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CITY OF VANCOUVER

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

October 17, 2000

A Regular Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Tuesday, October 17, 2000, at 2:00 p.m., in the Council Chamber, Third Floor, City Hall.

PRESENT:	Mayor Philip Owen Councillor Fred Bass Councillor Jennifer Clarke Councillor Lynne Kennedy Councillor Daniel Lee Councillor Don Lee Councillor Tim Louis Councillor Sandy McCormick Councillor Gordon Price Councillor George Puil Councillor Sam Sullivan
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE:	Judy Rogers, City Manager
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE:	Ulli Watkiss, City Clerk Jan Gibson, Director of Meeting and Election Services

PRAYER

The proceedings in the Council Chamber were opened with a prayer read by the City Clerk.

ADOPTION OF MINUTES

1. Regular Council - October 3, 2000

MOVED by Cllr. Louis
SECONDED by Cllr. Bass

THAT the Minutes of the Regular Council Meeting held on October 3, 2000, be approved.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

(Cllrs. Price and Sullivan absent for the vote)

2. Regular Council (Planning & Environment) - September 28, 2000

MOVED by Cllr. Kennedy
SECONDED by Cllr. Daniel Lee

THAT the Minutes of the Regular Council Meeting (Planning & Environment) held on September 28, 2000, be approved.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

(Cllrs. Price and Sullivan absent for the vote)

3. Standing Committee on Planning & Environment - September 27 & October 5, 2000

MOVED by Cllr. Kennedy
SECONDED by Cllr. McCormick

THAT the Minutes of the Regular Council Meeting (Planning & Environment) held on September 27 and October 5, 2000, be approved.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

(Cllr. Sullivan absent for the vote)

IN CAMERA MEETING

MOVED by Cllr. Don Lee
SECONDED by Cllr. Daniel Lee

THAT Council go into a meeting later this day which is closed to the public, pursuant to Section 165.2 of the Vancouver Charter, to discuss matters related to paragraph (c) labour relations or employee negotiations.

- CARRIED UNAMIMOUSLY

(Cllr. Sullivan absent for the vote)

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Bass
SECONDED by Cllr. Daniel Lee

THAT this Council resolve itself into Committee of the Whole with Mayor Owen in the Chair.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

(Cllr. Sullivan absent)

PRESENTATION

1. Fare Technology Safety and Security Study

Dave Rudberg, City Engineer, advised that there had been concerns expressed by some, about the safety, security and fare evasion on the existing Expo Skytrain line. Teresa Watt of Rapid Transit Project 2000 Ltd. made a presentation to Council on the development of the company's recent report about these issues - The Millenium Line -Fare Technology Safety and Security Study. She reviewed for Council the background market study and provided an economic analysis of gating and proof of payment options. Ian Wadley, Dr. Edwin Bleuett and Whitney Birch were in attendance to answer Council's questions. Councillors noted that the TransLink Board of Directors had not yet voted on the issues raised and recommendations made in the report, and thanked the RTPO staff for its presentation.

MOVED by Cllr. Puil

THAT the report and presentation be received for information.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

1. Relocation of Casino - Class 1 - 26 S.W. Marine Drive

Grand Casino Equipment & Management Ltd.

At the meetings of the Standing Committee of Council on Planning and Environment held on July 27, September 28 and October 5 2000, Council heard from interested parties and postponed this matter for consideration at the October 17, 2000 meeting of Council.

Paul Teichroeb, Chief Licence Inspector summarized for Council the major issues that had been raised in favour and against the proposed relocation. Jeff Brooks, Director of Social Planning and Pat Wotherspoon, Assistant Director of Planning, answered Council's questions.

MOVED by Cllr. McCormick

THAT Council endorse the request by Grand Casino Equipment & Management Ltd. to relocate its Casino - Class 1 to a new building to be constructed on a rear portion of the property at 26 S.W. Marine Drive, subject to the following condition:

A legal agreement to ensure the permanent closure of the casino previously approved at 725 S. E. Marine Drive.

