MINUTES

1.

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the Community Safety Committee held on Wednesday, November 15, 2006 be adopted as circulated.

CARRIED

NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING DATE

2.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007 (tentative date) at 4:00 p.m. in the Anderson Room.

CARRIED

DELEGATION FROM CANADA LINE RAPID TRANSIT INC.

3.

Jane Bird, Chief Executive Officer, Canada Line Rapid Transit Inc. (CLCO), Raymond Louie, Vice President, Technical and Municipal Liaison, (CLCO) and Greg Scott, Director, Major Projects, addressed the Committee on the topic of safety on the Canada Line. Mr. Scott provided information on the City’s Safety Operations Steering (SOS) Team, indicating that:

·

CLCO and City staff, as well as staff from the RCMP, Fire Rescue and BC Ambulance, are represented on the SOS Team; the team has worked to ensure that each component of the Canada Line is safe and secure;

·

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles are being incorporated on the Canada Line to enhance the design, safety and comfort of all riders;

·

there is a need for a new group, comprising senior City staff and RCMP staff to address safety and security issues in relation to the Canada Line, as well as other projects; the new group will have more resources than the SOS team, in terms of senior RCMP members and senior City staff members;

·

representatives from the RCMP will be in attendance at a future staff briefing;

Ms. Bird’s presentation comprised three parts:

(i)

In addressing the review of the pre-design consultation process, Ms. Bird advised that:

·

the first phase of the Canada Line pre-design consultation process included CLCO staff meeting with groups, including the RCMP, local merchants, and members of the general public, to identify key safety and security issues;

·

the second phase included 6 area meetings and 4 open houses;

·

the third phase, focused on detailed design consultation;

·

fifth phase involved taking the Canada Line Stations through a design process, as per CLCO’s agreement with the City;

·

the sixth phase focused on a traffic management strategy.

(ii)

Ms. Bird advised on the issue of safety as it relates to built form:

·

both formal and informal surveillance are incorporated into the design of Canada Line stations; formal surveillance includes the use of security cameras, and the use of attendants and police, and natural surveillance occurs when people can see what is happening around them.

·

the station designs include glass and enhanced lighting to ensure visibility, and exclude blind corners or dark spaces;

(iii)

When she spoke about operational issues Ms. Bird commented that:

·

the safety of the travelling public is a key commitment for CLCO, and that all operational issues are addressed with this in mind.

In response to queries, Ms. Bird provided the following information:

·

there are three retail opportunities in relation to the Canada Line Stations: in the station structure; on the plaza; and in the adjacent development; CLCO is discussing final station design, including the provision for retail;

·

in 2006 TransLink introduced a new transit policing service, and when the Canada Line opens, approximately 50 TransLink police will be assigned to the Canada Line;

·

if the question of turnstiles at the stations is revisited, TransLink would be the organization to do so, and it is CLCO’s understanding that TransLink would look at turnstiles throughout the whole transit system, not just the Canada Line, and would explore the issue in terms of business and policy;

·

all Canada Line stations are equipped with elevators and up escalators; a down escalator will be provided at the Richmond-Brighouse station; in terms of safety, elevators are the best conveyance method at the stations;

·

at the future staff briefing, jurisdiction issues, such as the question of whether TransLink police or RCMP officers respond to incidents on the Canada Line, will be discussed;

Mayor Brodie stated that at Canada Line Stations, due to the high capital and maintenance costs of turnstiles, TransLink will use extra attendants. In addition TransLink has assured the City that the level of policing activity would be commensurate with the rest of the transit system.

In relation to camera surveillance, Mayor Brodie advised that the Federal Government recently announced that it will provide millions of dollars to revamp and upgrade TransLink’s entire closed circuit television camera system, and that TransLink would add funds to the project.

Mayor Malcolm Brodie left the meeting at 4:40 and did not return.

4.

SAFETY ON CANADA LINE

(Report: Dec. 7/06, File No.: 10-6525-01/2006-Vol 01) (REDMS No. 2051209)

It was moved and seconded

That the report (dated December 7^th, 2006, from the Director, Major Projects), regarding Safety on the Canada Line, be received for information.

CARRIED

DECISIONS / ACTIONS (1 ITEM)

LAW AND COMMUNITY SAFETY DEPARTMENT

13

5.

SHELTER OPERATION AND ANIMAL CONTROL SERVICES CONTRACT REQUEST-FOR-PROPOSALS COMPETITION # 2941P

(Report: November 29, 2006, File No.: 03-1000-20-2941P) (REDMS No. 2047608) (Correspondence received (for the City web site): Volume 1; Volume 2; Volume 3; Correspondence circulated at the meeting are on file in the City Clerk’s Office.)

