Agenda Index City of Vancouver

POLICY REPORT

TO:

Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets

FROM:

General Manager of Engineering Services in consultation with the Director of Current Planning

SUBJECT:

Street Furniture and Amenity Program

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

A. THAT Council receive the document "Street Furniture and Amenity Program -Public Consultation Process" for information.

B. THAT Council direct the General Manager of Engineering Services to issue a Request For Proposals (RFP) for the provision and maintenance of street furniture and amenity packages with proponents asked to submit proposals on:

- and -

C. THAT Council approve the Street Amenity Program - Implementation Plan, attached to this report as Appendix `B'.

D. THAT Council direct the General Manager of Engineering Services and the Director of Legal Services to negotiate an extension of up to 12 months and enter into an agreement for the current bus shelter and advertising bench contracts

E. THAT Council approve funding for staff and consultant resources for the remainder of the project through 2004, as outlined in this report, at a cost of $378,200 . Funding is to be provided as a loan from the Service Improvement Reserve and repaid from future street furniture advertising revenues beginning in 2004.

CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The Street Furniture and Amenity Program is very important for the City, from both an urban design perspective and a revenue opportunity.

Within the City, commercial and residential areas want distinctive designs for furniture to identify their uniqueness and to celebrate the diversity which is Vancouver. This may not be achieved through giving exclusive rights to one company supplying all street furniture. Therefore, the City Manager is not supportive of Recommendation B(i).

The City Manager suggests that design flexibility and optimization of revenue can be achieved by focusing on the bus shelters for maximum revenue and setting aside specific funding to deal with other furniture needs in the diverse City communities.

The current bus shelter program has been in place for over 20 years and is providing significant benefits to both the private company and the City. Certainly an expanded proposal call will result in increased revenue to the city, and elimination of City construction and maintenance of shelters. The balance of the Street Furniture Program can be coordinated with the BIA groups and Community Associations to enhance the public realm. Funding to support this program could be provided from the Bus Shelter Advertising Revenues program with specifics approved by Council.

The City Manager agrees with the intent of B(ii), but offers an alternate recommendation for B in the report as follows:

F. THAT Council direct the General Manager of Engineering Services to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) consistent with the intent of this report, but specifically for the provision and maintenance of:

G. THAT the General Manager of Engineering report back with the Request for Proposal (RFP) recommendation on a program for improving and maintaining all street furniture.

If Council choose F and G, then during the evaluation Council can decide whether to go with an exclusive offer for the entire City, (Fi), or perhaps have two suppliers for new shelters to provide for competition (Fii). This option would see the City divided with the boundary determined by staff prior to the RFP with the objective of making locations of equal desire.

If Council choose Recommendation F and G, the only other Recommendations which need to be approved at this time are A, C and E. Recommendation D does not need to be approved at this time because an early decision may make this unnecessary.

COUNCIL POLICY

City Council has approved several policies through CityPlan and the Transportation Plan to prioritize transit, walking and cycling.

Other CityPlan goals are to maintain and encourage distinctive neighbourhood character; to improve safety in public places by applying "Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design" principles; and to develop strategies to provide funding for amenities and local services.

In an effort to coordinate public realm improvements with adjoining developments, several downtown precinct plans incorporating special public realm treatments have been approved by Council and enacted. Such treatments are being implemented, development by development, for the following precincts; since 1984 for Georgia Street, since March 1993 for Library Square, since November 1993 for Downtown South and in July 1994 forTriangle West. The downtown major projects in Coal Harbour [February 1990] and False Creek North have comprehensively designed and integrated public realms. Neighbourhood-specific public realm treatments have also been implemented for Gastown, Chinatown and street beautification projects throughout the City.

In 1982 and again in 1987 and 1992, Council approved agreements securing a community benefit in the form of 10% of bus shelter / advertising panels being provided free of charge to non-profit arts organizations and for civic uses such as civic elections publicity.

SUMMARY AND PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to provide Council with:

BACKGROUND

In January, 1999, Council instructed staff to undertake a Street Furniture Study, to explore opportunities for revenue generation, improved service and enhanced aesthetics of streetscape items.

On June 15, 2000, Council received the report "Street Furniture and Amenity Study - Policy Document" for information and referred it to a public process. Council further directed staff to report back with policy recommendations. Council approved funding of $201,800 for the year 2000 portion of the work program outlined in the report [approved total projected budget of $580,000] including the commencement of the Streetscape Design Standards [SDS] Manual.

DISCUSSION

A. Overview of Work Program

The project team hired Context Research Ltd., a major contributor in the development of the City's Public Process Guide, in July 2000 to provide advice in the design and implementation of a public consultation process. A summary of the public process is attached to this report as Appendix `A'.

