MINUTES

1.

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the Community Safety Committee held on Wednesday, July 6^th, 2005, be adopted as circulated.

CARRIED

NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING DATE

2.

The next meeting of the Committee is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, November 15^th, 2005 at 4:00 p.m. in the Anderson Room.

DELEGATIONS

3.

(1)

Dr. John Clague and Dr. Ian Hutchison (Simon Fraser University), to present the results of the study undertaken on behalf of the City relating to Tsunamis.

(10 minute PowerPoint presentation.)

The Manager, Emergency & Environmental Programs, Suzanne Bycraft, briefly spoke about the study undertaken by Drs. Clague and Hutchinson on behalf of Richmond and Delta.  She then introduced Dr. John Clague and Dr. Ian Hutchinson, of Simon Fraser University.

(Cllr. Dang entered the meeting – 4:07 p.m.)

Dr. Clague, through a PowerPoint presentation, discussed such issues as the potential sources of tsunamis – plate-boundary earthquakes, crustal earthquakes and failures of the Fraser River delta slope, and reviewed the findings found in the ‘natural tsunami archives’.  In conclusion, Dr. Clague advised that:

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tsunamis in the Strait of Georgia were unlikely to exceed 1 metre in height; and therefore, were not considered to be an issue

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small tsunamis would ease as they crossed the tidal flats and would be blocked by sea dykes

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a much greater threat was a strong local earthquake (M6-7) and the liquefaction and local ground motion amplification which could result from the earthquake.

(A copy of the PowerPoint presentation is on file in the City Clerk’s Office.)

Discussion ensued among Committee members, staff and the delegation on:

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the need to get the information contained in the presentation out to the public to allay their concerns (advice was given that Drs. Clague and Hutchinson had offered to provide easy to understand information for inclusion on the City’s website and for release to the public)

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how Richmond compared to other cities in the Lower Mainland and whether the City’s low-lying areas would prevent a mass exodus if liquefaction should occur

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whether liquefaction would be life-threatening or only damaging to property, and how to reduce the concerns of residents about the potential for liquefaction

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the need for a separate study on the issue of liquefaction and the possible impact of this occurrence on the City

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the likelihood of a slide occurring at the head of the delta

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the current height of the City’s dyke system and the ability of the dykes to withstand the worst case scenario, i.e. high tide of 2 metres and a tsunami with a height of 1 to 3 metres occurring at the same time

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the decision of some potential businesses and residents not to relocate to Richmond because of the possibility of liquefaction occurring.

As a result of the discussion on the liquefaction issue, staff were requested to determine which areas of the City might be more prone to liquefaction and to report to the Committee with a detailed report on the matter.

Reference was made to the report prepared by Drs. Clague and Hutchinson, and Jerome-Etienne Lesemann, entitled “Tsunami Hazard to Richmond and Delta, British Columbia, Canada”, and staff were requested to provide each member of Council with a copy of the report.  (A copy of the report is on file in the City Clerk’s Office.)

The Chair thanked the delegation for their presentation, and they then left the meeting.

(2)

Steve Chong and Kelvin Higo, of Richmond Health Services, to provide an oral update on the West Nile Virus.

(10 to 15 minute PowerPoint presentation.)

Mr. Steve Chong, of Richmond Health Services, accompanied by Dr. James Lu, reviewed the results of the 2005 West Nile Virus Program with the Committee through a PowerPoint presentation.  A copy of the presentation is on file with the City Clerk’s Office.

In concluding his presentation, Mr. Chong, on behalf of Richmond Health Services, recommended that:

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pre-emptive larviciding continue on Sturgeon Bank

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pre-emptive larviciding continue in City ditches; and

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a state of readiness be maintained for catch basin control.

Discussion then ensued among Committee members, staff and the delegation on:

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the briquettes used in the pre-emptive larviciding in the City’s storm sewers and catch basins, and the environmental impact, if any

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the shelf life of the remaining briquettes, and whether the remaining briquettes should be used now as a precautionary measure.

In concluding the discussion, the delegation was requested by the Chair to report to the Committee once information had been obtained on whether provincial funding for this program would be continued for 2006.

The Chair thanked the delegation for their presentation, and they then left the meeting.

4.

