Agenda Index City of Vancouver

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

TO: Vancouver City Council

FROM: City Manager

SUBJECT: 2010 Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Winter Games Bid: Request for Funding

RECOMMENDATIONS

COUNCIL POLICY

On March 26, 2002, Council endorsed the City's involvement in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Winter Games bid.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to seek Council authorization to approve a grant to offset the $300,000 advance made to the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation in 2000, and to seek Council authorization for a capital and operating fund to support the Bid.

CITY CONTRIBUTION

In 2000, Council agreed to provide a $300,000 advance to the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation to support the start-up phase of the Olympic bid development. The expectation was that once a budget was established for the bid, these funds would be repaid to the City. This amount has been established as an account receivable on the City's accounts.

The Bid Corporation has been seeking the financial participation of Lower Mainland municipalities in the bid and believes it is appropriate for the City to play a leadership role. As a result, the City Manager recommends that Council forgive this advance as part of its financial support for the bid. This will require approval of a grant to the Bid Corporation with the source of funding being Contingency Reserve.

SECURITY PLANNING

The City of Vancouver Police Department has provided the leadership in assigning a senior officer of the Department, who serves as Chair of the Health Services, Safety and Security Work Group and Director of Public Safety for the Bid Corporation. This officer is now retiring from the police department and in order to maintain the continuity of his role it is necessary to contract his services. This role would involve development of the conceptual plan that would outline the roles of agencies to be involved in delivery of public safety, and to foster the continued relationships with those agencies involved, as well as the public as a whole. In addition to this, he will be available to assist in the organization of the IOC visit next spring and provide a complete report and overview of the activities of the Work Group as it relates to public safety responsibilities.

CULTURE

As the Host City for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games the City of Vancouver will have a singular interest in the arts and cultural programs. It is through these programs, and through the cultural community that reflects us, that Vancouver will create our Olympic celebration, and share with global visitors who we really are.

Secondment

Reflecting the importance that both the Bid Corporation and the City place on the role of the cultural programs for the Bid and the community, the City has seconded the Director, Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA) on a half-time basis to lead development of 2010 Bid Cultural Programs. This arrangement was initiated in September, 2001 and is expected to continue through to July, 2003. The OCA staff compliment is not large and the extended absence of the Director has strained their capacity to maintain service levels and advance on Council directions. An allocation of $50,000 toward the costs of backfilling for the Director's absence is recommended.

Cultural Initiatives

In keeping with the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation's commitment to community legacies now, the Bid Corporation and the City team have been working to secure funding for an arts and cultural festival that would occur during the Bid phase. The commitment of City funding will go a long way towards allowing the Bid Corporation and the City team to leverage further funding to allow the program to proceed and be announced. An allocation of $100,000 towards the cultural initiatives program is recommended.

OLYMPIC STREET BANNER PROGRAM

The Evaluation Committee will most likely visit Vancouver in February, 2003. To further contribute to a heightened level of awareness and excitement around that time, the Bid Corporation has requested that the City colourfully celebrate the community's Olympic initiative and help mark the run up to decision day by sponsoring the bannering of the City. The Bid Corporation proposes that a distinctive suite of banners be created and hung from February to June, 2003, to artfully and openly declare its support. An allocation of $75,000 is recommended.

The City will also undertake to clean up the downtown area of litter and graffiti prior to the arrival of the Bid Evaluation Committee. This will be done out of existing budgets.

CITY-BID CORPORATION COORDINATION AND RELATIONS

The Bid development and related work has generated a substantial work load for City staff, including considerable coordination and negotiation. (See Appendix A --organization chart). It is important to have funds available to cover expenses such as coordination of City work, extensive legal agreements and negotiations, consultant fees, and related expenses that are incurred to continue this work over the next year. An allocation of $100,000 towards these costs is recommended.

CONCLUSION

The City has been a full participant in the Bid development to date and it is important that this participation continue to July 2003. Council is requested to authorize the funding required to do so.

In addition, Council is requested to approve a grant of $300,000 to the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation to offset the funding advance provided in 2000 in order to demonstrate their support and commitment to the Vancouver 2010 Bid.

The source of these funds will be the Contingency Reserve.

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