The Chair advised that in accordance with section 14.3.1(f) of the Council Procedure Bylaw, delegations were not permitted on this matter.

Wayne Mercer, Manager, Community Bylaws and Jodie Shebib, Supervisor Community Bylaws, responded to queries advising that:

·

RAPS deals effectively with house pets, and in addition it has the ability to deal effectively with domestic farm animals, as well as wild animals when necessary;

·

RAPS will have the capacity to manage animal care at the city-owned shelter on No. 5 Road, and if RAPS requires more capacity, the RAPS site on No. 6 Road would be used;

·

if the contract is awarded to RAPS there will be no effect on how the City’s bylaw staff deals with issues of animal protection, as the operational contract remains the same;

·

reports of cruelty are received by the SPCA at its Vancouver office, not its Richmond facility, and all investigations would continue to be conducted through the Vancouver office;

·

the City has an obligation under the Provincial statute to act on complaints of cruelty toward animals and the group operating the animal shelter would place a call to the SPCA who would respond to the situation itself, or would appoint someone else to do so;

·

City staff has ensured that the process of dealing with complaints of cruelty is thorough and that no act of reported cruelty would fall through the cracks;

It was moved and seconded

(1)

That the City enter into a contract with the Richmond Animal Protection Society for shelter operation and partial animal control services for a two year term at the amount of $172,900 for the first year and $176,350 for the second year; and

(2)

That Mayor and Clerk ratify the final contract (upon completion, based on the budget above) with the Richmond Animal Protection Society.

CARRIED

***********************************

POLICIES / STRATEGIES (1 ITEM)

LAW AND COMMUNITY SAFETY DEPARTMENT

6.

ESTABLISHMENT OF BYLAW DISPUTE ADJUDICATION SYSTEM

(Report: November 24, 2006, File No.: 12-8060-20-8122) (REDMS No. 2028682, 1803539, 1886925)

Mr. Mercer advised that in future, when the City issues a ticket, it will include an information brochure to inform the recipient about the adjudication system, if adopted.

Mr. Mercer briefly described the process by which a recipient of a ticket would proceed through the new adjudication system: (i) Community Bylaws would ask the ticketed individual to choose if they wished to proceed in person, by telephone, by FAX or in writing, and would then provide a possible adjudication appointment time, and would schedule the Adjudicator; (ii) adjudication appointment times are based on 20 minutes per case which will save hours of time compared to the court system; (iii) Community Bylaws would receive a statement from the issuing Officer; (iv) the Adjudicator would consider the evidence from both the ticketed individual and the issuing Officer; (v) if the Adjudicator upholds the case, the unsuccessful disputant has to pay the full fine amount and a fee to offset the costs associated with the adjudication system; (vi) if the ticketed person is not satisfied with the adjudicator’s decision, they could opt to go through the courts;

Mr. Mercer advised that the City would have to abandon the accumulated backlog of cases that are presently before the Provincial Court, as there is no system by which to stream them into the new adjudication system.

It was moved and seconded

That:

(1)

the Notice of Bylaw Violation Dispute Adjudication Bylaw No. 8122 be introduced and given first, second and third readings;

(2)

the necessary Council Policy pursuant to Section 10 (2) of the Local Government Bylaw Notice Enforcement Act be adopted;

(3)

the public education initiatives to be developed in consultation with the City’s Communications Division prior to launch date of April 1, 2007, be endorsed;

(4)

the 2007 Capital Budget be amended to include the Establishment of the Bylaw Adjudication System; and

(5)

funding of $42,500 through the Enterprise Fund be approved as the funding source for the Establishment of the Bylaw Adjudication System.

CARRIED

***********************************

7.

Police Chief Briefing

(Oral Report)

No report was given.

8.

