MINUTES

1.

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the Community Safety Committee held on Wednesday, April 11, 2007, be adopted as circulated.

CARRIED

NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING DATE

2.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007 (tentative date) at 4:00 p.m. in the Anderson Room.

PRESENTATION

3.

Presentation of letter and certificate to Trevor Johnson, Richmond Fire Rescue, who participated in the Kilimanjaro climbing expedition.

Fire Chief Jim Hancock introduced Trevor Johnson and stated that Mr. Johnson had, over an eight day period, completed a 19,340 foot ascent of Kilimanjaro. In response to a query, Mr. Johnson advised that he, and his climbing partner, had raised over $13,000 and that donations are still being accepted on the website: www.summitsofhope.com

The Chair presented Mr. Johnson with a framed certificate acknowledging his achievement.

DELEGATION

4.

Ken Shymanski, President and CEO, and Beatrix Nicolato, Vice President and CFO, of E-Comm, to provide an update. 

Kiichi Kumagai, Richmond’s representative on the E-Comm Board addressed the Committee and:

·            

thanked the Committee for the opportunity to present an update on

E-Comm;

·            

advised that in 2007 E-Comm and GVRD had concluded discussions and had reached an agreement on the cost of providing E-Comm services to the GVRD and he expressed thanks to Mayor Brodie, a member of GVRD’s Finance Committee, for his work on the process;

·            

stated that the cost per year per home for 9-1-1 services, regardless of the number of telephone lines in a residence, is $2.31; and

·            

reported that 14 police departments are on the E-comm area network and can now more effectively communicate with one another.

Mr. Shymanski, President and CEO of E-Comm circulated information about E-Comm (a copy is on file in the Clerk’s Office), including E-Comm’s vision, funding sources, emergency dispatch operations, governance and ownership, and corporate structure. In response to queries Mr. Shymanski stated that:

·            

Richmond is a leader in the use of communication technology to enhance response to emergency situations;

·            

E-Comm’s vision for the future is to add Whistler and Hope to the program;

·            

knowledge of local geography is imperative so that responders can be directed to a specific location, and E-Comm works closely with the RCMP and with Richmond Fire Rescue (RFR) to compile information so dispatchers are completely familiar with all areas of Richmond;

Discussion ensued with regard to the governance and ownership of E-Comm and Mr. Shymanski advised that E-Comm is a private corporation, and that the two shares the City has in the corporation are Richmond Fire Rescue and Richmond RCMP.

E-Comm’s Board of Directors is responsible for E-Comm’s overall vision, while management runs the day-to-day operations of the Corporation.

Beatrix Nicolato, Vice President and CFO of E-Comm, reviewed financial highlights (on file in the Clerk’s Office) and stated that E-Comm is financially stable and that 2006/2007 represents the second year in a row during which the Corporation could issue a shareholder rebate. She highlighted E-Comm’s process of preparing budgets using a consultative process, in which Richmond participates.

In conclusion, Mr. Kumagai stated that E-Comm is working closely with the RCMP, the Vancouver Police Department, and the region’s fire departments to prepare for the 2010 Winter Oympics.

LAW AND COMMUNITY SAFETY DEPARTMENT

5.

PROMOTION OF CERTIFIED ORGANIC, FREE-RANGE EGGS

(Report:  April 20, 2007, File No.:  12-8060-02-01) (REDMS No. 2084256)

The Chair invited Bruce Passmore, Farm Animal Welfare Project Coordinator, Vancouver Humane Society (VHS), to speak to the Committee. He circulated a letter (on file in the Clerk’s Office) that addressed the issue of improving the welfare of egg-laying hens. Mr. Passmore stated that:

·            

the VHS supports the four-part City staff recommendation;

·            

the Committee could include in the recommendation that (i) operators and caterers of City-run facilities use only certified organic, free-range or free-run whole (shell) eggs, and (ii) that Council write to the Province stating its opposition to battery cage egg production;

·            

Richmond could be the first City in Canada to adopt this type of recommendation and in so doing demonstrate the City’s commitment to animal welfare.

Discussion ensued and in response to a query Mr. Passmore advised that the increase in price, if operators and caterers of facilities used certified organic, free-range or free-run whole (shell) eggs instead of battery cage eggs, would be only $0.20 per menu item.

It was moved and seconded

(1)

That the Council of the City of Richmond resolves to encourage Richmond residents:

(i)

as restaurants and caterers in both private and City operations, to highlight the support for and availability of certified organic, free-range chicken eggs on their menus;

(ii)

as consumers, to request the option of purchasing certified organic, free-range chicken eggs at retail food outlets and restaurants and, where available, choose the certified organic, free-range option;

(iii)

as wholesalers, to highlight the preference for and availability of certified organic, free-range chicken eggs in their food supply inventories; and

(iv)

as retailers, to highlight the preference for and availability of certified organic, free-range chicken eggs in their food stores;

(2)

That the Council of the City of Richmond requests operators and caterers of City-run facilities to use only certified organic, free-range or free-run whole (shell) chicken eggs; and

(3)

That the Council of the City of Richmond write to the Province stating that Council opposes battery cage chicken egg production based on the inherent cruelty of confining egg-laying hens in battery cages. 

