Date:

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Place:

Anderson Room
Richmond City Hall

Present:

Councillor Cynthia Chen
Councillor Derek Dang

Councillor Rob Howard

Absent:

Councillor Evelina Halsey-Brandt, Chair

Councillor Sue Halsey-Brandt

Also Present:

Councillor Bill McNulty

Call to Order:

The Chair called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m.

MINUTES

1.

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the Community Safety Committee held on Tuesday, June 10, 2008, be adopted as circulated.

CARRIED

NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING DATE

2.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008  (tentative date) at 4:00 p.m. in the Anderson Room.

DELEGATION

3.

RICHMOND FAMILY VIOLENCE NETWORK

Corporal Stephanie Ashton, Family Violence Section, Richmond City Detachment of the RCMP, on behalf of the Richmond Family Violence Network, distributed a the document (on file in the City Clerk’s Office) “Proposal For An Integrated Approach To Family Justice, City of Richmond, Healing, Hope and Justice Centre” to Committee members.

Cpl. Ashton advised that there is a lack of a holistic wrap-around service for child and adult victims of family violence and that the development of this type of service, in a centre dedicated to victims of family violence, is the next logical step in Richmond. She noted that some cities in Canada and the United States have facilities, or centres, where victims can go to obtain all the services they need to help them withdraw from a domestic abusive situation. Cpl. made the following points:

·           

from the Richmond RCMP detachment area population of up to  215,000, there are approximately 860 calls for service classified as ‘violence in relationship’ each year;

·           

there are approximately 200 child abuse investigations each year plus approximately 150 identified sexual assault investigations each year; in addition there are 4,500 calls for mental health assistance each year;

·           

in 2006 Richmond RCMP created the Family Violence Section, and the City paid for a new staff position to oversee the section;

·           

in 2007 the section undertook two projects that have had a positive impact on the community and the issue of domestic violence: (i) cell phone campaign and (ii) white ribbon campaign; a third project, a youth relational violence campaign, will start soon;

·           

the purpose of the Family Violence Network’s its ‘Health, Hope and Justice Centre’ project is to increase the effectiveness of services offered to victims of family violence through improving the degree of integration and collaboration of Richmond services;

·           

a major component of the project is to create a facility in Richmond that involves all community and justice system stakeholders.

Discussion ensued between Cpl. Ashton and Committee on the following items:

·           

the Richmond Family Violence Network is seeking: (i) a location for a future facility, and (ii) interest from the City for the idea of a centre dedicated to victims of family violence;

·           

similar justice centres are located in Calgary, Alberta and Waterloo, Ontario, as well as in San Diego, California and Tacoma, Washington, and each will be studied as a model during a strategic planning stage;

·           

individual agencies, and their staff members, would offer clients the required aid; the separate agencies housed in the same facility, would share equally in the long term sustainability and success of the centre they would share;

·           

a time frame for the creation of a justice centre would be established after: (i) a research period, (ii) the identification of potential criteria for best practices, and (iii) evaluation of all aspects of the idea;

·           

inclusion of the (RCSAC) Richmond Community Services Advisory Committee on the list of the multidisciplinary Richmond Family Violence Network.

It was moved and seconded

That staff investigate the proposal for an integrated approach to family justice, as submitted by the Richmond Family Violence Network, and report back with analysis.

CARRIED

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

4.

APPOINTMENT OF BYLAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS GORDON JAGGS AND KIRSTEN LEWIS

(Report:  June 12, 2008, File No.:  12-8060-01/2008-Vol 01) (REDMS No. 2465203)

It was moved and seconded

(1)

That Council appoint Gordon Jaggs as a Bylaw Enforcement Officer in accordance with Section 36 of the Police Act, and confirm that such appointment is for the term of his employment as Tree Preservation Coordinator with the City of Richmond; and

(2)

That Council appoint Kirsten Lewis as a Bylaw Enforcement Officer in accordance with Section 36 of the Police Act, and confirm that such appointment is for the term of her employment as Tree Preservation Official with the City of Richmond.

CARRIED

LAW & COMMUNITY SAFETY DEPARTMENT

5.

PROVINCIAL/FEDERAL/LOCAL GOVERNMENT EARTHQUAKE EXERCISE

(Report:  July 1, 2008, File No.:  09-5125-30-01/2008-Vol 01) (REDMS No. 2473385)

In response to queries from Committee, Deborah Procter, Manager, Emergency Programs, advised that the earthquake exercise would be comprehensive and that the general public would be fully informed and engaged in the exercise. Of the five local governments involved, Richmond is the sole local government that has been invited to participate by also having a full-scale exercise. Ms. Procter added that the Richmond School Board would be approached in the near future.

It was moved and seconded

That the City of Richmond participate in the Provincial/Federal/Local Government  regional earthquake exercise on June 3, 2009.

CARRIED

6.

Fire Chief Briefing

Car Seat Program Update.

Kim Howell, Deputy Chief – Richmond Fire Rescue (RFR) Administration reported that two RFR members, Daryl Wellsted and Mark Timmons are the first firefighters in B.C. to have attained instructor status for the Car Seat Program.

7.

OTHER ITEMS

None.

8.

MANAGER’S REPORT

None.

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (4:43 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, July 15, 2008.

_________________________________

_________________________________

Councillor Cynthia Chen
Chair

Sheila Johnston
Committee Clerk