February 6, 2017 - Minutes

Date:

Monday, February 6, 2017

Place:

Anderson Room
Richmond City Hall

Present:

Mayor Malcolm D. Brodie, Chair
Councillor Chak Au
Councillor Derek Dang
Councillor Carol Day
Councillor Ken Johnston
Councillor Alexa Loo
Councillor Bill McNulty
Councillor Linda McPhail
Councillor Harold Steves

Call to Order:

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

ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS

It was moved and seconded

That “Snow Clearing” be added to the agenda as Item No. 6.

CARRIED

MINUTES

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the General Purposes Committee held on January 16, 2017, be adopted as circulated.

CARRIED

COMMUNITY SERVICES DIVISION

1.

2017 Health, Social and Safety Grants
(File Ref. No. 07-3000-01) (REDMS No. 5254911 v. 2)

It was moved and seconded

That, as per the report from the General Manager of Community Services, dated January 11, 2017:

(1)

Health, Social and Safety Services Grants be awarded for the recommended amounts, and cheques disbursed for a total of $586,095;

(2)

The following applicants be approved for the first year of a three-year funding cycle, based on Council approval of each subsequent year of funding, for:

(a)

Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver; and

(b)

Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland; and

(3)

The following applicants be approved for the second year of a three-year funding cycle, based on Council approval of each subsequent year of funding, for:

(a)

Community Mental Wellness Association of Canada

(b)

Heart of Richmond AIDS Society

(c)

Richmond Mental Health Consumer and Friends Society

(d)

Richmond Society for Community Living

(e)

Richmond Women’s Resource Centre; and

(4)

The following applicants be approved for the third year of a three-year funding cycle:

(a)

Chimo Community Services

(b)

Family Services of Greater Vancouver

(c)

Pathways Clubhouse

(d)

Richmond Addiction Services Society

(e)

Richmond Family Place Society

(f)

Richmond Multicultural Community Services

(g)

Richmond Youth Service Agency; and

(h)

Volunteer Richmond Information Services Society

CARRIED

2.

2017 Child Care Grants
(File Ref. No. 07-3070-01) (REDMS No. 5281754 v. 1A)

It was moved and seconded

(1)

That, as outlined in the report from the General Manager of Community Services, dated January 10, 2017, the Child Care Capital Grants be awarded for the recommended amounts, and cheques be disbursed for a total of $8,536.62; and

(2)

That, as outlined in the report from the General Manager of Community Services, dated January 10, 2017, the Child Care Professional and Program Development Grants be awarded for the recommended amounts, and cheques be disbursed for a total of $10,000.

CARRIED

In accordance with Section 100 of the Community Charter, Councillor Alexa Loo declared a conflict of interest as she is a member on the Board of Kidsport, and left the meeting – 4:04 p.m.

3.

2017 parks, recreation and community events grants
(File Ref. No. 03-1085-01) (REDMS No. 5223432 v. 6)

Serena Lusk, Senior Manager, Recreation and Sport Services, confirmed that although there was an overall grant budget increase, the individual grant allocations did not experience a uniform increase.  Committee discussed the best allocation for the remainder of the budget. 

It was agreed upon that amounts of $500 be allocated to the City Centre Community Association and to the Fitness and Wellness Association, and the remainder of $1,758 be allocated to Kidsport.   

It was moved and seconded

(1)

That Parks, Recreation and Community Events Grants be allocated and cheques disbursed for a total of $103,250 as identified in Attachment 1 of the staff report titled “2017 Parks, Recreation and Community Events Grants,” dated January 11, 2017, from the Senior Manager, Recreation and Sport Services;

(a)

with an additional $500 added to the cheques for the Richmond City Centre Community Association and the Richmond Fitness and Wellness Association; and

(b)

an additional $1,758 added to the cheque for Kidsport – Richmond Chapter.

(2)

That Sea Island Community Association not be approved for a three-year funding cycle, but be approved for consideration as a minor grant application; and

(3)

That Steveston Community Society – Richmond Summer Project be approved for the third year of a three-year funding cycle.

CARRIED

Councillor Alexa Loo returned to the meeting – 4:12 p.m.

4.

2017 Arts and Culture Grant Program
(File Ref. No. 11-7000-01) (REDMS No. 5280279)

It was moved and seconded

That the 2017 Arts and Culture Grants be awarded for the recommended amounts and cheques disbursed for a total of $109,754, as outlined in the report from the Director, Arts, Culture and Heritage Services, dated January 10, 2017.

CARRIED

FINANCE AND CORPORATE SERVICES DIVISION

In accordance with Section 100 of the Community Charter, Councillor Carol Day declared a conflict of interest as her husband owns a Bed and Breakfast, and left the meeting – 4:13 p.m.

5.

Short-Term Rental Regulations
(File Ref. No. 03-0900-01) (REDMS No. 5285428 v. 16)

Cecilia Achiam, Director, Administration and Compliance, and Carli Edwards, Manager, Customer Services and Licencing, provided an overview of the report and explained the changes made to the proposed regulations as a result of Council’s instruction to staff. 

