MINUTES

1.

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the General Purposes Committee held on Monday, May 5, 2008, be adopted as circulated.

CARRIED

BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT

2.

Steveston Hotel - Request for a temporary change to Primary Liquor Licence

(Report:  April 30, 2008, File No.:  12-8275-30-029) (REDMS No. 2446026)

It was moved and seconded

That:

(1)

the request from The Steveston Hotel to temporarily extend their existing patio liquor licence red line area to include a beer garden in the adjacent parking lot area, which would allow an additional 150 patrons every Saturday and Sunday from May to October 2008 is NOT supported for the reasons outlined in this report; and

(2)

the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch be sent notification of Council’s recommendation that this request be denied.

CARRIED

PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

3.

2008 Richmond City Grant Program

(Report:  May 5^th, 2008, File No.: 03-1085-01) (REDMS No. 2443139, 160199, 2662037, 2447338, 2438700)

It was moved and seconded

That, as per the report entitled “2008 Richmond City Grant Program”, dated May 5, 2008, the proposed 2008 City Grant Program Application Form be circulated to the Richmond Community Services Advisory Committee and the Richmond Communities Committee for comments, prior to consideration of final Program approval.

Terry Crowe, Manager, Policy Planning, accompanied by Lesley Sherlock advised they were available to answer questions from Committee.  Discussion then took place among Committee members and staff on:

·            

the review of the program was undertaken by a team led by Councillors Evelina Halsey-Brandt and Barnes, as well as City staff;

·            

the RCSAC’s suggestions regarding the City Grant Program were considered by the review team;

·            

the application forms have been reformatted for more precision and clarity, and the grant criteria has been adjusted;

·            

traditionally the Health, Social and Safety Services category of grants receives more funding than the Cultural and Community Events category;

·            

confirmation that if an application is not funded by Council, the application is deemed to be denied;

·            

some applicants, despite meeting the criteria, will not be successful in receiving a grant;

·            

enhanced policies, plus all former policies related to the grant program, are part of the 2008 Richmond City Grant Program;

·            

the new Program Multiple Criteria will maximize the City’s Grant Program benefits and limited funds; and

·            

to ensure accountability by agencies who receive city grants, city staff choose, on a random basis, some agencies and request that they submit a mid-year progress report.

It was noted that Richmond Addiction Services has requested that their annual allocation be funded from non-Casino revenue and that this matter would be addressed during the 2009 budget process.

Committee thanked the staff for their work on the Proposed 2008 Richmond Grant Program, and for creating a means to track the Grant Program by charting past grant disbursement statistics.

Staff was directed to investigate what percentage of the City budget is earmarked for social service programs, and to compare that percentage to programs in other municipalities and report back. Staff were also requested to provide information with regard to the few other grants that undergo a process separate from the City Grant Program.

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

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (4:31 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 20, 2008.

_________________________________

_________________________________

Mayor Malcolm D. Brodie
Chair

Sheila Johnston

City Clerk’s Office