayor Malcolm D. Brodie
Chair

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