Community Safety Committee Meeting Minutes - March 12, 2002
Community Safety Committee
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Date:
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Tuesday, March 12th, 2002
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Place:
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Anderson Room
Richmond City Hall
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Present:
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Councillor Linda Barnes, Chair
Councillor Bill McNulty, Vice-Chair
Councillor Evelina Halsey-Brandt
Councillor Sue Halsey-Brandt
Councillor Rob Howard
Councillor Harold Steves
Mayor Malcolm D. Brodie
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Also Present:
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Councillor Lyn Greenhill
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Call to Order:
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The Chair called the meeting to
order at 4:00 p.m.
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NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING DATE |
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2.
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The
next meeting of the Committee will be held on Tuesday, April 9th,
2002 at 4:00 p.m. in the Anderson Room.
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It was moved and seconded
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That the order of the agenda be varied to deal with Item
Nos. 6 and 5, in that order, at this time.
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CARRIED
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6.
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APPOINTMENT OF BYLAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
(Report: Feb. 26/02,
File No.: 0172-03) (REDMS No. 647807)
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It was moved and seconded
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That Cameron Robertson be appointed as a Bylaw
Enforcement Officer in accordance with Section 36 of the Police Act, and that
such appointment be for the term of his employment as Bylaw Enforcement
Officer with the City.
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CARRIED
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5.
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FORCED CLEAN UP OF AN
UNSIGHTLY PREMISES AT 8080 ALANMORE PLACE
(Report: Feb.
21/02, File No.: 8080-05) (REDMS No.
644591)
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The Manager, Community Bylaws,
Sandra Tokarczyk, briefly reviewed the report with the Committee.
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Mrs. Maggie
Righton, accompanied by Mr. Marielle Demorest, advised that until recently
she had not had anyone to assist with the clean up of her property, and she
asked that she be given additional time to complete the work.
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In response
to questions and concerns expressed by members of the Committee, Mrs. Righton
stated that she would appreciate being given as much time as could be
permitted. She also stated that a
good part of the material on her property was not garbage, but rather items
which she had accumulated during her 36 years of residence in the home and
which required sorting to determine if these items should be saved or
discarded. Mrs. Righton
expressed concern that City crews would remove everything, including those
possessions which she would like to keep.
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Discussion
continued, during which concern was expressed not only for the safety of Mrs.
Righton but also her ability to do the work because of the large amount and
types of material being stored on the property. Mrs. Demorest also spoke, noting that many of the items on Mrs.
Rightons property should be thrown out, and suggesting that
Mrs. Righton did not realize the seriousness of the situation with
respect to her personal safety.
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In response
to questions from the Chair, Bylaw Liaison Officer Ron Graham advised that
the only area of improvement had been the removal of materials from the
swimming pool, and that he was concerned with the two motor vehicles which
were buried under items stored in the carport. Mr. Graham also stated, in answer to further questions, that
Mrs. Righton could pay more to have the materials removed by a private
contractor rather than a City crew.
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Discussion
then ensued among Committee members and staff on (i) the anticipated timing
of the clean-up by a City crew following adoption by Council of the proposed
recommendation, and (ii) what an appropriate amount of time might be which
would allow Mrs. Righton to sort through her possessions. As a result of the discussion, the
following amended motion was
introduced:
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It was moved and seconded
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That the City be given approval to proceed with the clean
up of an unsightly property in accordance with Section 725 (2) of the Local
Government Act at 8080 Alanmore Place, as outlined in the Order to Comply
of January 25, 2002 under Unsightly Premises Regulation Bylaw No. 7162, on
the understanding that the owner would be given a period of one month
commencing March 12th, 2002, to sort through her possessions.
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CARRIED
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The Chair
explained to Mrs. Righton that the recommendation adopted by Committee would
be considered by Council at its March 25th, 2002 regular meeting,
and that if adopted, approximately one week would pass before a City crew
would be sent to clean up her property.
The Chair indicated, that based on the recommendation passed by the
Committee, Mrs. Righton had been given 4 weeks to sort through her
possessions. |
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Discussion
continued briefly, during which staff were directed to provide an update to
Council just prior to the next Council Meeting, including photographs, on the
condition of the property.
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COMMUNITY SAFETY DIVISION |
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3.
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DRAFT EMERGENCY SOCIAL SERVICES PLAN
(Report: Mar. 1/02, File No.: 5125-03-02) (REDMS No. 602048)
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The Manager, Emergency &
Environmental Programs, Suzanne Bycraft, and Chair of the Emergency Planning
Committee, accompanied by Mrs. Wendy Mah, Project Leader, gave a PowerPoint
presentation to fully explain the proposed Emergency Social Services Plan to
the Committee. Following the
conclusion of the presentation, discussion ensued among Committee members and
staff on:
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the feasibility of including
within the public discussion, an evaluation process to ensure that the
proposed program met the needs of Richmond residents
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the Provincial Governments
mandate on the preparation of emergency plans, and the role of the City in
this regard
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the process followed by the City
in the event of an emergency situation occurring
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the current staff complement
within the Emergency and Environmental Programs section of the Division as
it related to the Emergency Program
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the current level of service
provided by the overall Emergency Plan
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the feasibility of using
existing members of the Fire-Rescue Department and the RCMP to act as
co-ordinators during emergency situations
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the level of staffing provided
in surrounding cities and municipalities for their respective emergency plans
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whether the City's Emergency
Plan could be sold to other municipalities as a revenue generator for
Richmond
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the use of volunteers and the
services they provide in emergency situations.
