January 28, 2020 - Minutes

Date:

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Place:

Anderson Room
Richmond City Hall

Present:

Councillor Harold Steves, Chair
Councillor Michael Wolfe
Councillor Chak Au
Councillor Bill McNulty 
Councillor Linda McPhail

Also Present:

Councillor Carol Day

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 December 18, 2019, be adopted as circulated.

CARRIED

NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING DATE

February 25, 2020, (tentative date) at 4:00 p.m. in the Anderson Room

COMMUNITY SERVICES DIVISION

1.

2020 Community Mural Program Projects 
(File Ref. No. 11-7000-09-20-255) (REDMS No. 6352114 v.3)

Staff spoke on the Program, noting that (i) the proposed mural on the Richmond Ice Centre will wrap around the side of the building and will face Watermania, (ii) artists not selected for projects can be considered in other opportunities and can seek feedback from staff, (iii) artists will be working with stakeholders on the mural themes, and (iv) the murals are expected to last five years and will receive an anti-graffiti coating.

Discussion ensued with regard to (i) locations of the murals, (ii) cost of the murals and artist selection process, (iii) incorporating local ecology themes into the murals, and (iv) maintenance of the murals.

It was moved and seconded

That the 2020 Community Mural Program projects as presented in the staff report titled “2020 Community Mural Program Projects” dated December 11, 2019, from the Director, Arts, Culture and Heritage Services, be endorsed.

CARRIED

2.

Response to Request to Expand Steveston Outdoor Pool Operating Hours  
(File Ref. No. 11-7143-01) (REDMS No. 6365501 v.11)

Staff spoke on use of the Steveston Outdoor Pool, noting that operating hours were increased in 2019 with only a marginal increase in usage rates. Staff added that staff will examine additional options to promote use of the pool.

Discussion ensued with regard to (i) the ratio to pool use and costs to increase operating hours, (ii) maximizing use of City facilities, (iii) extending pool operating hours in the weekends and in September as trends show warming seasonal temperatures, (v) examining a hybrid schedule that incorporates requests to increase pool operating hours and staff recommendations, (vi) considering the overall community health benefits of increasing pool operating hours, and (vii) promoting use of the pool by senior residents.

Jim McGrath, Richmond resident, spoke on his petition to increase Steveston Pool operating hours and expressed concern that the proposed schedule is not consistent with the petition request. He added that warming seasonal temperatures in the late spring and early autumn months allow for extension of the pool schedule which encourages pool use.

In reply to queries from Committee, staff noted that there is variability in the seasonal weather and that other outdoor pools in the Lower Mainland do not extend pool operations beyond mid-September.

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

It was moved and seconded

That the staff report titled “Response to Request to Expand Steveston Outdoor Pool Operating Hours,” dated January 2, 2020 from the Director, Recreation and Sport Services, be referred back to staff to:

(1)

examine a hybrid model that incorporates aspects of the proposed Options, as referenced in the staff report;

(2)

provide data on daily usage rates and analyze the cost of increasing pool operating hours; and

(3)

consult the community group that submitted the petition and the 2020 Aquatics Services Board on the proposed pool operating hours;

and report back.

The question on the referral motion was not called as discussion ensued with regard to the timeline to implement any potential changes to the pool schedule. It was suggested that the pool schedule and cost recovery should reflect community usage rates.

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

3.

Green Teams of Canada 
(File Ref. No. 11-7200-01/2019-Vol 01) (REDMS No. 6338121 v.11)

It was moved and seconded

That the staff report titled “Green Teams of Canada,” dated December 23, 2019, from the Director, Parks Services, be received for information.

The question on the motion was not called as staff replied to queries from Committee, noting that the costs can be accommodated through existing operating budgets and no additional financial impacts are anticipated.

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

4.

MANAGER’S REPORT

(i)

Steveston Heritage Sites Interpretive Plan Process

Staff spoke on the Steveston Heritage Sites Interpretive Plan process, noting that a workshop was held on January 20, 2020, with six external community groups and that staff are currently working on a draft of the Plan. Also, staff noted that discussions with the three heritage societies in Steveston will be scheduled in February 2020.

(ii)

Snow Angels Program

Staff updated Committee on the Snow Angels Program during the recent snowfall, noting that 35 residents and 19 volunteers were registered prior to the snow event. Also, during the snow event, the City received registrations for the Program and those registrants were placed on a waiting list and were given snow clearing exemptions for the duration of the snowfall.

(iii)

Art Services Events

Staff spoke on upcoming Art Services Events including new exhibitions in the Richmond Art Gallery in February 15, 2020 and the Children’s Art Festival scheduled to take place on February 17, 2020 at the Richmond Cultural Centre.

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (4:47 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, January 28, 2020.

_________________________________

_________________________________

Councillor Harold Steves
Chair

Evangel Biason
Legislative Services Coordinator