CARRIED

Councillor Derek Dang left the meeting at 5:23 p.m. and did not return.

6.

FIRE CHIEF BRIEFING

(1)

Sea Island Fire Hall April 21, 2007 Opening

Chief Hancock reported that up to 700 people attended the opening. He stated that representatives from the Canadian Coast Guard, the RCMP, BC Ambulance Service and the City of Richmond’s Emergency Management Office joined members of RFR in greeting and hosting members of the public. Chief Hancock thanked Council for their support for the recent building projects of the City’s two new fire halls.

(2)

Fire Fighter Recruitment Update

Chief Hancock reported that the opportunity to apply to RFR ended on April 19, 2007 and by that date 240 applications had been received and 205 of those were acceptable. Of the 205, 17 were qualified female applicants, 8 were non-qualified female applicants, 29 were qualified males of visible minorities, 36 were non-qualified males of visible minorities and the remainder were qualified white males.

Chief Hancock further advised that:

·         

at present the third party adjudication process is underway and one of four sessions has been completed;

·         

after the completion of the impending fitness test portion of the evaluation process, successful candidates will be chosen for interviews;

·         

recruits will have been hired by Monday, August 27, 2007 and by that date new hires will start to work in fire halls for three or four weeks to learn RFR routines;

·         

after the initial training period, new hires will go on shift with an RFR mentor.

(3)

Fire Hall Facility Alterations Update

Deputy Chief Geoff Lake advised that:

at No. 1 Fire Hall the Fire Prevention Office was moved across Gilbert Road to 6931 Granville Avenue and construction is underway on the fitness/training room; it is expected that all construction will be complete by the end of September, 2007 to coincide with the arrival of the new hires coming on shift; a funding shortage is being dealt with internally;

at Steveston Fire Hall No. 2  washroom signage is complete; there will be no major changes in the washroom facilities until seismic upgrades take place; research is being done on the cost of private washroom facilities; it is expected that renovations will be done in July, 2007;

at Bridgeport Fire Hall No. 3 signage has been posted on the washroom doors; privacy curtains are being installed in the dorm;

at Shellmont Fire Hall No. 6 seismic upgrades will begin in September, 2007 and no renovations will be done before that time;

at Crestwood Fire Hall No. 7 a small privacy wall has been constructed outside the entrance to the washroom facility on the second floor; privacy curtains have been added to the dorm stations.

Deputy Chief Ron Beaman addressed the topic of training RFR personnel and advised that:

·         

RFR has identified four separate groups: (1) administration and management; (2) battalion chiefs, training officers and fire prevention officers; (3) officers; (4) firefighters and new recruits;

·         

learning plans have been developed and approved for groups (1) and (2);

·         

groups (3) and (4) are receiving training in effective communications, interpersonal skills, as well as in other areas;

·         

RFR is (i) exploring ways to “train the trainer” so department personnel can actively participate in in-house training, and is (ii) working with the Justice Institute to research curriculum opportunities;

·         

the training designed for group (4) will also be done with new hires;

·         

Chief Hancock and Deputy Chief Ron Beaman have instructed RFR personnel regarding what behaviour is acceptable, what behaviour is unacceptable, as well as what the roles and responsibilities of RFR personnel are.

In response to inquiries, staff advised that:

·            

some funding sources will be identified so that training of current RFR personnel can take place before new hires are brought into the fire halls;

·            

staff will ask Council to consider a funding request for RFR training;

·            

the City’s Human Resources (HR) Department is drafting policies, and at the same time ensuring that the City’s policies are consistent with RFR’s policies; HR will seek input on the draft policies;

·            

RFR has updated its code of conduct, and it includes an evaluation process as well as a mechanism on how to measure the results of the training process.

7.

RCMP/OIC BRIEFING

Ward Clapham, Officer in Charge (OIC), accompanied by Tony Mahon, Operations Support Officer (OSO), reported that :

·            

on June 1, 2007 a seven-person bicycle squad will be deployed to police locations throughout the City;

·            

the bicycle squad will enhance the police presence in the City;

·            

at present the squad is a pilot project and its activities will be reviewed after six months;

·            

auxiliary constables are part of the bicycle sqad;

·            

the RCMP is able to deploy motorized vehicles to accompany the bicyclists if necessary.

8.

OTHER ITEMS

·            

The request was made that staff examine what Richmond is doing with regard to commercial truck safety inspection, focusing especially on trucks that ply River Road.

·            

In response to a query, OSO Mahon advised that police officers have communicated with a Moffat Road resident who drew attention to alleged drug activity in the Moffat Road neighbourhood, and that the resident is satisfied with the police response to the matter and his  concerns.

·            

In response to a query, OIC Clapham advised that he is aware of new technology being used to create a crime prevention and analysis lab at Simon Fraser University. He advised that he and his staff will do further investigation into this project that seeks to link research on offenders’ behaviours with the commuting, shopping and living habits of residents, to understand the future location, frequency and severity of crime.

9.

MANAGER’S REPORT

No reports were given.

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (5:57 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, May 15, 2007.

_________________________________

_________________________________

Councillor Evelina Halsey-Brandt
Chair

Sheila Johnston
Committee Clerk