- carried

AMENDMENT MOVED Councillor Clarke:
THAT the word "condition" be made plural, and that the word "and" be inserted after the words "at 725 S. E. Marine Drive; and

FURTHER THAT the following be inserted as a second condition:

"Passage of a provincial Gaming Act that assures municipal control over gambling expansion and the nature, scope and type of gaming permitted within the municipality."

-LOST
(Cllrs. Bass, Clarke, Daniel Lee, Don Lee and Louis in favour)

MOTION PUT:

THAT Council endorse the request by Grand Casino Equipment & Management Ltd. to relocate its Casino - Class 1 to a new building to be constructed on a rear portion of the property at 26 S.W. Marine Drive, subject to the following condition:

A legal agreement to ensure the permanent closure of the casino previously approved at 725 S. E. Marine Drive.

- CARRIED
(Cllrs. Bass, Clarke, Daniel Lee, Don Lee and Louis opposed)

CITY MANAGER'S ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS

1. Business Licence Hearing Panels for October 2000

MOVED by Cllr. Puil

A. THAT Council delegate the holding of one business license hearing, presently scheduled for October, 2000, to a panel of three Council Members, pursuant to Section 277.1 of the Vancouver Charter, as follows:

i. The business license hearing pursuant to Section 275 of the Vancouver Charter, regarding a referral to Council by the Chief License Inspector of the application for a year 2000 business license of Hamid Amini, doing business as H.M.H. Enterprises, 1190 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, and the power to make

a Council decision in relation to that hearing, be delegated to:

Councillor George Puil (Chair)
Councillor Gordon Price
Councillor Sam Sullivan.

Should any of the above Members of Council be unable to attend the hearing, the hearing and the power to make a Council decision in relation to the hearing be delegated to the remaining two Councillors and Councillor Sandy McCormick.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

(Cllr. Bass absent for the vote)

2. Allocation of 2000 Cross-Cultural Expertise Grants

MOVED by Cllr. McCormick

THAT Council approve a Cross-Cultural Expertise Grant of $19,500 to MOSAIC, in partnership with Nisha Family and Children's Services Society, the source of funds being a $19,500 reserve in the 2000 Community Services Grants Budget.

Note: The Vancouver Charter requires a vote of two-thirds of all members of Council to approve grant applications. There were ten Councillors in Chambers at the time the vote was taken. Ten Councillors voted in favour of the motion.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY AND BY THE REQUIRED MAJORITY

(Cllr. Bass absent for the vote)

3. Coal Harbour: 1100 Block Cordova Street Gap Closure Details

MOVED by Cllr. Louis

A. THAT Council receive this report for information.

-CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

(Cllr. Bass absent for the vote)

POLICY REPORTS

1. Building Occupancy - Interim Procedures During Strike

MOVED by Cllr. McCormick:

A. That the Chief Building Official be authorized to implement a process whereby building occupancy may be acknowledged in the absence of an Occupancy Permit, notwithstanding Section 1A.8.2.1 of the Vancouver Building By-law, as an interim measure pending resumption of inspection services and capabilities to process Occupancy Permit applications for those buildings.

-CARRIED
(Cllr. Louis opposed)

RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Don Lee

THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Don Lee
SECONDED by Cllr. Sullivan

THAT the report of the Committee of the Whole be adopted.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

MOTIONS

1. Support for Vancouver Agreement

At its meeting of October 3, 2000, Vancouver City Council postponed the following motion for consideration at this meeting.

