July 18, 2022 - Minutes
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General Purposes Committee
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Date: |
Monday, July 18, 2022 |
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Place: |
Council Chambers |
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Present: |
Mayor Malcolm D. Brodie, Chair |
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Call to Order: |
The Chair called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. |
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MINUTES |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the minutes of the meeting of the General Purposes Committee held on July 4, 2022, be adopted as circulated. |
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CARRIED |
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DELEGATIONS |
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1. |
Joanne Morneau, Fabric Bag Solution, advised of events that led to the creation of the volunteer sewing group in 2019 and noted the group has donated thousands of bags made from upcycled fabric to many organizations in an attempt to reduce the quantity of single-use plastics. |
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Avelie Wa, 9-year-old student, noted she joined Fabric Bag Solutions as a volunteer sewer and her class created artwork for the fabric bags, and Emma Erven-Cook, Gleneagle Secondary Grade 12 student, reported she is encouraging local governments to institute policies to ban single-use plastics. |
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Ms. Morneau thanked the Committee for implementing a single-use plastic ban in Richmond and requested that they encourage other local governments to implement a similar ban and advocate for change. |
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Discussion ensued regarding (i) a provincial regulation change permitting communities to implement single-use plastics bans allowed Richmond to implement the policy, (ii) suggestion that Fabric Bag Solution volunteer sewing group provide the presentation to other communities, (iii) bylaws are public knowledge and can be accessed by other communities, (iv) suggestions for grant applications and fundraising opportunities, (v) suggestion to present information to school boards, and (vi) suggestion to encourage schools to create clubs or groups to aid in bag sewing. |
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In response to questions from the Committee, Ms. Morneau advised (i) Fabric Bag Solutions donates to foodbanks, shelters and other organizations, (ii) Fabric Bag Solutions donates to classrooms in exchange for letters written to local governments regarding single-use plastics bans, and (iii) local governments are being encouraged to create bylaws banning single-use plastics. |
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ENGINEERING AND PUBLIC WORKS DIVISION |
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2. |
Technical and Economic Considerations for Rooftop Solar Energy Systems for New Buildings |
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In response to questions from the Committee, staff advised (i) a net zero energy ready building may also have natural gas connections, (ii) technical limitations can be obstacles to creating a non-gas structure, (iii) the City is incentivizing non-gas options in new buildings, (iv) sloped roofs are capable of generating solar power but the effectiveness is dependent upon location, shade and hours of sunlight, (v) the firehall consumes 500,000 kilowatt hours of energy per year, (vi) batteries for energy storage are not cost competitive, but it is possible to design energy storage on site, and (vii) contractors do provide estimates and feasibility reports for solar conversion to homeowners. |
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Discussion ensued regarding (i) the need for an accessible version of the proposal to be distributed to homeowners, and (ii) request for information on government subsidies provided to BC Hydro. |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That as described in the report titled “Technical and Economic Considerations for Rooftop Solar Energy Systems for New Buildings” dated June 30, 2022, from the Director, Sustainability and District Energy, staff proceed with engaging local builders and developers as part of identifying regulatory and incentive pathways to advance building electrification and on-site low carbon energy systems, including rooftop solar PV systems, and report back. |
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CARRIED |
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3. |
STEVESTON COMMUNITY CENTRE AND BRANCH LIBRARY – FORM AND CHARACTER |
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In response to questions from the Committee, staff advised (i) the site location was determined in 2020, and (ii) the Sustainable “High Performance” Building Policy does not require the building to be net zero ready. |
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In discussion, the Committee requested that staff include information regarding tree removal when the design is presented to the Committee. |
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As a result of the discussion, the following referral motion was introduced: |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the form and character design for the Steveston Community Centre and Branch Library be referred back to staff to provide information to the public regarding tree removal on the property. |
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DEFEATED |
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It was then moved and seconded |
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That the form and character design for the Steveston Community Centre and Branch Library as outlined in the report titled, “Steveston Community Centre and Branch Library – Form and Character Design”, dated June 30, 2022, from the Director, Facilities and Project Development and the Director, Recreation and Sport Services be approved. |
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CARRIED |
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DEPUTY CAO’S OFFICE |
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4. |
Council Strategic Plan 2018-2022 Term Highlights |
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Discussion ensued regarding a request to provide an update to the “Council Strategic Plan 2018-2022 Term Highlights” report in October, 2022. |
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It was moved and seconded |
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(1) |
That the report titled, “Council Strategic Plan 2018-2022 Term Highlights” dated June 7,2022, from the Director, Intergovernmental Relations and Corporate and Strategic Planning, be received for information; and |
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(2) |
That the attached reports titled, “Council Strategic Plan 2018-2022: Achievement Highlights” (Attachment 1) and “Council Strategic Plan 2018-2022: Achievement Highlights Overview” (Attachment 2) be made available for download on the City of Richmond website. |
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CARRIED |
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5. |
Proposed New Federal Electoral District Boundaries - Richmond |
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Discussion ensued on (i) the need to address the proposed new federal electoral district boundaries and emphasize support for a small change (ii) the proposed boundary changes include divisions between cities and within cities, (iii) the Canada census data is not an accurate representation, (iv) the need for another Member of Parliament (MP) and Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in Richmond due to increasing population. |
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In response to questions from the Committee, staff advised that a letter appealing the Statistics Canada census numbers can be written but cautioned that a former census appeal was unsuccessful. |
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During discussion a request was made that staff collaborate on a joint letter with the City of New Westminster and City of Delta opposing the proposed electoral boundaries changes. |
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As a result of the discussion the following motion was introduced: |
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It was moved and seconded |
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(1) |
That a letter, with copies to Delta, New Westminster and Local Members of Parliament, be sent to the 2022 Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for the Province of British Columbia to express Richmond’s opposition to the proposed changes to Richmond’s electoral boundaries for Richmond East and Richmond West; |
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(2) |
That the City of Richmond be represented if possible at the Public Hearing on September 12, 2022 in Richmond and speak in opposition to the proposed changes; |
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(3) |
That the letter emphasize the proposed changes the City of Richmond supports and states the importance of dividing within and between cities; and, |
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(4) |
That a letter be sent to Statistics Canada appealing the reported Census figures for the City of Richmond. |
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CARRIED |
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PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIVISION |
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6. |
Highway 99 Tunnel Program - Update |
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In response to questions from the Committee, staff advised (i) the preliminary reports show the existing tunnel will be removed after the project is operational, (ii) staff has requested that power lines be located underground, and (iii) information regarding the Highway 99 Tunnel Program has been shared with Richmond residences and businesses. |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the report titled “Highway 99 Tunnel Program - Update” dated June 21, 2022, from the Director, Transportation be received for information. |
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CARRIED |
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NOTICE OF MOTION |
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7. |
banning marine scrubbers |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That Council write to the Federal Government, Minister of Environment and our Local Members of Parliament to ask them to ban marine scrubbers in Canadian waters. |
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Before the motion was called, discussion ensued regarding (i) the need to educate the community regarding the presence of scrubbers in marine waters and their environmental impact, and (ii) a request for more information on the total impact of marine scrubbers in Canadian waters. |
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As a result of the discussion, the following motion was introduced: |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the matter is referred to staff for further information and that a letter be sent in support of the UBCM resolution on marine scrubbers. |
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CARRIED |
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ADJOURNMENT |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the meeting adjourn (5:17 p.m.). |
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CARRIED |
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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, July 20, 2022. |
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Mayor Malcolm D. Brodie |
Lorraine Anderson |