FIRE Chief Briefing

(Oral Report)

Fire Chief Jim Hancock reported that;

·

at the January, 2007 Community Safety Committee meeting, the Strategic Plan will be delivered and it will provide a vision for Richmond Fire Rescue (RFR) for the next five years;

·

the plan will include a spreadsheet detailing the status of the action plans, as well as related goals and objectives of the RFR;

·

the deadline of December 21, 2006 to remedy the existing shortfalls in gender accommodation and privacy for firefighters will be met;

·

RFR is awaiting a seismic report on soil conditions at the Steveston and the Shellmont Firehalls, and any required upgrades will be incorporated into the seismic renovation; at the Bridgeport Firehall lockers will be used to configure the dorm and locker rooms to provide dignity to all users of the spaces; in 2007 the Crestwood Firehall will receive a privacy wall for the upstairs washroom;

·

At the City Centre Firehall No. 1, plans are being developed to upgrade the second floor washrooms, the change rooms and the dorm; washroom renovations will begin early in 2007; fire prevention staff are going to move into space at 6931 Granville Avenue;

·

the Alternative Dispute Resolution Process has been established and will address any unresolved harassment or sexual harassment disputes that may arise;

·

there will be more goals-based Leadership Learning Plans for the Administrative Chief Officers and Managers, Operational and Divisional Chiefs and the Captains/Supervisors and there will be a learning plan developed for the 121 non-supervisory firefighters;

·

clarity will be brought to the use of the Chain of Command when addressing complaints, to ensure that all supervisors and officers are clear regarding responsibilities, and the consequences and accountabilities associated with those responsibilities, and to ensure that all personnel are aware of the processes by which complaints are addressed;

·

the Ombuds service will be introduction in January, 2007;

·

there is documentation and validation of RFR’s hiring practices, in preparation for the firefighter recruitment and hiring process; RFR will undertake recruitment for new firefighters in 2007 with the goal of hiring up to five; in addition RFR has a request for the 2007 budget to cover 18 firefighters; the Chief has undertaken informal recruitment of female firefighters by talking to educational institutions throughout North America to learn about any recent graduates; the objective of the RFR’s hiring process is to broaden the diversity in the department;

·

RFR is working to resolve a few key steps in the hiring process; before the hiring process commences, RFR would inform and involve the union; to date the Chief has not heard any objections or concerns expressed by any union members.

·

RFR is ready for the launch its Standard Operating Procedures, all of which are linked to the City’s policies;

·

there will be delivery of “value of diversity” key communications, and it will include outside speakers, videos, and firehall visits from the Chief;

·

there is a plan for the expansion of RFR’s management structure, subject to budget approval, to include an executive assistant, an office manager and a Deputy Fire Chief; in addition there is a plan for the review of the leadership structure;

·

discussions are ongoing with the City’s Human Resources Department with regard to the development of a closer working relationship with RFR;

·

RFR has clear disciplinary guidelines to ensure a harassment-free work environment;

·

with regard to the Bridgeport Road Firehall, the City has been assembling land at the corner of Cambie and No. 4 Roads and if more land is acquired, RFR would come to the Committee to discuss the possibility of relocation of its administration centre to that site;

·

the Hamilton Firehall could be commissioned as early as the first week of January, 2007 after a two week airing of off-gasses; dates for a grand opening ceremony are being discussed; the Sea Island Firehall will be commissioned on December 20, 2006; the firehall is not yet in service and firefighters and City facilities staff are on site to ensure that all vital communications and operational functions are in place; dates for a grand opening ceremony are being discussed.

The Chair requested that RFR submit a written report to the Committee to detail the 2007 hiring process and how it differs from the former hiring process. Chief Hancock advised that he would prepare and submit such a report to the Committee, and that the report would also detail how RFR would meet all its hiring obligations.

In response to a query, Phyllis Carlyle, General Manager, Law & Community Safety responded that her department is working closely with the City’s Human Resources department to develop a recruiting plan that would cover both psychological and physical testing. The process would ensure that RFR staff would more closely resemble the residents it serves, to ensure that the citizens can relate to the people who are providing them with fire rescue service. She added that the City would look at all types of recruiting and that before any recruitment begins, a report will be brought forward to the Committee.

9.

MANAGER’S REPORT

(Oral Report)

No report was given.

10.

Production and importation of products containing Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs)

The Chair referred to a copy of a November 28, 2006 letter from Mayor Graham Hill of the Town of View Royal, addressed to MP Rona Ambrose, Ministry of the Environment, Government of Canada, re: PBDEs. The letter addressed the Private Member Bill M-38 put before Parliament calling for legislation to completely phase out the production and importation of products containing PDBEs. (The letter is on file at the City Clerk’s Office.)

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

It was moved and seconded

That staff report back to the Community Safety Committee following a review of Bill M-38 that addresses Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDES), advising whether the proposed legislation will affect Richmond.

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (5:21p.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, December 12, 2006.

_________________________________

_________________________________

Councillor Evelina Halsey-Brandt
Chair

Sheila Johnston
Committee Clerk