COUNCIL MEETING FOLLOWING
CITY SERVICES AND BUDGETS MEETING

APRIL 25, 2002

DECISIONS

For information, please contact
Denise Salmon, Meeting Coordinator, at 604.873.7269
or e-mail denise_salmon@city.vancouver.bc.ca

At its meeting immediately following the Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets meeting on April 25, 2002, Vancouver City Council approved the following.

1. Garbage Container & Garbage Education and Enforcement Program

A. THAT new garbage container license agreements between the City and the participating waste service companies be amended based on the general principles outlined in the Policy Report dated April 8, 2002, entitled "Garbage Container & Garbage Education and Enforcement Programs" and on terms and conditions satisfactory to the General Manager of Engineering Services and the Director of Legal Services.

B. THAT a full time Street Use Inspector position (subject to classification) be approved for the garbage education and enforcement program outlined in the Policy Report dated April 8, 2002, entitled "Garbage Container & Garbage Education and Enforcement Programs" at an annual operating cost of $50,500. Funding for this program to come from a $20 increase in annual garbage container lane permit fees ($ 38,000) and the existing Keep Vancouver Spectacular staff budget ($12,500)

C. THAT Engineering Services monitor the costs and effectiveness of the new container licence agreements and the level of co-operation from the waste services industry, and with the Director of Legal Services report back on any additional changes that may need to be made to the licence agreements or how waste is managed in the City.

D. THAT the City apply the graffiti removal policy for private property (proposed as requiring clean-up within ten days of notice) to all commercial garbage containers, whether on public or private property; and that $25,000 per year be allocated for enforcement of graffiti removal from containers in lanes with funding provided by a $14 increase in annual garbage container lane permit fees.

2. Anti-Graffiti Strategy for Vancouver

A. THAT Council approve the following elements of a one-year Targeted Abatement Anti-Graffiti Strategy commencing May, 2002, totalling $1,203,100 as set out in the Policy Report dated April 9, 2002, entitled "Anti-Graffiti Strategy for Vancouver", including temporary staffing increases in the Engineering Services Department and the Community Services Department, with increases to the 2002 and 2003 Operating Budgets, as follows:

1. Leadership

i. $213,100 in 2002 and $79,500 in 2003 to remove graffiti from City-owned facilities; and,

ii. $75,000 in 2002 and $25,000 in 2003 to inspect and remove graffiti from Park Board facilities; and,

iii. $38,100 in 2002 and $19,100 in 2003 for contract inspection, compliance inspection related to encroachments, and collection of data; and,

iv. $18,000 in 2002 to fund startup costs (computers, phones, furniture, etc.).

for a total of $344,300 in 2002 and $123,600 in 2003 (combined total of $467,900).

2. Prevention

i. $47,600 in 2002 and $23,800 in 2003 to implement educational and publicity programs as outlined in this report; and

ii. $24,900 in 2002 and $12,500 in 2003 to implement an expanded Mural Program, as outlined in this report, including:

a) proposed murals being subject to the development permit process as required by the Zoning and Development By-law;
b) development application fees being covered by the Mural Program.

for a total of $72,500 in 2002 and $36,300 in 2003 (combined total of $98,800).

3. Eradication

i. $101,500 in 2002 and $50,700 in 2003, for a combined total of$152,200, for eradication of graffiti from private property through education, enforcement and a Free Paint Program, as described in this report.

4. Enforcement

i. $81,900 in 2002 and $47,200 in 2003 to support additional enforcement activities, for a combined total of $129,100; and,

ii Enforcement of the Graffiti By-law to be targeted at industrial and commercial properties as described in this report; and,

ii. Enforcement of the Graffiti By-law to be carried out against residential properties in response to complaints or obvious problems.

5. Community Empowerment

i. $11,600 in 2002 and $5,800 in 2003 for an expanded Community Paint-Out Program as described in this report, for a combined total of $17,400.

B. THAT Council direct that all revenue from fines levied in accordance with the Graffiti By-law be used to offset the cost of the Free Paint Program as described in Recommendation A of the Policy Report dated April 9, 2002, and entitled "Anti-Graffiti Strategy for Vancouver".

C. THAT Council advise the Director of Planning that the Anti-Graffiti Mural Program is an important initiative in managing graffiti and that favourable consideration should be given to the approval of development applications for mural installation; and,
FURTHER THAT the Director of Development Services give priority to the processing of development applications for murals proposed under the Anti-Graffiti Mural Program.

D. THAT Council request the Director of Legal Services to bring forward amendments to the Graffiti By-law:

i. to require property owners to remove graffiti from their property;
ii. to provide that, if a property owner fails to do so within ten days, the City may enter the property to remove the graffiti at the cost of the owner;
iii. to provide that, if the cost to the City for the graffiti removal is not made within 30 days after a demand for payment, the cost be added to the property tax roll;
iv. to increase the minimum fine for writing graffiti to $500.

E. THAT Council request the General Manager of Engineering Services to consult with Special Advisory Committee on Cultural Communities to develop guidelines which will ensure that a clear and consistent process is followed by the City's contractors when dealing with hate and offensive graffiti.

FURTHER THAT Council request the General Managers of Engineering Services and Community Services and the Director of Legal Services to consult with the Special Advisory Committee on Cultural Communities to develop a process to ensure prompt removal of hate and offensive graffiti from private property in the absence of the owner's permission

F. THAT Council request the Director of Legal Services to investigate processes by which the City could assist property owners in organizing area-wide graffiti-removal contracts for commercial districts.

G. THAT Council direct staff to report back at the end of this trial on the effectiveness of the Anti-Graffiti initiatives referred to in Recommendations A through F of the Policy Report dated April 9, 2002, entitled "Anti-Graffiti Strategy for Vancouver" and provide recommendations on an on-going anti-graffiti program .

3. Anti-Graffiti Strategy for the Vancouver Police Department

A. THAT Council support the anti-graffiti proposal for the Vancouver Police Department as set out in the Administrative Report dated March 26, 2002, entitled "Anti-Graffiti Strategy for the Vancouver Police Department".

B. THAT Council approve an increase in the 2002 Operating budget of $53,000 for start-up costs to establish and operate an anti-graffiti team in the Vancouver Police Department as described in this report.

C. THAT Council request the Vancouver Police Board report back after one year on the effectiveness of the Vancouver Police Department's Anti-Graffiti Strategy.

* * * * *

(c) 1998 City of Vancouver