February 17, 2026 - Minutes
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General Purposes Committee
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Date: |
Tuesday, February 17, 2026 |
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Place: |
Anderson Room |
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Present: |
Mayor Malcolm D. Brodie, Chair
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Call to Order: |
The Chair called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. |
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MINUTES |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the minutes of the meeting of the General Purposes Committee held on February 2, 2026, be adopted as circulated. |
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CARRIED |
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FINANCE AND CORPORATE SERVICES DIVISION |
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1. |
(File Ref. No. 12-8125-85-18) (REDMS No. 6852969) |
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It was moved and seconded |
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(1) |
That Claudia Jesson be appointed as Chief Election Officer for the 2026 Local General and School Election; and, |
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(2) |
That Evangel Biason be appointed as Deputy Chief Election Officer for the 2026 Local General and School Election. |
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CARRIED |
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PARKS, RECREATION AND CULTURE DIVISION |
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2. |
(File Ref. No. 11-7000-01) (REDMS No. 8266365) |
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It was moved and seconded |
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(1) |
That Option 1 - Aberdeen Neighbourhood Park be approved as the preferred location for the Richmond Celebrates Soccer Signature Event as detailed in the report titled "Richmond Celebrates Soccer Signature Event Location and Proposed Business Terms for a Contribution Agreement", dated January 26, 2026, from the Director Arts, Culture and Heritage Services; |
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(2) |
That the proposed business terms, as detailed in Table 3 in the report titled "Richmond Celebrates Soccer Signature Event Location and Proposed Business Terms for a Contribution Agreement", be approved for the development of contribution agreements with Tourism Richmond and the Richmond Hotel Association; and |
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(3) |
That staff be authorized to take all necessary steps to complete all matters detailed herein including authorizing the Chief Administrative Officer, and the General Manager, Parks, Recreation and Culture, to negotiate and execute the contribution agreements and related documentation with Tourism Richmond and the Richmond Hotel Association for the Richmond Celebrates Soccer program. |
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The question on the motion was not called as discussion ensued regarding (i) the public-facing name of the program to celebrate FIFA World Cup '26 in Richmond being “Richmond Celebrates Soccer” in order to avoid infringing on FIFA's intellectual property rights, (ii) licensing fees to broadcast the games, (iii) the estimated attendance at the Signature Event, (iv) hiring temporary staff to support event planning and delivery, (v) the City’s Program Manager, Events, as the representative and primary liaison with Tourism Richmond/Richmond Hotel Association, (vi) engagement with local soccer organizations, including recruitment, demonstrations, and activations, (vii) traffic control measures around Aberdeen Neighbourhood Park for the Signature Event, and (viii) reasons for recommending the Signature Event take place in Aberdeen Neighbourhood Park, including an opportunity to showcase Aberdeen Neighbourhood Park to new users and less displacement of park users, especially compared to Minoru Park Oval. |
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Staff were directed to advise Committee of the licensing fees once known, noting significant fees would require Council approval; otherwise, a memorandum would suffice. |
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Cllr. Loo left the meeting (4:18 p.m.) and returned (4:19 p.m.). |
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There was agreement to deal with Part (1) and (2) (3) separately. |
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The question on Part (1) of the motion was not called as discussion ensued regarding (i) pros and cons of recommending the Signature Event take place in Aberdeen Neighbourhood Park rather than Minoru Park Oval and (ii) obtaining further information regarding other programming taking place at Minoru Park Oval. |
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Staff were directed to provide a memorandum outlining details on the Minoru precinct situation and how the park and related facilities would be able to manage if the Signature Event was held at the Minoru Park Oval. |
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The question on Part (1) of the motion was then called and it was CARRIED with Cllr. Day opposed. |
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The question on Parts (2) and (3) of the motion was then called and it was CARRIED. |
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PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIVISION |
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3. |
(File Ref. No. 08-4055-01) (REDMS No. 8310784) |
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In response to queries from Committee, staff advised that (i) City staff have communicated with the organizations that last year’s additional funding was one-time funding and have shared external grant opportunities throughout the year and encouraged the organizations to pursue other sources of funding, (ii) a referral response regarding homelessness outreach and food programs will be brought forward in March 2026, (iii) without additional funding, the organizations anticipate needing to reduce services, (iv) The Salvation Army’s Health, Social and Safety (HSS) Grant application requested funding to support existing and new programs for individuals experiencing food |