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During the
overall discussion, an in-depth discussion ensued among Committee members and
staff on (i) the need for the Emergency Social Services Co-ordinator
position; (ii) the impact which a decision not to fill the position in 2002,
if made, could have on the City's Emergency Plan, including the proposed
supporting plans; and (iii) whether the Emergency Plan could continue to
function for the remainder of the year with only one staff position in the
hope that the City's financial situation would improve in the future. Advice was given during the discussion on
the decision of The Administrators Group (TAG) to recommend to the General
Purposes Committee on Monday, March 18th, 2002, that the
Emergency Social Services Co-ordinator position be eliminated for
2002. Further advice was given that
staff would be reporting to the March 18th meeting on how the
Emergency Plan section could continue to function without the said position.
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Information
was provided during the discussion on: the creation of the emergency program;
how funding had been obtained to complete the plan now being considered by
the Committee; the status of employees following the conclusion of the
project; and the Emergency Program Co-ordinator position.
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The request
was made by the General Manager, Community Safety, Chuck Gale, during the
discussion, that if the Committee was not prepared to support the creation of
the Emergency Social Services Co-ordinator position, that he be given time
to meet with the affected members of his department to (i) determine if there
was a way to use the existing funding to keep the Emergency Plan functioning;
and (ii) review in greater detail, the suggestion made that members of the
Fire-Rescue Department and RCMP act as coordinators at emergency situations.
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The request
was made during the discussion that staff provide at the March 18th
General Purposes Committee meeting, information on (within the Emergency Plan
Overview) (i) potential areas which could continue to be worked on, i.e.
Business Continuity, (ii) the departments which would assume responsibility
for maintenance of these projects following completion, and (iii) the work
required to be done within each of these projects.
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Staff were
also requested to provide at the March 18th meeting, an analysis
on whether the RCMP should be used as
co-ordinators at emergency situations, and the impact which this use could
have on the Fire-Rescue Department.
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It was moved and seconded
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(1)
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That Resolution No.
CW96/1-15, (adopted January 8th, 1996), which adopted
the
Emergency Services Plan dated December 11, 1995, be rescinded. |
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(2)
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That the draft
Emergency Social Services Plan (dated March 1, 2002) be referred
to the
public for review. |
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(3)
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That staff employ the
draft Emergency Social Services Plan (dated March 1, 2002)
to address the
needs of individuals in emergency situations until such time as the
final
plan is approved. |
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The
question on the motion was not called, as discussion continued on the
Emergency Social Services Co-ordinator position, during which it was pointed
out that approval of the recommendations would not result in the filling of
this position. As a result of the
discussion, the following amendment was introduced:
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It was moved and seconded
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That the Environmental Management Strategy framework, (as
outlined in the report dated February 25, 2002, from the Environmental
Co-ordinator), be endorsed as the basis for development of an Environmental
Management Strategy for Richmond.
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That the main motion be amended by adding the following
as Part (4), That funding for the aforementioned project be from previously
approved sources, and not additional funding to the 2002 budget.
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CARRIED
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The question on the main motion, as
amended, was not called, as discussion ensued on such matters as (i) the
continued operation and maintenance of the Emergency Plan and the Emergency
Social Services Plan to ensure that the City was fulfilling its mandate, and
(ii) the use of volunteers.
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In concluding the discussion, the
Chair congratulated staff on the preparation of the plan and for their
efforts in maintaining services.
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The
question on the motion was then called, and it was CARRIED.
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4.
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ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
STRATEGY PROPOSED FRAMEWORK
(Report: Feb.
25/02, File No.: 6125-01) (REDMS No.
646928)
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Mrs. Margot Daykin, M.R.M.,
Environmental Co-ordinator, reviewed the proposed framework for the
Environmental Management Strategy with the Committee. During the discussion which ensued, the
following areas were addressed:
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the financial impact of
implementing the strategy
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the use of consultants to
prepare the report Committee members stressed that the work should be
completed in-house and that staff should make every attempt to keep
consulting costs to a minimum
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whether the proposed strategies
would conflict with Provincial regulations, and how any conflict might be
addressed
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how the proposed plan would be
implemented, and the direction it would take.
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It was moved and seconded
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That the Environmental Management Strategy framework, (as
outlined in the report dated February 25, 2002, from the Environmental
Co-ordinator), be endorsed as the basis for development of an Environmental
Management Strategy for Richmond.
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CARRIED
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7.
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YOUTH INTERVENTION PROGRAM REVIEW
(Oral Report)
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S/Sgt. Colin Abel, accompanied by
Ruth Hahn, the Youth Intervention Program Co-ordinator, reviewed with the
Committee, the Youth Intervention Program.
