MINUTES

1.

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the Community Safety Committee held on Tuesday, February 11^th, 2003, be adopted as circulated.

CARRIED

NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING DATE

2.

The next meeting of the Committee is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, April 15^th, 2003 at 4:00 p.m. in the Anderson Room.

COMMUNITY SAFETY COMMITTEE ADVISORY TASK FORCE

3.

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the Community Safety Committee Advisory Task Force held on February 20^th, 2003, be received for information.

CARRIED
 

COMMUNITY SAFETY DIVISION

4.

PAY PARKING PROGRAM OVERVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION SUMMARY
(Report:  Mar. 6/03, File No.:   6455-05-03) (REDMS No. 974001)

The Manager, Community Bylaws, Sandra Tokarczyk, briefly provided an overview on the pay parking program and recommendation summary.

(Mayor Brodie entered the meeting at 4:02 p.m.)

Discussion ensued among Committee members and staff on:

the rationale for the proposed expansion of the pay parking program and who have the direction for such expansion

the anticipated staffing levels if Option 2 was approved, and whether the salaries and expenses for the new employees had been factored into the cost analysis

the amount of revenue generated from enforcement of pay parking regulations

the projected enforcement costs and whether these costs were only for those individuals who did not put money in the parking meters

the safety and liability components of enforcement

those areas from which existing parking meters would be removed

how staff intended to generate additional revenue when they were recommending the removal of parking meters

Option 2 Service Delivery implications and whether problems would arise as a result of the loss of resources, experience and guidance from EasyPark

the effectiveness of the City's Bylaw Enforcement Officers as ambassadors

whether the City was required to purchase and maintain the pay parking equipment

whether EasyPark could purchase the equipment, if the City chose to contract out responsibility for the pay parking program and have EasyPark assume control for the program

whether consideration had been given to using less expensive meter equipment.

During the discussion, Ms. Tokarczyk reviewed each of the proposed options with the Committee.

Councillor Kumagai stated during the discussion that he had only supported the implementation of pay parking in the City Centre, a high traffic area, as a means of making more parking stalls available to public. 

Concern was expressed about the true net cost of the proposed program and the rationale for not including certain expenses in the cost breakdown.  A brief discussion then ensued among Committee members and the General Manager, Community Safety, Chuck Gale, on the accounting practices which had been used to create the document now being considered.

Reference was made to the suggestion that possibly EasyPark could assume responsibility for the City's pay parking program, and Mr. Gale cautioned the Committee about taking such a step.  Discussion then ensued among Committee members and Mr. Gale on this possible option, during which Mr. Gale indicated that staff should be given the opportunity to examine the proposal in detail.

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

It was moved and seconded

That the matter of the Pay Parking Program be referred to staff for report to Committee that includes:

(1)

a more complete analysis of the City's cost to deliver the parking program, including an estimate of the City's overhead costs;

(2)

the impact to the City, if the City chose not to purchase and maintain the pay and display meter equipment;

(3)

whether or not EasyPark could assume responsibility for the Pay Parking Program;

(4)

the feasibility of removing timed and metered parking totally out of the control of the City and passing this responsibility on to a private service provider, and the impact which this action could have on revenue as well as on safety and liability issues;

(5)

the feasibility of having the contractor  purchase the pay and display meter equipment, and including the purchase of this equipment in the contract price; and

at the same time, provide: 

(a)

with respect to Option 2, a breakdown of the anticipated $1,289,900 revenue to show how this revenue would be generated, given that staff were recommending the removal of 39 pay parking meters;

(b)

information on the status of the 39 meters being removed and where these meters could be located in the future;

(c)

an analysis of any complaints received from businesses which may have been negatively impacted by the location of meters outside their establishments.

CARRIED

Councillor Kumagai left the meeting at 5:02 p.m., and did not return.

5.

PAY PARKING PROGRAM REVIEW
(Report:  Mar. 6/03, File No.:   6455-05-03) (REDMS No. 971690)
 

It was moved and seconded

That the concept of creating a City-wide Parking Advisory Committee be endorsed, with the understanding that a separate staff report would be provided detailing the terms of reference and Committees mandate.
 

The question on the motion was not called, as a brief discussion ensued on whether the creation of the committee should wait until staff had had the opportunity to report to the Committee on the results of the referral on the Pay Parking Program.

The question on the motion was then called, and it was CARRIED with Cllr. McNulty opposed.

6.

parking program service delivery
(Report:  Mar. 6/03, File No.:  6455-05-03) (REDMS No. 966501)
 

This matter was not dealt with as the referral adopted by the Committee under Item 4 of these minutes takes precedence.

7.

PARKING PROGRAM BYLAW AMENDMENTS
(Report:  Mar. 6/03, File No.:  8060-20-7481/7482) (REDMS No. 974705, 942099, 936682)
 

It was moved and seconded

That the following amendment bylaws aimed at making the pay parking program more flexible, responsive and effective, be given first, second, and third readings:
 

(1)

Parking (Off-Street) Regulation Bylaw No. 7403, Amendment Bylaw No. 7481; and
 

(2)

Traffic Control and Regulation Bylaw No. 5870, Amendment Bylaw No. 7482.
 

The question on the motion was not called, as concern was expressed about the proposal to give authority to the General Manager, Engineering & Public Works to establish pay parking lots; and to give authority to the Manager, Community Bylaws to establish the rates to be charged for parking at City pay parking lots.  The opinion was expressed that these two matters should only be dealt with by Council.  As a result of the discussion, the following referral motion was introduced:

It was moved and seconded

That Parking (Off-Street) Regulation Bylaw No. 7403, Amendment Bylaw No. 7481 and Traffic Control and Regulation Bylaw No. 5870, Amendment Bylaw No. 7482 be referred to staff to delete all reference to the General Manager, Engineering & Public Works and the Manager, Community Bylaws having the authority to establish pay parking lots and rates for parking at City pay parking lots.

CARRIED
 

8.

PAY PARKING PROGRAM PAY AND DISPLAY EQUIPMENT
(Report:  Mar. 6/03, File No.:  0745-01; xr 6455-05-03) (REDMS No. 931815)
 

This matter was not dealt with as the referral adopted by the Committee under Item 4 of these minutes takes precedence.

9.

POTENTIAL PAY PARKING PROGRAM EXPANSION
(Report:  Mar. 6/03, File No.:   6455-05-03) (REDMS No. 974004)
 

This matter was not dealt with as the referral adopted by the Committee under Item 4 of these minutes takes precedence.

10.

MANAGERS REPORT

There was nothing to report.

Discussion then ensued among Committee members and the General Manager, Community Safety, on the feasibility of holding a special meeting of the Committee to deal with the RCMP budget issue and other matters.  The dates of March 26^th or March 27^th were suggested, and staff were asked to contact the other members of the Committee and Council to finalize a date.

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (5:21 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 11^th, 2003.

_________________________________

_________________________________

Councillor Derek Dang
Vice Chair

Fran J. Ashton
Executive Assistant