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insecurity, including salaries for three staff positions to operate feeding programs and outreach services, and did not include mention of a drop-in centre, (v) Refuge Church, The Salvation Army, and Parish of St. Alban’s accept donations from individuals, (vi) although several grant opportunities were shared with the organizations during 2025, Refuge Church and Parish of St. Alban’s have not applied for additional funding for 2026, and (vii) in recent years, the HSS Grant Program has been oversubscribed, with annual demand consistently exceeding the available budget. |
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Discussion ensued regarding (i) establishing metrics of need in relation to programs for people experiencing food insecurity, with staff noting that the community meal program and outreach meal program serve unique individuals, with some facing food insecurity and some experiencing homelessness, (ii) the Wednesday food hamper program which had previously been supported by SD38 but was discontinued in June 2025, with The Parish of St. Alban’s requesting funding of $70,000 to support this program, (iii) additional funding secured by The Salvation Army, (iv) work being done by the City’s outreach workers, and (v) the possible need to increase the grant program budgets as needs continue to grow. |
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There was agreement to vote on the funding options for each organization separately. |
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As a result of the discussion, the following motion was introduced: |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the report titled “Analysis of Financial Resources and Requirements of Refuge Church, The Salvation Army and Parish of St. Alban’s” be tabled until a forthcoming report providing a wider scan of food security organizations is presented at the March 2, 2026 General Purposes Committee meeting. |
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DEFEATED ON A TIE VOTE |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That funding Option 2 for Refuge Church, in the amount of $75,000, with funding coming from the Council Community Initiative Account, as outlined in the report titled “Analysis of Financial Resources and Requirements of Refuge Church, The Salvation Army and Parish of St. Alban’s”, dated February 13, 2026 from the Director, Community Social Development, be approved. |
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CARRIED Cllrs. Loo McNulty |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That funding Option 2 for The Salvation Army, in the amount of $20,000, with funding coming from the Council Community Initiative Account, as outlined in the report titled “Analysis of Financial Resources and Requirements of Refuge Church, The Salvation Army and Parish of St. Alban’s”, dated February 13, 2026 from the Director, Community Social Development, be approved. |
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The question on the motion was not called as discussion ensued regarding (i) one-time funding to allow the organizations to maintain their current levels of service, (ii) City staff’s discussions with The Salvation Army regarding other options for a drop-in centre, and (iii) The Salvation Army’s original Health, Social, and Safety Grant request of $240,000 to establish a new outreach worker position and hire more staff to enhance their current level of service. |
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The question on the motion was then called and it was CARRIED with Mayor Brodie and Councillors Loo and McNulty opposed. |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That funding Option 2 for Parish of St. Alban’s, in the amount of $26,416, with funding coming from the Council Community Initiative Account, as outlined in the report titled “Analysis of Financial Resources and Requirements of Refuge Church, The Salvation Army and Parish of St. Alban’s”, dated February 13, 2026 from the Director, Community Social Development, be approved. |
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DEFEATED ON A TIE VOTE Cllrs. Loo McNulty Wolfe |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That funding Option 3 for Parish of St. Alban’s, in the amount of $99,416, with funding coming from the Council Community Initiative Account, as outlined in the report titled “Analysis of Financial Resources and Requirements of Refuge Church, The Salvation Army and Parish of St. Alban’s”, dated February 13, 2026 from the Director, Community Social Development, be approved. |
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DEFEATED Cllrs. Gillanders Loo McNulty |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That funding for Parish of St. Alban’s in the amount of $38,584, with funding coming from the Council Community Initiative Account, as outlined in the report titled “Analysis of Financial Resources and Requirements of Refuge Church, The Salvation Army and Parish of St. Alban’s”, dated February 13, 2026 from the Director, Community Social Development, be approved. |
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DEFEATED Cllrs. Heed Loo McNulty |
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ADJOURNMENT |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the meeting adjourn (5:25 p.m.). |
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CARRIED |
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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 Tuesday, February 17, 2026. |
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Mayor Malcolm D. Brodie |
Shannon Unrau |