October 25, 2016 - Minutes

Date:

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Place:

Anderson Room
Richmond City Hall

Present:

Councillor Harold Steves, Chair
Councillor Ken Johnston
Councillor Carol Day
Councillor Bill McNulty
Mayor Malcolm Brodie (entered at 4:52 p.m.)

Absent:

Councillor Linda McPhail

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 Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Committee held on July 21, 2016, be adopted as circulated.

CARRIED

NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING DATE

November 29, 2016, (tentative date) at 4:00 p.m. in the Anderson Room

DELEGATIONS

1.

(1)

Referencing his letter (copy on file, City Clerk’s Office), John Pengelly, Richmond resident, spoke on the maintenance of Minoru Park, and expressed concern with regard to (i) the growth of potentially poisonous mushrooms and invasive plants, (ii) the potential e-coli contamination of the pond, and (iii) the amount of sludge in the pond.

Mr. Pengelly then commented on the maintenance of Minoru Park’s pond and suggested that the pond could be filled or dredged to remove the sludge.

In reply to queries from Committee, Cathryn Volkering Carlile, General Manager, Community Services, and Ted deCrom, Manager, Parks Operations, noted that the City will notify child care providers of the growth of poisonous mushrooms in city parks and that the pond is periodically drained and refilled with fresh water. Jamie Esko, Manager, Parks Planning, Design and Construction, added that future upgrades to Minoru Park are planned.

Discussion ensued with regard to (i) using carp to maintain the pond, (ii) the logistics and costs of dredging the pond, (iii) enforcing bylaws prohibiting the feeding of wildlife in the park, (iv) installing signage to alert park users of e-coli in the water, and (v) using raptors to remove ducks and geese in the park.

(2)

With the aid of a PowerPoint presentation (copy on file, City Clerk’s Office), Lydia Salatian, Founder and Executive Director of Greens Teams Canada, briefed Committee with regard to the Green Teams’ activities related to the volunteer stewardship of parks in Metro Vancouver.

In reply to queries from Committee, Ms. Salatian noted that (i) Green Team volunteers are involved in the removal of garbage and invasive plant species in Metro Vancouver regional parks, (ii) participating municipalities provide direction to the Green Team on the parks that may require maintenance, (iii) volunteers are recruited through the group’s website, (iv) it costs approximately $1,600 for each Green Team event, (v) the Green Team would request approximately half of the event’s cost from the City, and (vi) the fee for service funding model would be a more efficient way to provide continuous funding compared to a community grant.

In reply to queries from Committee, Marie Fenwick, Manager, Parks Programs, noted that the City has programs that conduct similar activities to the Green Team, however, staff can discuss potential partnership opportunities with the group.

It was moved and seconded

That the presentation from the Green Teams of Canada, dated October 25, 2016, be referred to staff to explore potential partnership opportunities with the Green Teams of Canada and report back.

CARRIED

COMMUNITY SERVICES DIVISION

2.

Donation of bronze sculpture “The picnic basket” by artist rhonda weppler
(File Ref. No. 11-7000-09-20-229) (REDMS No. 5187537 v. 2)

It was moved and seconded

That the donation of the proposed bronze sculpture “The Picnic Basket” by artist Rhonda Weppler for installation at Branscombe House, as presented in the report staff from the Director, Arts, Culture & Heritage Services dated October 13, 2016, be endorsed.

CARRIED

3.

Lansdowne road street as canvas temporary public art installation
(File Ref. No. 11-7000-09-20-192) (REDMS No. 5181793 v. 3)

Discussion ensued with regard to (i) incorporating the walls of properties fronting Landsdowne Road into the proposed art installation, (ii) incorporating the proposed art installation into the Canada 150 public art plan, and (iii) the budget allocated for the proposed art installation.

The Chair expressed concern with the proposed design, noting that the proposed road art may pose a safety risk for cyclists.

Mayor Brodie entered the meeting (4:52 p.m.).

In reply to queries from Committee, Victor Wei, Director, Transportation, noted that the proposed art designs are conceptual and will undergo a technical review to comply with safety regulations. Eric Fiss, Public Art Planner, added that the proposed art installation will be temporary.

Mayor Brodie left the meeting (4:54 p.m.) and returned (4:55 p.m.).

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

It was moved and seconded

That the concept proposal for the Lansdowne Road Street as Canvas Temporary Public Art Installation by the artist team Hapa Collaborative as presented in the staff report from the Director, Arts, Culture and Heritage Services dated October 6, 2016, be referred back to staff.

CARRIED

4.

Committee Standing Item

Garden City Lands

Jamie Esko, Manager, Parks Planning, Design and Construction, updated Committee on the development of the Garden City Lands, highlighting the progress made on the central berm and perimeter trails. She noted that the application to develop the site’s perimeter trails is under review by the Agricultural Land Commission.

The Chair expressed concern with regard to the materials used in the central trail and suggested that a clay base be used and in reply to queries from Committee, Ms. Esko advised that a gravel surface for the trail is ideal for walking, cycling and light farming equipment.

Discussion ensued with regard to the use and the composition of the trails.

5.

MANAGER’S REPORT

(i)

Halloween Events

Gregg Wheeler, Manager, Sport and Community Events, updated Committee on upcoming Halloween events, noting that approximately 20 community events are planned including Halloween shows at local recreation centres. He added that the City is taking steps to mitigate potential vandalism in the parks.

(ii)

Tree Bylaw Information Sessions

Mr. deCrom noted that the City will be hosting a series of information sessions regarding tree preservation and the Tree Bylaw at different community centres next month. He added that the sessions will be promoted through the City’s website and through newspaper advertisements.

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (5:20 p.m.).

CARRIED

Certified a true and correct copy of the Minutes of the meeting of the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Committee of the Council of the City of Richmond held on Tuesday, October 25, 2016.

_________________________________

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Councillor Harold Steves
Chair

Evangel Biason
Legislative Services Coordinator