Community Safety Committee Meeting Minutes - March 27, 2001

Date:

Tuesday, March 27^th, 2001

Place:

Anderson Room
Richmond City Hall

Present:

Councillor Bill McNulty, Chair
Councillor Derek Dang
Councillor Kiichi Kumagai
Councillor Malcolm Brodie
Councillor Linda Barnes

Absent:

Councillor Ken Johnston, Vice-Chair

Also Present:

Councillor Lyn Greenhill

Call to Order:

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

INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS BY COMMITTEE CHAIR

Councillor Bill McNulty, Chair of the Community Safety Committee, welcomed everyone to the Inaugural meeting of the Committee. He thanked the Mayor for having the vision to see the need for the committee and stated that he welcomed the opportunity to work with all the groups within the Community Safety Division. The Chair expressed the hope that the Committee would be able to provide direction to Council as well as to improve relationships with the safety groups.

The Chair stated that there would be a time for concerns to be placed on the agenda and that Committee members would have the opportunity to address these concerns. Cllr. McNulty referred to the studies currently underway with the police and Fire Department, and stated that the Committee would be very active in dealing with not only these issues, but others which had to be dealt with.

The Chair advised that the next meeting of the Committee would be held April 24^th, 2001, and after that, meetings would be held the Tuesday following the first Council Meeting of each month, commencing May 15^th, 2001.

ORGANIZATION OF COMMUNITY SAFETY DIVISION
(Oral Report)

The General Manager, Community Safety, Chuck Gale, circulated an organizational chart for the Division, and he reviewed the structure of the Division with the Committee. A copy of this chart is attached as Schedule A and forms part of these minutes.

Mr. Gale advised that in addition to the four departments - Community Bylaws & Administration; Environmental Programs which includes Emergency, Environmental and Sanitation & Recycling; Fire-Rescue and the RCMP, the support staff for the Division would be the Manager of Administration, Mike Mack; the Manager, Division Programs, Shawn Issel; and the Executive Assistant to the General Manager, Community Safety, Pam Portman.

Also circulated to Committee members, were contact sheets which contained the business cards for the senior staff of the Division. During the brief discussion which ensued, Committee members expressed a preference for the small ‘emergency numbers’ card which had been distributed some time ago. As a result, the Chair requested Mr. Gale to have the information on these cards updated and recirculated to all members of Council.

ANNUAL CALENDAR FOR COMMUNITY SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETINGS

The following information regarding the meeting schedule for the remainder of the year was circulated to all members of the Committee.

COMMUNITY SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING DATES

April 24^th, 2001

May 15^th, 2001

June 12^th, 2001

July 10^th, 2001

August 14^th, 2001

September 11^th, 2001

October 10^th, 2001 (to accommodate Thanksgiving Day)

November 14^th, 2001 (to accommodate Remembrance Day)

December 11^th, 2001

REPORTING PROCEDURE FOR THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON POLICING

The Chair advised that the Chair of the Advisory Committee on Policing, James Lavery, would be invited to attend the Community Safety Committee meetings.

Mr. Gale then advised that the Advisory Committee had been advised that that committee would now report to Council through the Community Safety Committee. He stated that because of this change, he would be submitting a report to the Committee, with a recommendation to amend the Terms of Reference accordingly.

Discussion ensued on whether other committees would be reporting to the Community Safety Committee. As a result of the discussion, staff were asked to provide copies of the minutes of the previous meetings of the Emergency Planning Committee to the Community Safety Committee for its information. In addition, staff were also asked to prepare a report to the Committee on E-Comm, and to provide information on the various committees with which the Community Safety Committee would be liaising.

SETTING OF DATE AND TIME FOR A TOUR OF FACILITIES OPERATED BY THE COMMUNITY SAFETY DIVISION

Discussion ensued Committee members on whether they wished to take a tour of all facilities which were under the umbrella of the Community Safety Division, or alternatively, have the General Manager provide an overview of the function and operation of various departments which comprised the Division. The suggestion was made during the discussion that the tour be delayed until the completion of the review of the City’s infrastructure and the resulting report considered by the Committee. The suggestion was also made that one department each month make a short presentation to the Committee on their duties and responsibilities, at the same time, introducing some of the employees within that department.

The request was made during the discussion, that representatives of the BC Ambulance Service be requested to make a presentation to the Committee on the service which they provide to the City. Advice was given that a previous request to the BC Ambulance Service to make a presentation to the City had been declined, however, Councillor Dang advised that he would pursue the matter further.

The Chair, in summarizing the discussion, confirmed that the Committee was of the view that briefings should take place on the various functions of the Division, and that the proposed tour take place following the completion of the upcoming facilities and infrastructure report.

The Chair then reviewed items for the next meeting of the Committee.

an update on the policing study;

water rescue services and the Coast Guard; and

traffic fines/intersection cameras.

The Chair, in concluding the open meeting, urged Committee members to put any issues or concerns which they had on the table for discussion. He reiterated that he intended the Community Safety Committee to be a productive committee.

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (4:33 p.m.).

CARRIED

Certified a true and correct copy of the Minutes of the meeting of the Community Safety Committee of the Council of the City of Richmond held on Tuesday, March 27^th, 2001.

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Councillor Bill McNulty
Chair

Fran J. Ashton
Executive Assistant