It was moved and seconded

That agenda for the May 22^nd, 2007 meeting of the General Purposes Committee be accepted with the addition of the following two matters:

(1)

Update on Potential Flooding in the City; and

(2)

Lighting Options for the No. 2 Road Bridge.

CARRIED

BUSINESS & FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT

1.

Revenues from Revenue Producing Assets

(Report:  April 2, 2007, File No.:  03-0970-00) (REDMS No. 2056919)

It was moved and seconded

That the report (dated April 2^nd, 2007, from the Director, Finance), regarding Revenues From Revenue Producing Assets, be received for information.

The question on the motion was not called, as discussion took place among Committee members and the Director, Finance Jerry Chong, on the recommendation that all revenue from revenue-producing City assets be directed to General Revenue rather than to specialized reserve fund accounts.  Information was provided that directing the revenue to General Revenues would allow flexibility if Council chose to direct a portion of the revenue to a reserve fund.  Confirmation was also given that the general rule was that revenue from revenue-producing assets would be deposited into the General Revenue.

Questions were raised about the benefits which the residents living adjacent to the telecommunication poles installed at Hugh Boyd Park and King George Park would receive.  Advice was given that the revenue received by the City from Bell Mobility would be used to offset the expense of maintaining these towers and could be directed to specific reserve funds.  The comment was made that it was important that the City have the flexibility by depositing the revenue into the General Revenue account to put these funds to the best use.

Further advice was given that the revenue resulting from a similar agreement entered into by the City with the Rogers Wireless Inc. had been directed to a Special Sports Reserve sub-account to fund future sports field developments.  Additional information was provided in response to questions, that the Rogers funds had already been accounted for in the sports reserve sub-account and would remain in that account; however, this revenue could be accessed through capital works projects.

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

PARKS, RECREATION AND CULTURAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT

2.

Athletic Commission By-Law 8035, Amendment BYLAW NO. 8246

(Report:  April 27, 2007, File No.:  12-8060-20-8246) (REDMS No. 2227113, 2226908)

It was moved and seconded

That Athletic Commission Bylaw No. 8035, Amendment Bylaw No. 8246 be introduced and given first, second and third readings.

The question on the motion was not called, as Cllr. Harold Steves spoke briefly about the need for the proposed amendments to the Athletic Commission Bylaw.

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

3.

LEGACY ENDOWMENT FUND ALLOCATION

(Report: May 7, 2007; File No.: 03-1075-01)  (REDMS No. 2096173)

It was moved and seconded

That the report (dated May 7, 2007, from the Chief Administrative Officer) regarding the Legacy Endowment Fund Allocation, be received for information.

The question on the motion was not called, as discussion ensued among Committee members and Chief Administrative Officer George Duncan and the General Manager, Business & Financial Services, Andrew Nazareth, on:

§            

the amount of funds to be received by the City as part of the Legacy Endowment Fund Allocation; the initial allocation to the City would be approximately $53 Million

§            

whether there should be any concern that the distribution of 2006 and 2007 income in equal shares to Whistler and Richmond would be subject to an expenditure review process

§            

the use of the Contingency Fund post-games to allow operation of the Oval facility to continue in a viable manner; whether there were any conditions attached to the use of the Contingency Fund for the operation of the Oval

§            

the likelihood, if any, that the City could be penalized with respect to the allocation of the Legacy Endowment Fund because of the amount of revenue generated from the sale of the City-owned property surrounding the Oval site

§            

the announcement made earlier today by the Honourable David Emerson, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver–Whistler Olympics, and Premier Gordon Campbell on how the jointly funded $110 million Games Operating Trust would ensure the 2010 Winter Games venues in the Richmond and Whistler areas left lasting legacies; the distribution of these funds and the importance of considering programming at the Oval facility for the next ten years to ensure that the building was constantly in use

§            

the growth of the legacy fund and whether this fund would continue to grow in the future

§            

the achievement of the City to acquire the level of legacy funding being provided without sacrificing the proposed community use to high performance sport, and the availability of the building to all members of the community, including seniors

§            

the needs of the community and how these needs would be addressed within the Oval facility post-games

§            

when opportunities would arise for the City to host some of the more prestigious events which would be held leading up to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

During the discussion, the suggestion was made that a letter should be written, over the Mayor’s signature, to Mr. Wayne Duzita, the City’s representative on the Board of the 2010 Games Operating Trust Society, thanking him for his efforts in helping to finalize the agreement relating to the allocation of the Legacy Endowment Fund. 

In concluding the discussion, the Chair expressed the hope that Richmond residents would now be able to rest easier, knowing that the major risks related to the Oval project had been addressed.  He noted that the project was on time and on budget; that the sale of the City-owned property surrounding the Oval had been a major factor, and that the legacy funds would provide revenue for the operating costs of the Oval building.

The Chair advised that the recommendation now being considered would be amended to add the following as Part (2), “That a letter be written to Mr. Wayne Duzita, the City’s representative on the Board of the 2010 Games Operating Trust Society, thanking him for his efforts in helping to finalize the agreement relating to the allocation of the Legacy Endowment Fund.”

The question was then called on the following amended motion,

(1)

That the report (dated May 7, 2007, from the Chief Administrative Officer) regarding the Legacy Endowment Fund Allocation, be received for information.

(2)

That a letter be written to Mr. Wayne Duzita, the City’s representative on the Board of the 2010 Games Operating Trust Society, thanking him for his efforts in helping to finalize the agreement relating to the allocation of the Legacy Endowment Fund,

and it was CARRIED.

4.

UPDATE ON POTENTIAL FLOODING

At the request of Councillor Cynthia Chen, who had received correspondence from a resident in the 20000 block of Westminster Highway regarding the potential for flooding in the area, the Manager, Engineering Design & Construction, Jim Young, provided an update on the potential for flooding in East Richmond.  He advised that flooding was not anticipated in the City, and noted that Richmond’s water level was governed more by the tides than the melting snow pack.  Mr. Young further advised that the City of New Westminster was also confident that the Queensborough (Hamilton) area would not experience any flooding.

Mr. Young also talked about the City’s proactive program, which included weekly surveys and inspections of the perimeter dykes, and stated that as the freshet increased, the number of inspections carried out would also increase.  It was also noted that there were four gauging stations in operation; that several news releases had been issued regarding the potential for flooding, and that the City website contained several comprehensive links regarding this matter.

In response to questions, Mr. Young advised that no significant increases in water levels were expected for the next two week period, however, that would be dependent on the weather.

5.

LIGHTING OPTIONS FOR THE NO. 2 ROAD BRIDGE

Councillor Evelina Halsey-Brandt commented on the lighting which had recently been tested for the underside of the No. 2 Road Bridge, and suggested that this type of lighting would be suitable for lighting the Canada Line guideways.

A brief discussion ensued, during which information was provided by the Director, Parks & Public Works Operations, Dave Semple, that the lighting which had been tested would be more environmentally sustainable and could be incorporated into other situations.  He added that copies of the results were being provided to the Director, Major Projects, Greg Scott.  As a result of the discussion, the following referral motion was introduced:

It was moved and seconded

That staff investigate the viability of lighting on the underside of the Canada Line.

CARRIED

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (5:11 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 Tuesday, May 22^nd, 2007

_________________________________

_________________________________

Mayor Malcolm D. Brodie
Chair

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