Date:

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Place:

Anderson Room

Richmond City Hall

Present:

Councillor Bill McNulty, Chair

Councillor Linda Barnes

Councillor Sue Halsey-Brandt

Councillor Harold Steves

Mayor Malcolm Brodie

Absent:

Councillor Greg Halsey-Brandt, Vice-Chair

Call to Order:

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

MINUTES

The Chair remarked that both the discussion portion and the referral under Item 4A. Part (1) of the minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee of Tuesday, December 22, 2009, with regard to Farm Based Wineries in Richmond, required amendments.

Following a brief discussion between Committee and staff it was agreed that: (a) the following would be added to the discussion portion of Item 4A. Part (1): “that the two existing wineries, Sanduz Estate Winery and Lulu Island Winery, would be grandfathered”; and (b), Part (i) of the referral motion would be amended to read: “That staff: (i) investigate potential restrictions on future wineries including (a) the necessity of rezoning and (b) the grandfathering of existing wineries.”

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes, as amended, of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on Tuesday, December 22, 2009, be adopted.

CARRIED

NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING DATE

A brief discussion between staff and Committee took place with regard to the anticipated length of agendas for the Planning Committee meetings scheduled for Tuesday, January 19, 2010 and Tuesday, February 2, 2010.

The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 4:00 p.m. in the Anderson Room.

COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT

1.

2009-2016 RICHMOND CHILD CARE STRATEGY AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

(File Ref. No.:) (REDMS No. 2766125, 1748031, 2783654)

Lesley Sherlock, Social Planner, addressed Committee and stated that the report should be referred back to staff in order for staff to: (i) further assess the appropriateness of City actions recommended in the report; and (ii) provide staff with additional time to analyze proposals outlined in the report.

A comment was made that both the Official Community Plan and Social Planning Strategy reviews would inform, and have a positive effect on, staff’s assessment and analysis of the 2009-2016 Richmond Child Care Strategy and Implementation Plan.  

Discussion ensued between staff and Committee, and in particular on:

§          

if the report is referred back, staff would have time to include financial information in the 2011 budget; 

§          

options with regard to the position of a child care co-ordinator would be presented to Committee when the report comes back;

§          

progress has been made in negotiating with developers regarding the provision of child care spaces;

§          

the report includes recommendations for the Federal Government and the Province to take significant action to provide child care policy frameworks and to provide affordable child care;

§          

although child care is a Provincial responsibility, the Province does not have a child care capital funding program; and

§          

discussions regarding the potential for all-day kindergarten take place between the Provincial Ministry of Education and individual school districts, and the City is not involved in those discussions.

Consultant Robyn Newton, Research Director, Social Planning and Research Council of BC (SPARC BC), advised Committee that:

§          

Ken Morris, Secretary Treasurer of School District No. 38 (Richmond), works closely with the Ministry of Education and he is forthcoming with the City regarding information he learns from the Province;

§          

there are few details from the Province regarding expanding full-day preschool for children aged three and four; and

§          

the Federal Government currently provides benefits to families with children, but does not directly fund child care services. 

Concern was expressed that the City is undertaking the child care issue while the Province is inactive on the issue.

With regard to all-day kindergarten, staff received direction from Committee to liaise with the School District and the Province to attempt to coordinate future plans for the program.

Staff advised that all school districts, include Richmond’s are required to start phasing in all-day kindergarten in 2010 and to continue to do so in the first half of 2011.

It was moved and seconded

That:

(1)

the 2009-2016 Richmond Child Care Strategy and Implementation Plan be received for information;

(2)

the consultant’s report be referred back to staff for further analysis and report back to Planning Committee by Spring 2010; and

(3)

copies be sent to stakeholders for their consideration and comments by Spring 2010.

CARRIED

2.

2009 ANNUAL REPORT AND 2010 WORK PROGRAM: CHILD CARE DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE

(File Ref. No. )(REDMS No. 2784762, 2784620, 2784841)

Ms. Sherlock advised that as this report was closely affiliated with the 2009-2016 Richmond Child Care Strategy and Implementation Plan report, it too should be referred back to staff. 

It was moved and seconded

That, as per the General Manager, Community Services report dated December 17, 2009, entitled “2009 Annual Report and 2010 Work Program: Child Care Development Advisory Committee”, the Child Care Development Advisory Committee 2010 Work Program (Attachment 1) be referred back to staff.

The question on the motion was not called as discussion ensued regarding:

§          

the desire on the part of the Child Care Development Advisory Committee (CCDAC) to be actively involved in, and to be consulted on, child care issues;

§          

the work program involves many strategies and initiatives, many of which have involved input from the CCDAC, and in the coming months the Advisory Committee’s advice will be sought during the review of the Official Community Plan and the City’s Child Care Grants Program; and

§          

society’s need for more child care providers as well as more education and advocacy support for child care workers.

In response to a query regarding the timeline for staff to report back, advice was given that a May, 2010 Planning Committee agenda would include the two child care reports.

Committee commended members of the Child Care Development Advisory Committee for their work.

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

3.

2009 ANNUAL REPORT AND 2010 WORK PROGRAM: RICHMOND SENIORS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

 (File Ref. No. )(REDMS No. 2785533, 2756398, 2756398)

A brief discussion ensued between Aileen Cormack, Chair, Richmond Seniors Advisory Committee (RSAC), Advisory Committee member Doug Symons, and Committee and in particular on:

§          

the lack of a seniors day care program in the City and the need to explore the issue;

§          

the value of the “Vial of Life” programme and the way it enhances how responders can assess a medical or emergency situation and effectively render appropriate intervention; and 

§          

the projects undertaken by the Transportation Subcommittee.

It was moved and seconded

That, as per the General Manager, Planning and Development report dated December 18, 2009, entitled: “2009 Annual Report and 2010 Work Program: Richmond Seniors Advisory Committee”, the Richmond Seniors Advisory Committee 2010 Work Program (Attachment 1) be approved.

CARRIED

4.

MANAGER’S REPORT

(1)

Cathryn Volkering Carlile, General Manager - Community Services, advised that John Foster, is the Acting Manager, Social Services, and would be coordinating reports going to Committee.

(2)

Eva Busich-Veloso, the City’s Coordinator Seniors Services, updated Committee on the Isolated Seniors Program, and in particular on:

§          

the program targets seniors who have become disconnected from their community, and from society in general;

§          

the program connects seniors to such experts as nutritionists and fitness instructors, as well as to a variety of volunteers; isolated seniors in the program are encouraged to take education sessions and to connect with community resources; and

§          

program directors track the progress of the seniors who are involved and assess the progress made by the participating seniors.

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (4:51 p.m.).

CARRIED

Certified a true and correct copy of the Minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee of the Council of the City of Richmond held on Tuesday, January 5, 2010.

_________________________________

_________________________________

Councillor Bill McNulty

Chair

Sheila Johnston

Committee Clerk