Date:

Monday, October 15, 2012

Place:

Anderson Room

Richmond City Hall

Present:

Mayor Malcolm D. Brodie, Chair

Councillor Chak Au

Councillor Linda Barnes

Councillor Derek Dang

Councillor Evelina Halsey-Brandt

Councillor Ken Johnston

Councillor Linda McPhail

Councillor Harold Steves

Absent:

Councillor Bill McNulty

Call to Order:

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

MINUTES

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the General Purposes Committee held on Monday, October 1, 2012, be adopted as circulated.

CARRIED

COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT

1.

Garden City Lands - Planning Process 2013-2014
(File Ref. No. 06-2345-20-GCIT1) (REDMS No. 3671192)

It was moved and seconded

That the Garden City Lands planning process as described in the staff report titled Garden City Lands – Planning Process 2013-2014 dated October 4, 2012 from the Senior Manager, Parks be endorsed.

The question on the motion was not called as a brief discussion ensued among Committee members and Mike Redpath, Senior Manager, Parks Programs about:

·          

the timing of the technical analysis and process;

·          

the dedicated staff time to the project.  It was noted that one staff person is dedicated to the Garden City Lands (GCL) planning process;

·          

the need to reallocate the park planning priorities accordingly for the 2013 budget;

·          

the Parks Open Space Strategy, anticipated to be completed in 2013; and

·          

the financial impact of the GCL Planning Process.  It was noted that the funding of the Inventory and Analysis is available within the appropriated surplus account, and further funding will be funded from Parks Advance Design.  The total expenditure will be considered during the 2013 budget process.

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

2.

RICHMOND OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE PROJECT
(File Ref. No.) (REDMS No. 3685443)

John Mills, General Manager, Richmond Olympic Oval, provided background information related to the proposed project and the following was noted:

·          

the proposed project will provide an important arts and culture component in Richmond, and an additional reason to visit the Oval;

·          

research has indicated that the public visits and supports Olympic-related displays, even relating to events that are decades old;

·          

the Olympic Experience Project does not require any further funding from the City of Richmond; and

·          

the proposed project would result in the Oval becoming North America’s first member of the Olympic Museum Network.  

A discussion then ensued among Mr. Mills and members of the Committee about:

·          

the logistics of the proposed project within the Oval building, including the relocation of the fitness space and gym equipment;

·          

the inclusion of a City of Richmond sports achievements display in the Oval as part of the project;

·          

how to involve the community in the proposed project, including liaising with various community groups such as the Richmond Sports Council, and local athletes;

·          

admissions to the Oval and the types of tours that would be available to both Richmond residents and visitors;

·          

the feasibility of Richmond becoming a heritage hub which would include the proposed Richmond Olympic Experience and various tourist attractions such as the Gulf of Georgia Cannery and the Britannia Heritage Shipyard; 

·          

financing for the Richmond Olympic Experience museum in comparison to other Olympic museums, and how the existing resources at the Oval would be used to support this project and result in lower costs to operate and maintain the Museum; 

·          

the types of displays that will be considered, including interactive displays, film, memorabilia, digital imagery, and other ideas for sports related displays, as well as access to official Olympic museum inventory;

·          

the project construction budget and timing;

·          

concerns about becoming the first Olympic Museum in North America, and rationale for why other North American Olympic host cities have not joined the Olympic Museum Network;

·          

the need for a clear business plan for the project, and the viability of the project in terms of being profitable.

It was moved and seconded

(1)

That the Richmond Olympic Experience project concept and design, as outlined in the staff report from the Director, Arts, Culture and Heritage dated October 12, 2012, be endorsed;  and

(2)

That the Board of Directors of the Richmond Olympic Oval Corporation be advised of Council’s support for the Olympic Experience project.

The question on the motion was not called as a brief discussion ensued about the value the proposed project would bring to Richmond’s tourism industry. 

The question on the motion was then called, and it was CARRIED with Cllr. Au opposed.

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (5:15 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, October 15, 2012.

_________________________________

_________________________________

Mayor Malcolm D. Brodie

Chair

Shanan Sarbjit Dhaliwal

Executive Assistant

City Clerk’s Office