The public process concluded in January 2001, and some of the issues, concerns and learnings obtained are discussed in this report. A detailed review of the process and outcomes can be obtained from the accompanying document, `Street Furniture and Amenity Program - Public Consultation Process', by Context Research Ltd. (on file in the City Clerk's Office). Follow-up as suggested by the public process consultant will be carried out as recommended.

Based on the learnings and issues raised in the public process, an implementation plan for the RFP has been produced. A summary of the implementation plan is discussed in this report. Details of the plan are attached to this report as Appendix `B'.

The RFP for the provision of street furniture and amenities requests proponents to submit proposals on options for the provision of street furniture and amenities, street furniture design, contract terms and community advertising benefits and requirements relating to installation, maintenance and advertising. Staff believe that an open competitive bidding process will yield the maximum benefit to the City.

In January 2001, the City received an unsolicited proposal from a potential bidder in the RFP process. Dealing with any unsolicited proposals at this time would unnecessarily delay the proposed RFP process.

The placement of street furniture and amenities in a coordinated manner on the various types of City sidewalks require a set of standards. The Streetscape Design Standards, mentioned in the June 15th 2000 report to Council, fulfils this and other requirements and is elaborated in this report.

B. Highlights of the Public Process

A summary of the background, goals, methodology, learnings and consultant's recommendations of the public process, on the recommendations stated in the Street Furniture and Amenity Study - Policy Document, are attached to this Policy Report as Appendix `A'.

Some of the issues and concerns raised by the public process, which involved business associations, stakeholder groups and the general public were that:

The proposed Street Furniture and Amenity Program was also presented to the Sidewalk Task Force. This is an advisory committee to Council whose mandate is to serve as a forum to bring together various groups, agencies and departments to discuss and coordinate their efforts to improve the safety, comfort and convenience of pedestrians in the City of Vancouver. This Task Force, while expressing support for the proposal, had the following specific comments:

· supported the concept of a single turnkey contract, where amenities could be provided by "one stop shopping"
· supported using budget savings generated by this program to improve service levels for litter pickup.
· identified the need for the larger street furniture elements, such as bus shelters, to be sized appropriately for each location.
· identified the importance of requiring high standards of ongoing maintenance and repair
· supported encouraging the Park Board to participate in the program.

An implementation plan outlining the requirements and processes of a RFP for street furniture and amenity provision has been produced. In broad terms, the plan envisions the continuation of the RFP process previously outlined for Council, but includes refinements and clarifications which respond to the issues raised in the public process.

C. Options for Street Furniture and Amenity Provision

Based on the outcome of the public process; the consultant's recommendations and review by City staff, two strategic options emerge for street furniture and amenity provision. It is proposed that both options be included in the RFP. The tender evaluation process would determine the amenity and economic benefits of each option and staff will report back on the issues and recommendations for a Council decision.

The first option in the RFP is for the provision, installation, service and maintenance of a coordinated suite of street furniture, as indicated in recommendation `B [i]', inclusive of a financial offer to the City based on a percentage of the gross advertising revenues. The Streets Administration Branch would administer this contract and also assume responsibility for all street furniture provision, thereby providing an efficient and holistic approach to the coordination and placement of these amenities.

The second option as indicated in recommendation `B [ii]', is for the provision, installation, service and maintenance of bus shelters only with a corresponding financial offer reflecting the exclusion of the other amenities. With this option, a percentage of the funds accrued to the City would be set aside, such that similar streetscape improvements as those obtained in the first option be still provided. The provision of street furniture and amenities not provided in recommendation `B [ii]' would be purchased through multiple contracts as and when required, managed by the Streets Administrations Branch.

The tender evaluation report would provide Council with an in-depth overview of the quality and standard of service, maintenance and amenity provision of the various proponents as well as a clear understanding of the financial implications of each option.

D. Implementation plan

The following section highlights some of the ways in which the implementation plan responds to the learnings of the public process and staff recommendations:

i) Request For Proposals [RFP] for Street Furniture and Amenity Provision

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* [For the past 20 years, the City's transit shelter contract has required that 10% of the total advertising space (currently 68 panels) be made available for the City's use at no charge. The use of this space is managed as a program by the Office of Cultural Affairs, which makes the space available to community and cultural groups and to other City departments.]

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g) As a result of the lack of interest expressed in attended vending kiosks during the public process, they will not be required in the RFP. However, proponents will be required to develop construction drawings for attended kiosks compatible with the primary "City Line". These drawings will be useful if interest in these kiosks develops in the future.

h) Interest in automated public toilets was relatively strong in the public process but only a few business associations expressed a desire to locate these units in their area. Current Provincial legislation prevents the City or the street furniture contractor from charging a fee for the use of such toilets. This is problematic in deterring abuse of the facilities, therefore the installation of automated public toilets will need further examination from a legal perspective.

