March 16, 2026 - Minutes
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General Purposes Committee
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Date: |
Monday, March 16, 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 4:27 p.m. |
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Cllr. Loo entered the meeting by teleconference (4:28 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 March 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. |
Award of Contract – ForgeRock Software, Support and Maintenance Renewal (File Ref. No. 03-1000-20-8550) (REDMS No. 8321846) |
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In response to a query from Committee, staff noted the contract items were planned and represented in the Capital and Operating Budgets that were approved by Council, and that staff will provide a memo outlining the overall approved expenses. |
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It was moved and seconded |
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(1) |
That ForgeRock Software, Support and Maintenance Renewal, be awarded to Ping Identity Corporation for a three-year term for an estimated value of $576,255 excluding taxes, as described in the report titled “Award of Contract – ForgeRock Software, Support and Maintenance Renewal”, dated February 23, 2026, from the Director, Information Technology; and |
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(2) |
That the Chief Administrative Officer and the General Manager, Finance and Corporate Services be authorized to execute the contract and all related documentation with Ping Identity Corporation. |
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CARRIED |
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2. |
Richmond Tourism Master Plan 2035 (File Ref. No. 08-4150-03-06) (REDMS No. 8307243) |
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Staff provided a breakdown of the funding for Tourism Richmond, noting that funding is through multiple sources, including the Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT), (also known as the Hotel Tax). |
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In response to queries from Committee, staff noted (i) within the MRDT there are certain eligible uses which include tourism, sport hosting, marketing projects and programs, as well as other destination enhancement initiatives, so there is no provision for the City to use that for general revenue or for purposes that are not prescribed in bylaw regulations, (ii) the revenues fluctuate month over month, but in the current five-year cycle (2022-2027) a total of $25-$35 million it is expected over that five-year time period, and (iii) the Richmond Olympic Oval is not a designated partner; the City runs the Richmond Sport Hosting program (located at the Oval) that is funded through an annual transfer of $400,000 from the general remittance from the MRDT the City receives from the Province. |
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Staff provided a high-level overview of the distribution of MRDT funding (as approved by Council approximately five years ago), noting the governance structure in place which lends to the annual reporting on the success and ongoing implementation of the Tourism Masterplan. |
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Staff spoke further to (i) the partnerships established over the years that have allowed projects and strong programs in the community, (ii) the importance of the Hoteliers Association in Richmond, and (iii) the benefit of having Vancouver Airport located in Richmond, resulting in establishing Richmond as having the second highest number of hotels and hotel rooms in Metro Vancouver. |
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In response to further queries from Committee, staff noted (i) the Tourism Masterplan has been developed collaboratively with Tourism Richmond, the Richmond Hotel Association and the City, and implementation is also expected to be a very collaborative process with them and with other partners as well, (ii) there are several strategic initiatives and action plans outlined within the Tourism Masterplan including transportation and transit, accessibility and wayfinding, (iii) communicating the Tourism Masterplan to the business community and the community more broadly, and actions that can be taken as it is implemented, are top of mind, (iv) action plan timelines are set as short (1-3 years), medium (4-6 years) and long (7+ years), (v) a memo that provides a breakdown of revenue in further detail is forthcoming, (vi) no changes to zoning are contemplated at this time, and (vii) a feasibility study is seen potentially as an early action following Council’s endorsement of the Tourism Masterplan. |
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It was moved and seconded |
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(1) |
That the Richmond Tourism Master Plan 2035 and Action Plan, as outlined in the report titled “Richmond Tourism Master Plan 2035”, dated February 23, 2026, from the Director, Business Services, be approved; and |
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(2) |
That staff initiate the process to make an application to the Government of British Columbia for the renewal of the 3% Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT) for the next five-year period from July 1, 2027-June 30, 2032. |
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CARRIED |
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PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIVISION |
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3. |
(File Ref. No. 08-4430-03-16) (REDMS No. 8310361) |
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Staff reported a minor edit to page GP84 within the paragraph above Public Consultation, which should read as “… October 2025 CBC new article, … complaints from January to September 2025. Prior years … 169 for the entire year2.” Staff were provided the direct source of that information from the Metro Vancouver Regulation Enforcement Unit. |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500, Amendment Bylaw 10745, to prohibit large-scale open-air composting and food waste and organic rendering city-wide, be introduced and given first reading. |
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The question on the motion was not called as discussion ensued with respect to the intention of the proposed bylaw. |
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In response to queries from Committee, staff noted (i) the proposed bylaw amendment is not intended to prohibit anyone that is composting plant materials such as leaves, trees, garden waste, it is just the component that involves any food processing or the decomposition of food, which is not permitted, (ii) Ecowaste still currently requires a zoning text amendment as they were operating under a previous non-farm use on this site, and (iii) the purpose for referring to Ecowaste in the report is only to highlight that Council will be considering a similar application from them in the future that staff are aware of the application currently working its way through the process. |
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CARRIED |
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ADJOURNMENT |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the meeting adjourn (5:02 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 Monday, March 16, 2026. |
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_________________________________ |
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Mayor Malcolm D. Brodie |
Lorraine Anderson |