Ms. Achiam clarified that the proposed regulations, which include restrictions on parking, will assist in limiting the number of Bed and Breakfasts in residential areas.  Ms. Edwards confirmed that the recommended fines are the maximum amounts permitted under the Community Charter. Daniel McKenna, Acting Senior Manager, Community Safety, provided an overview of the proposed enforcement program and noted that enforcement work will be funded within the existing bylaws budget.  

Brian Cooper, owner, The Stone Hedge Bed and Breakfast, provided a brief history on his interactions with the City of Richmond as a result of his Bed and Breakfast receiving a cease and desist letter.  Mr. Cooper explained that after adhering to the guidelines set out by the City, he was able to operate, and continue to operate, without any complaints over a 16 year period.  It was noted by Mr. Cooper that the Bed and Breakfast enables him to stay in his community and keep up with rising costs.  Mr. Cooper noted that he has noticed many illegal operations in Richmond advertised on websites and has contacted the company and filed various complaints.  

Linda Cooper, owner, The Stone Hedge Bed and Breakfast, spoke to a number of advertisements she noticed online for Bed and Breakfasts in Richmond which request “cash only” transactions.   Ms. Cooper expressed concern that some Bed and Breakfast operations are not being used by residents as businesses but rather as lucrative investments.  Ms. Cooper expressed concern regarding enforcement and urged Council to require that owners reside in homes operated as Bed and Breakfasts.

Kerry Starchuk, 7611 Lancing Place, stated that she has been living beside an illegal hotel for the past eight years.  Ms. Starchuk noted that the house next door had 19 guests prior to City Bylaws inspecting the home and pointed out that the high number of rooms in the home allowed for this to occur.  It was suggested by Ms. Starchuk that the regulations restrict the number of guests in the home regardless of the amount of rooms.

Lynda ter Borg, 5860 Sandpiper Court, voiced her opposition to the recommendations contained within the report and provided suggestions to strengthen the proposed regulations.  Ms. ter Borg also expressed concern regarding the BC Tourism program requiring approval of accommodations no longer being in existence.

Ann Learner, a resident on No. 2 Road, noted her concern for costs of enforcement and timeframes for enforcement of the proposed regulations.  Ms. Learner questioned if the requirements for proving owner occupancy were strict enough and urged Committee to require that the regulations focus solely on Bed and Breakfast operations.

Katherine McCreary, 7560 Glacier Crescent, spoke to the zoning of the regulation and expressed concerns that a Bed and Breakfast will be an alternate use for a residential home and will not require a rezoning of the location as previously required.  Ms. McCreary also pointed out that the proposed regulations do not require the owner to provide breakfast and is therefore confusing to those seeking a Bed and Breakfast venue.  

Matthew Yeung, a Richmond resident and owner occupier, noted that he has advertised on online platforms for the past two years and hosted many guests during that time.  Mr. Yeung stated that it would be unwise for the City to implement stricter regulations on short-term rentals as a result of a few complaints.  Mr. Yeung explained that his business allows him to build community ties and meet people from different backgrounds.  It was noted by Mr. Yeung that his short-term rental income allows him to provide for his family and stated that reports have indicated no loss in occupancy to local hotels as a result of short term rentals.

Ms. Achiam, Ms. Edwards and  Mr. McKenna responded to concerns voiced by delegations by providing the following information:

§   

An insurance requirement could be implemented as a means of proving owner legitimacy;

§   

Operators are not required to be the owner of the residence and at this time this requirement has not been changed;

§   

It is possible to regulate homes with a high number of bedrooms, however, it would require additional resources and effort;

§   

Some of the requirements which were previously regulated by Tourism BC have been considered and have remained;

§   

The proposed regulations do not allow for an entire house to be rented;

§   

Although complaint driven, staff will be proactively investigating short term rentals and those properties that are not in compliance will be targeted first;

§   

Whistler handles short term rentals differently due to its “destination” nature, and different housing needs;

§   

The proposed rules and regulations will address problems and illegal short term rentals could be shut down via the court process; and

§   

Currently, there are no cooking facilities allowed in Bed and Breakfast rooms.

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

It was moved and seconded

That the staff report titled, Short-Term Rental Regulations be referred back to staff for a detailed analysis of the pros and cons of and options relating to:

(1)

implementing a proof of insurance requirement;

(2)

amending definition of operator to also include owner operator; and

(3)

establishing a “spot” (site specific) rezoning process;

and report back.

CARRIED

Staff was directed to ensure that the consultation process involves the hotel industry.

Councillor Carol Day returned to the meeting – 5:35 p.m.

6.

snow clearing
(File Ref. No. - ) (REDMS No. -)

Robert Gonzalez, Deputy CAO and General Manager, Engineering and Public Works, reported that the City’s Works Yard currently has all equipment deployed and that staff are working 24 hours a day, and that priority routes are being focused on. 

Communication with the public is being made through social media and via a 24 hour dispatch hotline – all serving as means to assist with the deployment of City staff. 

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (5:39 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, February 6, 2017.

_________________________________

_________________________________

Mayor Malcolm D. Brodie
Chair

Shaun Divecha
Legislative Services Coordinator