If automated public toilets are installed on City property, it will be important to evaluate the performance and impacts of these facilities after installation before committing to any large scale installation. The implementation plan envisions a staged installation of two units per year, but this schedule is dependent on the outcome of further consultations with local communities. Staff will report back on this matter at the time of the tender evaluation report for review by Council.

i) The RFP requests maintenance levels be kept very high in keeping with the new aesthetic standards required. It would be the requirement that all street furnitureelements supplied to the City be maintained to an `as new' standard, kept clean and free of graffiti in accordance with Council's anti-graffiti policy.

j) Proponents will only be able to advertise on bus shelters and automated public toilets. This will result in the replacement of existing non-advertising City shelters with advertising shelters.

The plan also outlines:

ii) Streetscape Design Standards (SDS) manual.

An outcome of the Street Furniture and Amenity Program and the RFP for street furniture and amenity provision is the requirement for a set of standards which would determine the placement of street furniture coordinated with all the various other sidewalk components [trees, lamp posts, hydrants, meters, etc.]on the various types of City sidewalks. Private developers, the successful street furniture contractor, City crews as well as staff would use the guidelines established in the proposed SDS manual to coordinate street furniture and amenity placement with the objective of achieving a high quality comprehensively designed public realm.

The SDS manual is currently being developed by Planning and Engineering. The manual is intended to be a guide for the classification, development and implementation of coordinated streetscape designs within the City of Vancouver. It will contain a compilation of existing as well as new standards for a range of street classification. The manual will outline how sidewalk paving design and materials, street furniture, lighting, signs, street trees, landscaping and other public amenities will be successfully integrated into and coordinated with existing and new streetscape designs.

The SDS manual will provide a comprehensive approach to streetscape design. To assist in the placement and design of street furniture the SDS manual will focus on the pedestrian environment and sidewalk areas. The SDS manual will not determine vehicular transportation planning elements, but will acknowledge current street designs and integratedecisions emanating from City transportation planning initiatives.

The SDS manual will be needed regardless of which Street Furniture and Amenity RFP option is approved by Council. The intention is that the SDS manual be a living accessible document, upgraded and changed as required, becoming a valuable reference resource for City programs and future development projects.

iii). Public involvement

There will be continued public involvement in the implementation of the Street Furniture and Amenity Program. Staff anticipate the need to liaise with each neighbourhood separately to work out details of furniture placement and where necessary, neighbourhood customization. A working relationship with a subcommittee of the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association has already been developed. Staff anticipate similar arrangements will be made with other neighbourhoods in the coming months.

iv). Internal organization

During the course of the work done to date, the desirability of having one branch manage, administer and provide street furniture has been consistent. The implementation plan identifies a need to restructure the organization to reflect the new amenity provision model. There will be a need for a new contract administration function, but costs for this function will be significantly less than operating budget savings which are expected. Any new positions will be the subject of a further report to Council.

v). Existing Transit Shelter and Transit Bench contract extension

The existing transit shelter and transit bench contracts expire in August 2002. The transit shelter contract allows the present contractor a further 6 month period beyond August 2002 for the removal of the shelters, if the existing contract is not renewed.

The existing transit shelter contract does not have clear language which would guarantee a smooth transition to a subsequent contract in terms of a phased removal of the existing bus
shelters. There are also no requirements related to ongoing payment of fees.

Therefore, staff request Council approval to negotiate and enter into agreements extending the current bus shelter and transit bench contracts for up to 12 months. The extension of these contracts would set out the process by which the current contractor:

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The projected financial return to the City based on current outdoor advertising revenues and agreements reached by other cities with similar contracts indicate that the City can expect a substantial increase to the amount currently received. Both strategic options would yield proportionately high revenue gains. The merits of one option over the other would be detailed in the tender evaluation report. Council will at that time, have a clear understanding of the implications of each option and will be able to determine which course it wishes to pursue.

The resources needed for the completion of this project are similar to those which were originally outlined to Council in the June 15, 2000 report. Savings have been achieved from the original budget through the preparation of a draft Request For Proposal using project team resources, and because the Planning resource will be used for a shorter duration than originally planned. However, these savings have been offset by the additional cost of maintaining project team staffing for up to one extra year. The total project budget remains at $580,000.

The June 15, 2000 report authorized $201,800 of the total budget. This report requests that the remaining $378,200 of funding be authorized as a loan from the Service Improvement Reserve, with repayment beginning in 2004 through increased future revenues derived from the new street furniture contract which will be awarded in 2003.

CONCLUSION

The recommendations contained in the draft Street Furniture Program - Policy Document have been submitted to a thorough public consultation process. The recommendations in this document have been well received. The public consultation process resulted in a number of "learnings" and has produced some specific consultants recommendations. Staff have prepared an implementation plan which is responsive to these recommendations.

Staff recommend that Council approve the recommendations outlined in this report and the implementation plan which will result in the issuance of a Request For Proposals for Street Furniture and Amenity Provision.

* * * * *

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Link to Appendix A

Link to Appendix B

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