POLICE CHIEF BRIEFING

(Oral Report)  (30 Minutes in duration)

Item for discussion:

(1)

Update – East Richmond/Hamilton Area.

Insp. Rennie Nesset reported on “Project Reaching Out East”, and the recent initial visit to East Richmond.  A copy of the photographs provided by Insp. Nesset are on file in the City Clerk’s Office.  He stated that the Detachment would be continuing this program, and hoped to increase the number of visitors to the emergency services unit during these subsequent visits.

Discussion ensued among Committee members and Insp. Nesset on “Project Reaching Out East”, during which information was provided on the number of future visits planned; and how advertising and notification was undertaken beforehand to advise area residents of the upcoming visit.  Also addressed was the feasibility of finding a secure place in East Richmond to park the emergency services unit overnight during the weekend visits, rather than having to drive the unit from Detachment headquarters to East Richmond each day.

Reference was made to the recent raids on two Richmond homes which contained meth labs, and Insp. Nesset reported briefly on the status of the investigation.

The Chair referred to a recent newspaper article in a Chilliwack newspaper regarding “Restorative Justice”, and she asked that information be provided at a future meeting on the City’s Restorative Justice program and the funding required for that program.  During the brief discussion which took place, information was provided on a meeting held at the recent UBCM Conference with Justice Oppal, during which the subject of restorative justice was discussed.

5.

FIRE CHIEF BRIEFING
(Oral Report)  (30 Minutes in duration)

Item for discussion:

(1)

Update – Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs Conference.

Fire Chief Jim Hancock, through a PowerPoint presentation, reported on the recent Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs Conference held at the Richmond Inn.  In concluding the presentation, he thanked the Committee for its support.

Reference was made to the fire which occurred at the Richmond Inn, and comments were provided by Fire Chief Hancock and Deputy Chief Ron Beaman about:

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the cause of the fire, and the two fatalities which resulted

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the interest shown by local service clubs to talk about such matters as hotel safety for travellers, how to plan your escape and how to prepare yourself for a quick exit

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the need for mandatory fire sprinklers and smoke detectors in all hotels, old or new; whether the City had any power to require mandatory sprinklers in these buildings, and ‘equivalencies’.

During the discussion, Committee offered a vote of thanks to the crews and individuals who provided quick assistance to those fleeing the fire at the Richmond Inn, and in getting the blaze under control in a timely manner.  The Chair also congratulated Richmond Fire Rescue on the accolades received in fighting the fire.

A question was raised by the Chair on whether any progress had been regarding insurance paid to the Provincial Fire Office, and Fire Chief Hancock reported that consideration might be given to PST exemptions for fire-related projects.  A question was raised during the brief discussion on this matter about whether this exemption could be applied to hotels which purchased fire detection equipment.

The Coordinator, Emergency Social Services/Volunteer Management, Derrick Lim, advised that the City’s ‘Disaster Assistance Team’ had been activated as a result of the fire.  He noted however, that because of the leadership role taken by the Richmond Inn staff in dealing with the evacuation of the patrons of the hotel, the team’s role had been limited to providing assistance to the RCMP. 

In concluding the discussion, the Chair thanked Mr. Lim and his team for the assistance provided.

URBAN DEVELOPMENT DIVISION

6.

HALLOWEEN UPDATE

(Oral Report)

The Manager, Community Bylaws, Wayne Mercer, reported that as a result of the adoption of the new Fireworks Regulation Bylaw, permits would not be issued to the general public for private fireworks displays.  He then provided information on the many authorized displays which would be taking place at the various community centres throughout the City on Halloween night.  Mr. Mercer added that Vancouver and Delta were still selling fireworks, however, Surrey and New Westminster had also banned the sale of fireworks in their jurisdictions.

Mr. Mercer then provided information on the additional security which would be implemented by the RCMP, the School District and the City Parks Department in an effort to reduce the amount of vandalism which usually occurred on Halloween night.  He noted that the present labour situation at the schools would have an impact on the security provided at local schools.

During the discussion which ensued, the Chair thanked the community associations for taking on the role of providing fireworks displays, and she expressed the hope that by having the community centres provide these events, that this would help to reduce the number of problems which usually occur on Halloween.  In ending this discussion, the Chair requested Mr. Mercer to compare the results of 2004 to 2005 to determine if there was a decrease in the number of problems from last year.