MOVED by Cllr. Louis
SECONDED by Cllr. Bass

WHEREAS the City of Vancouver, the Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada have recognized the urgency of addressing health, social, economic and safety issues in Downtown Eastside Vancouver;

AND WHEREAS the above jurisdictions jointly produced the Vancouver Agreement as a means of dealing with problems related to the Downtown Eastside;

AND WHEREAS on September 29, 2000 Vancouver Agreement partners announced initiatives as part of a comprehensive program that includes a Downtown Eastside treatment centre, an indoor health connection program, new housing developments and other programs that involve a wide range of community social and health organizations;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the City of Vancouver support the initiative of the Vancouver Agreement as outlined on September 29, 2000.

-amended

AMENDMENT MOVED Cllr. Puil
SECONDED BY Cllr. Don Lee

THAT the three 'Whereas' clauses constituting the preamble be deleted from the motion, so that it reads in full "THAT the City of Vancouver support the initiative of the Vancouver Agreement as outlined on September 29, 2000."

-CARRIED
(Mayor Owen, Councillors Bass, Louis and Sullivan opposed)

MOTION AS AMENDED PUT

THAT the City of Vancouver support the initiative of the Vancouver Agreement as outlined on September 29, 2000.

-CARRIED
(Mayor Owen, Councillors Bass, Louis and Sullivan opposed)

NOTICES OF MOTION

Councillor Bass gave notice that at the next regular meeting of Council, he would move:

Refund to Taxpayers for Services Not Provided During the Civic Workers' Strike
WHEREAS the citizens and businesses of Vancouver have paid for the municipal services they receive through their municipal taxes;

AND WHEREAS the cost of services not being provided during the strike amount to approximately $152 million annually; these services include Parks and Recreation, Community Centres, Engineering, Sanitation and Recycling, Community Services and Public Library Services;

AND WHEREAS the $152 million divided by 366 days amounts to approximately $415,301 worth of services not provided each day that the strike continues;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the City of Vancouver

1. Calculate the value of services not provided during the duration of the civic workers labour dispute; and

2. Credit each taxpayer and taxpaying organization with their proportionate share (based on their 2000 tax contribution) of the value of the services not provided during the municipal strike and that this amount be indicated as a credit towards their first municipal tax bill issued after the settlement of the current labour dispute.

Councillor Bass gave notice that at the next regular meeting of Council he would move:

CPR Spraying of Roundup Pesticide on Arbutus Corridor

WHEREAS on Oct. 4, 2000 the Canadian Pacific Railway posted notices of intent to spray the pesticide Roundup on CPR property along the Arbutus Corridor;

AND WHEREAS up to 1998 the CPR employed steam treatment, mechanical cutting and other non-pesticide vegetation control methods along the Corridor;

AND WHEREAS the active ingredient in Roundup, glyphosate, has been recognized as being potentially harmful to the environment and ecology of areas adjacent to Roundup applications;

AND WHEREAS questions have been raised about a link between glyphosate and adverse effects on human health;

AND WHEREAS the Arbutus Corridor is adjacent to at least one pre-school, one day care, two community gardens, one elementary school, one high school and is widely used by cyclists and pedestrians;

AND WHEREAS when the CPR sprayed Roundup on Oct. 6, 2000, citizens living and working near the Corridor met with CPR officials to express concerns about the spraying of Roundup and negotiated an agreement whereby the CPR refrained from spraying adjacent to community gardens, a pre-school and a daycare between Burrard and Broadway;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the City of Vancouver ask the CPR to refrain from using pesticides on the Arbutus Corridor and instead resume non-pesticide vegetation control practices.

ENQUIRIES AND OTHER MATTERS

1. Rating System for Videogames

Councillor Kennedy made a presentation on the status of a regulatory framework for videogames and provided Council with materials from the Entertainment Software Rating Board, BC Film Classification Board and UBCM.

MOVED by Cllr. Kennedy
SECONDED by Cllr. Price
That the City of Vancouver write to the Attorney General of British Columbia confirming our support of a regulatory framework for video games, but expressing our view that Local Governments must not be responsible for enforcement.

-CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

(Cllrs. Daniel Lee and Sullivan absent for the vote)

The Council adjourned.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver