February 5, 2024 - Minutes

Date:

Monday, February 5, 2024

Place:

Council Chambers
Richmond City Hall

Present:

Mayor Malcolm D. Brodie, Chair
Councillor Chak Au
Councillor Carol Day
Councillor Laura Gillanders
Councillor Kash Heed
Councillor Andy Hobbs
Councillor Alexa Loo
Councillor Bill McNulty
Councillor Michael Wolfe

Call to Order:

The Chair called the meeting to order at 4:02 p.m.

MINUTES

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the General Purposes Committee held on January 22, 2024, be adopted as circulated.

CARRIED

FINANCE AND CORPORATE SERVICES DIVISION

1.

AWARD OF CONTRACT 8259P – IT SECURITY - EXTENDED DETECTION AND RESPONSE (XDR)

(File Ref. No. 04-1300-01) (REDMS No. 7489418)

In response to queries from Council, staff advised that (i) the agreement is formulated as a term of 3 years with an option to renew for 3 years. (ii) the pricing agreement is based on the full 6 year term with a commitment from the vendor that the pricing will be fixed for the term, (iii) all the proposals have comparable products, and (iv) the 7 days a week, 24 hour a day active monitoring of the security state for all devices is an important feature to reduce the risk of cybersecurity threats to the City.

It was moved and seconded

(1)

That contract 8259P – Extended Detection and Response (XDR) solution be awarded to Optiv Canada for an aggregate value of $534.813.30, exclusive of taxes for an initial contract term of three years, which includes an option to extend with the value of$478,376.50 at the end of the initial term for a further three years as described in the report titled “Award of Contract 8259P – IT Security - Extended Detection and Response (XDR)” dated January 2, 2024 from the Director, Information Technology; and

(2)

That the Chief Administrative Officer and the General Manager, Finance and Corporate Services be authorized to extend the initial three-year term up to the maximum total term of six years as described in the report “Award of Contract 8259P – IT Security -Extended Detection and Response (XDR),” dated January 2, 2024, from the Director, Information Technology; and

(3)

That the Chief Administrative Officer and the General Manager, Finance and Corporate Services be authorized to execute the contract amendment and all related documentation with Optiv Canada over the six-year term.

CARRIED

COUNCILLORS LAURA GILLANDERS AND KASH HEED

2.

SUPERVISED CONSUMPTION SITE
(File Ref. No.)

Ken Frail, Richmond resident, expressed his support of the proposed motion and spoke to his experience in Vancouver working as a Vancouver Police Officer responding to drug overdose deaths in the downtown eastside. Mr. Frail noted the enforcement initiatives implemented in Vancouver through an agreement with the Provincial and Federal governments and the City of Vancouver, which resulted in a decrease in the overdose death rate over a six year period from 197 to 44.

Sheldon Starrett, Richmond resident, spoke in opposition of the proposed motion, highlighting his concerns regarding the City of Richmond’s ability to mitigate any negative impact from the supervised consumption site. Mr. Starrett also spoke about the need for more treatment and rehabilitation centres in Richmond.

Donna Colpitts, Richmond resident and a retired outreach worker, spoke about her personal experience working with people struggling with drug additions. Ms. Colpitts shared her thoughts on the initiative being a good starting point and that the facility could be a place people can go without fear of judgement, where they can develop relationships with staff, which could lead to them accessing other services.

Winne Tang, Richmond resident, expressed her opposition of the safe consumption site and spoke about her concerns regarding (i) potential increased criminal activities, (ii) homelessness, (iii) discarded needles in the area of the site, and (iv) appropriate location for the site.

Debbie Tablotney, Richmond resident, provided information on supervised consumption sites and referred to her submission (copy on file, City Clerk's Office) and spoke in favour of the proposed motion stating that studies have shown that injection facilities have no adverse effects on drug use in the broader community and that evidence shows that supervised consumption sites reduce overdose and substance use harms and connect people with appropriate health services.

Andrew Tablotney, Richmond resident, shared a personal letter from Guy Felicella, an advocate for safe supply and overdose sites and a former drug user. Mr. Felicella noted in his letter that Insite, a safe consumption site in Vancouver, played a major role in him getting the help he needed to overcome his addiction. He highlighted that supervised consumption sites are much more than just facilities for using drugs, they are also powerful tools to provide human connections for people who are struggling.

Trevor Tablotney, Richmond resident, spoke about his personal experience of losing a family member to addiction and shared his thoughts about safe consumption sites stating that the death rate is significantly lower at safe consumption sites as there are staff available to resuscitate if necessary and they can provide support and offer treatment options.

David Byres, Richmond resident, spoke about his lived experience working with people in Vancouver’s downtown eastside and witnessing the life saving impact of an overdose being reversed and access to detox and recovery services at safe injection sites/harm reduction sites.

Jeff Goldbie, Richmond resident, expressed support for the proposed motion, noting that safe consumption sites are many times an effective measure to help people take the necessary steps towards recovery from addiction.

Marianne Lim, Richmond resident, spoke about concerns regarding public safety and inquired about what measures will be put in place by the city to ensure safety.

a

It was moved and seconded

(1)

That Staff administer a practicability analysis to gauge the potential benefits and challenges of implementing a drug consumption site within the Richmond General Hospital Precinct. This analysis will evaluate the impact on public safety, healthcare costs, and community perceptions, providing evidence-based recommendations for the successful implementation of a supervised drug consumption site to address the growing public health crisis related to acute drug addiction and overdose deaths;

(2)

That staff collaborate with Coastal Health as the Authority responsible to fund and provide services onsite, both the Provincial and Federal Governments, local healthcare providers, and community organizations in establishing the drug consumption site. This collaboration will ensure that individuals accessing these sites receive comprehensive care, including access to addiction treatment, harm minimization services, and counseling;

(3)

That staff recommend to Council a process to establish a task force comprised of representatives from law enforcement, legal services, healthcare professionals, community organizations, and individuals with lived experience of drug addiction to develop guidelines, protocols, and best practices for the implementation of the drug consumption site, ensuring its effectiveness, acceptance, and safety;

(4)

That staff recommend to Council the resources required for community education and awareness campaigns about supervised drug consumption sites. These campaigns will aim to dispel misconceptions, reduce stigma, and promote understanding of the public health benefits associated with these sites;

(5)

That staff recommend to Council a monitoring and evaluation system to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of the drug consumption site. This system will collect data on overdose rates, healthcare utilization, and referrals to addiction treatment, allowing Council  to make informed decisions about the future of this site; and

(6)

That staff develop a process to ensure that community concerns and perspectives are considered during the planning and implementation process.

The question on the motion was not called as discussion ensued with respect to (i) clarification of the proposed motion noting that it is for the potential implementation of a supervised consumption site, that will be run by Vancouver Coastal Health and will provide wrap around services that are required through health authority, (ii) the proposed motion taking a comprehensive approach to connect with the necessary services, (iii) the location of the supervised consumption site proposed for the Richmond General hospital grounds, (iv) an increase in public drug use and homelessness, (v) need for another shelter, detox facility and more recovery beds. (vi) the four pillars approach of prevention, enforcement, harm reduction and treatment and education, (vii) the supervised consumption site providing wrap around services that reduce overdoses and deaths, connects people to services, detox facilities, mental health services and housing, and (viii) identifying a range of solutions to address the drug toxicity crisis.

As a result of the discussion, an amendment motion to identify a range of solutions that may be appropriate to the local context was introduced, but failed to receive a seconder.

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

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (5:56 p.m.).

CARRIED

Certified a true and correct copy of the Minutes of the meeting of the General Purposes Committee of the Council of the City of Richmond held on Monday, February 5, 2024.

_________________________________

_________________________________

Mayor Malcolm D. Brodie
Chair

Raman Grewal
Legislative Services Associate