The Chair referred to a referral to staff about the City’s soil bylaw and dumping on agricultural land.  In response, Mr. Mercer advised that a draft bylaw had been prepared and staff were now reviewing that document to determine how the proposed regulations could be enforced.  He stated that City staff were hoping that the proposed bylaw would complement the regulations already in place through the Agricultural Land Commission.  Mr. Mercer advised that he would provide an initial report on the matter to the Committee’s November meeting.

Reference was made to (i) correspondence received from the “Richmond Responsible Dog Owners Group (RRDG)”, a group devoted to addressing dog-related issues in the City; and (ii) a proposal submitted last year regarding the use of parks and community spaces for dog owners to exercise their dogs off-leash in the early or late hours of the day.

Discussion ensued on this matter, during which staff provided information on a review being undertaken to consider (i) possible times at different parks and other locations which could be available for dog off-leash areas, and (ii) how regulations could be enforced and at the same time, create responsible dog owners.

ENGINEERING & PUBLIC WORKS DIVISION

7.

STATUS REPORT ON DREDGING AND DYKES

(Report:  Sept. 19/05, File No.:  10-6045-09-01/2005-Vol 01) (REDMS No. 1660519)

Discussion ensued among Committee members and staff on the proposal to increase individual utility bills by $5 and $1 per year after that to the $10 amount, rather than immediately charging $10.  Also addressed was the change in name of the ‘Drainage Utility’ to ‘Drainage and Dyke Utility’; whether this was typical practice in other regions; and whether other projects could be included within this utility budget.

Discussion then took place on what had previously been approved for funding as part of the budget process, during which the comment was made that the proposed increase now being considered, along with any other increases being proposed in the future, should be reviewed as part of the annual budget process. 

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

It was moved and seconded

(1)

That staff include annual funding in the amount of $600,000 for dyke upgrades for consideration as part of the 2006 Utility Rates Budget process; and

(2)

That staff determine whether the rate to be charged should be $5 or $10 per utility bill.

CARRIED

8.

EMERGENCY PLANNING – PROGRAM STATUS

(Report:  Sept. 30/05, File No.:  09-5125-01/Vol 01) (REDMS No. 1655844)

Reference was made to comments in the staff report about those areas of the Emergency Program which required further development, and questions were asked about:

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the equipment needed, and the cost of such equipment, for the EOC

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who would be responsible for the preparation of an evacuation plan

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whether ‘evacuation’ meant that every resident would be evacuated from Richmond in the event of a major disaster

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the purpose of the ‘disaster response routes’ which had been established on major thoroughfares throughout the City

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whether the Fire and Police Departments would be utilized in completing a comprehensive hazard assessment; and whether the City would want to undertake such an assessment as the City’s emergency plan continued to develop in the future

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the next big project for the Department (advice was given that this project would be the development of an evacuation plan).

During the discussion, reference was made to the UBCM Emergency Planning Funding Application, and Ms. Bycraft stated that a decision on funding should be known by approximately October 24^th, 2005.

Discussion continued, with the Chair suggesting that staff provide information on what the Emergency Services section had to do next and how this action would proceed.  The comment was made that the Committee had to be aware that ‘…this was not the last piece of the puzzle.'

The Chair then referred to a newspaper article which dealt with the financial aspects of a ‘flupandemic’ and she passed this article to Ms. Bycraft, who was requested to review the information and if she felt it would be worthwhile, to have the Economic Advisory Committee review the material in question.

As a result of the discussion on the Emergency Planning – Program Status report, the following referral motion was introduced:

It was moved and seconded

That the report (dated September 30^th, 2005, from the Manager, Emergency & Environmental Programs), regarding Emergency Planning – Program Status, be referred to staff for the preparation of a detailed report relating to equipment needed, funding, future projects and planning, etc., for submission to the November 15^th, 2005 Community Safety Committee meeting.

CARRIED

9.

UBCM EMERGENCY PLANNING FUNDING APPLICATION

(Oral Report)

Please see Item 8 above for reference to this matter.

10.

MANAGER’S REPORT

There were no reports made.

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (6:05 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 Wednesday, October 12^th, 2005.

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Councillor Linda Barnes
Chair

Fran J. Ashton
Executive Assistant, City Clerk’s Office