During the discussion which ensued, information was provided on the
following matters:
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the new Federal legislation
recently enacted, Youth Criminal
Justice Act
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the Restorative Justice
program and how it would function
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the positions currently within
the Youth Intervention Program and the funding which was available for these
positions
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the Youth Intervention Program
process and how it functioned as opposed to putting a young offender through
the judicial system
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the number of youth
participating in the program on an annual basis and the case load of Ms. Hahn
at any one time.
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In
concluding the discussion, the Chair thanked S/Sgt. Abel and Ms. Hahn for
their hard work.
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8.
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INTERNATIONAL
IDENTIFICATION OF RICHMOND AS A MODEL FOR COMMUNITY POLICING
(Oral Report)
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Cpl. Davis Wendell reported to the
Committee on the international identification of Richmond as a model for
community policing. A copy of his
report is attached as Schedule A and forms part of these minutes.
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The Chair
asked that congratulations of the Committee be passed on to the Community
Policing officers for their hard work and dedication in making the program a
success. Discussion then ensued among
Committee members and Cpl. Wendell on:
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the proposed trip to Eastern
Europe and responsibility for funding
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the feasibility of charging
participants of workshops facilitated by the RCMP and City staff to present
the Richmond Model of Community Policing, such as was currently in place
with the Richmond Public Library, to provide additional revenue to the
department.
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In
concluding the discussion, the Chair thanked Cpl. Wendell for his
presentation.
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It was
agreed at this time that the Committee meeting would recess for approximately
15 minutes and reconvene at 7:00 p.m., to review the levels of service
provided by the RCMP.
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The
Community Safety Committee meeting reconvened at 7:03 p.m., with all members
of the Committee, Mayor Brodie, and Councillor Greenhill present.
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The General Manager, Community Safety, Chuck Gale, accompanied by
Superintendent Ward Clapham, Officer in Charge, Richmond Detachment of the
RCMP, responded to questions from Committee members on: |
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the costs associated with the
YVR contract
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the feasibility of reducing the
RCMP budget by $500,000 and how this reduction could be accomplished
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whether the City fully recovered
the policing costs related to the YVR
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the length of time which the
Richmond Detachment had been fully staffed, and whether the City had any
legal obligation to fill vacant positions within the Detachment as they arose
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the rationale for the payment of
overtime to civilian RCMP staff
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the RCMP Green Team and
whether officers were assigned specifically to this unit
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the possible impact to the
Detachment, if any, in the event that slot machines were permitted in
Richmond.
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Discussion centred around the implications of reducing the RCMP
budget by a specific amount, and whether programs could be reduced without
being entirely eliminated. Supt.
Clapham made a number of suggestions about possible programs which could be
terminated, including YIP and Blockwatch, and reductions in staffing at the
Front Counter. However, there was
general agreement from the Committee and those present that the shopping
list of programs proposed for elimination was unacceptable because of the
role which these programs filled in the community. |
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Reference was made by Supt. Clapham to the G7 Assembly being held
in Alberta this summer and to the deployment of Richmond officers to that
event. Advice was given that that
would result in approximately $100,000 additional revenue to the Detachment
which had not been included in the current proposed budget. |
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Discussion continued on the feasibility of (i) reducing the
Blockwatch program and Front Counter by one-half a person, rather than
eliminating the entire position, and (ii) eliminating officers through
transfer to other detachments, and the impact which this could have on the
level of service currently provided by the Richmond Detachment. As well, discussion also took place on
other possible reductions to the budget which did not have an impact on
programs or personnel; and potential revenue generation. |
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(Mayor Brodie left the meeting at 8:00 p.m., and did not return.) |
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During the discussion, staff were requested to provide at the March
18th, 2002 General Purposes Committee meeting, written information
on: |
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(1)
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the ratio of police
officers to Richmond residents;
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(2)
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the impact of losing one General Duty Officer,
one Investigation Officer, one Traffic officer, and one Drug Squad officer on
the provision of overall policing services; and
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(3)
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population projections for the next five years,
and the number of officers which would be proposed based on those
projections, and the impact which these projections would have on the ratio
of officers to residents.
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Discussion continued, during which suggestions were made that the
RCMP budget could be reduced by: |
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including the anticipated $100,000 revenue
resulting from the G7 Assembly, in the proposed budget;
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including the salary from the vacant YIP
position;
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denying the additional level request for the
installation of mobile workstations in RCMP vehicles; and
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transferring one police
officer to another detachment.
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The comment was also made that consideration should be given to
charging for the workshops held by the Detachment on the Community Policing
Model, as a means of generating additional revenue.
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In response to the suggestions made, Mr. Gale advised that staff
would review the proposals and report with options to the March 18th
General Purposes Committee meeting.
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Discussion ensued briefly on the question of whether the proposed
reductions would be only for the 2002 budget or would be permanent for all
future budgets. |
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(Councillor Sue Halsey-Brandt left the meeting at 8:29 p.m., and did
not return.) |
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ADJOURNMENT |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the meeting adjourn (8:30 p.m.). |
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CARRIED |
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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 12th,
2002.
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_________________________________
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_________________________________
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Councillor Linda Barnes
Chair
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Fran J. Ashton
Executive Assistant
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