MINUTES

1.

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the Public Works & Transportation Committee held on Wednesday, September 23, 2009, be adopted as circulated.

CARRIED

NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING DATE

2.

Wednesday, November 18 (tentative date) at 4:30 p.m. in the Anderson Room.

3.

INTEGRATED RESOURCE RECOVERY

(Report: October 6, 2009, File Ref. No.: 10-6400-09-01) (REDMS No. 2732094)

Robert Gonzalez, General Manager, Engineering and Public Works in response to queries from Committee, advised the following:

·          

that the City has initiated a pilot project study with Metro Vancouver that involves recovering heat from the Lulu Island and Annacis Island Treatment plants and the opportunity to re-use this heat source. The study will also assess the potential users of this heat, such as local businesses, as well as examine integrating solid and liquid waste;

·          

BC Hydro recognizes Richmond as the only Power Smart certified community in BC due to its comprehensive and on-going energy management programs; and

·          

updates will be provided to the Committee as new information becomes available.

It was moved and seconded

That Council request that Metro Vancouver commence the Integrated Resource Recovery initiative in 2010.

CARRIED

4.

RICHMOND MULTI-FAMILY WATER METER PROGRAM WORK GROUP

(Report: October 1, 2009, File Ref. No.:  10-6650-02) (REDMS No. 22734469, 2720140)

John Irving, Director of Engineering & Public Works provided background information to the staff report.  Discussion ensued among Committee and staff regarding discounts to household owners, and in particular to seniors, where it was advised that seniors would be not be provided with a discount, but instead would be referred to the multi-family metering program, based on policies endorsed by Council.  Communicating this to the seniors was of concern for Committee, and staff responded that they would be pro-active in this endeavour.

It was moved and seconded

That:

(1)

staff bring forward a toilet rebate program that provides a $50 credit per toilet with a maximum of $100 (or two toilets) per household for replacing a 13 litre per flush toilet with a 6 litre (or lower) per flush toilet, and that the program is funded from the water utility to a maximum of $100,000 per year; and

(2)

the existing voluntary metering program be continued for single-family homes and that the funding available to multi-family properties for voluntary metering be formally increased in the Waterworks and Water Rates Bylaw to the greater of $60,000 per strata or $500 per unit, and that $2 million funding is made available for multi-family metering annually;

(3)

staff

(a)

develop an information brochure specifically on multi-family water metering;

(b)

develop program specific communication and education strategies in support of recommendations 1 and 2; and

(c)

implement a presentation and information team that would be available to present in person to strata councils or other interested citizen groups.

CARRIED

5.

DISTRICT ENERGY UTILITIES

(Report: October 8, 2009, File Ref. No.:) (REDMS No. 2732670)

John Irving, Director of Engineering, provided background information to the staff report. Committee expressed support for the District Energy Utilities program and noted the potential for the City to gain new sources of revenue among other benefits.

In response to queries from Committee regarding financial impact, Mr. Irving reported that there is none at this time, but that between $30,000 to $40,000 has been spent on a feasibility study.

It was moved and seconded

That:

(1)

staff be directed to issue requests for expressions of interest to provide implementation and operational support of District Energy Utilities in partnership with the City, Developers, and other agencies on the basis of the following guiding principles:

(a)

the District Energy Utility should be wholly owned by the City;

(b)

District Energy Utility costs to end users should be equal to or less than conventional energy costs for the same level of service over the same annual period; and

(2)

the intent to provide City funding to cost share the development of District Energy Utilities be endorsed for the purposes of seeking grant funding.

CARRIED

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

6.

CITY-WIDE STREET FURNITURE PROGRAM PROPOSAL EVALUATION – RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE STRATEGY

(Report: September 30, 2009, File Ref. No.:  10-6360-03-01/2009-Vol 01) (REDMS No. 2637819)

Victor Wei, Director, Transportation, provided a visual rendering of proposed street furniture, and introduced Don Higginson, Manager of Transit Shelter Development, BC Region, Pattison. During the ensuing discussion, the following points were noted:

·          

multiple publication news racks at bus shelters are being recommended due to the numerous free publication boxes that are found at these locations;

·          

there is no City bylaw to restrict free newspaper boxes and the intent is to bring forth a new bylaw to better manage free standing newspaper boxes;

·          

the pilot program will help to determine the cost of maintenance and litter pick up;

·          

providing these news racks is expected to be cost neutral, because new regulations will require a fee for placement of publications, which will offset costs; and

·          

the proponent would look after the structural maintenance of the boxes, including graffiti removal and damage repairs.

In response to questions from Committee regarding the lengthy delay in providing street furniture, which is proving frustrating, Mr. Higginson noted that the state of the economy has been a factor and there has been a steady decline in revenue from shelters in Richmond over the past five years. He added that bus shelters, as opposed to bike racks, garbage bins or benches, are the most recognizable (medium) for advertising.

It was moved and seconded

That:

(1)

the proposed new short-term contract with Pattison Outdoor Advertising, with the major terms as outlined in the staff report dated September 20, 2009 from the Director, Transportation, be endorsed;

(2)

the General Manager, Planning & Development Department, be authorized to execute the above contract;

(3)

staff be directed to bring forth a bylaw to regulate the placement and maintenance of individual paid and unpaid newspaper boxes; and

(4)

staff investigate

i)

the cost to the City for adding more street furniture;

ii)

the feasibility and cost of introducing three-part recycling bins;

iii)

the regulation of newspaper distributors.

CARRIED

7.

MANAGER’S REPORT

Grants

Robert Gonzales, General Manager, Engineering and Public Works reported that the City received confirmation of grant awards totalling $14 million. Further, Mr. Gonzales stated that over three-quarters of the City’s applications submitted for grants were successful.

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (5:25 p.m.).

CARRIED

Certified a true and correct copy of the Minutes of the meeting of the Public Works & Transportation Committee of the Council of the City of Richmond held on Wednesday, October 21, 2009.

_________________________________

_________________________________

Councillor Linda Barnes

Chair

Susan Steeves

Committee Clerk