Agenda Index City of Vancouver

CITY OF VANCOUVER

SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

SEPTEMBER 17, 2002

 

A Special Meeting of Vancouver City Council was held on Tuesday, September 17, 2002, at 7:36 p.m., in the Council Chamber, Third Floor, City Hall.

PRESENT:

Deputy Mayor Jennifer Clarke
Councillor Fred Bass
Councillor Don Lee
Councillor Tim Louis
Councillor Sandy McCormick
Councillor Gordon Price
Councillor George Puil
Councillor Sam Sullivan

ABSENT:

Mayor Philip Owen (Leave of Absence)
Councillor Lynne Kennedy
Councillor Daniel Lee

CITY CLERK'S OFFICE:

Lori Isfeld, Meeting Coordinator

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Councillor Don Lee
SECONDED by Councillor McCormick

THAT this Council resolve itself into Committee of the Whole, Deputy Mayor Clarke in the Chair.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

1. 2003-2005 Capital Plan (File 1611)

On June 25, 2002, City Council referred the 2003-2005 Capital Plan to a special evening Council meeting to hear delegations.

Accordingly, Council had before it:

(i) 2003-2005 Capital Plan Information + Questionnaire;
(ii) Extract from the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting on June 25, 2002;

(iii) Administrative Report dated June 17, 2002, entitled "2003-2005 Capital Plan Financial Limits";
(iv) Administrative Report dated June 15, 2002, entitled "2003-2005 Capital Plan Draft Allocation";
(v) Administrative Report dated June 12, 2002, entitled "Proposed Joint-Use Project: #1 Kingsway";
(vi) Letter dated June 25, 2002, from the General Manager of Parks and Recreation.

Ken Bayne, Director of Financial Planning and Treasury, provided a PowerPoint presentation of the 2003-2005 Capital Plan, reviewed the public input process, questionnaire results, financial limits, draft allocation and decision timetable components to meet the plebiscite deadline for the November 16, 2002, election. Mr. Bayne advised Council would hear Report References entitled "Approval of 2003-2005 Capital Plan" on October 1, 2002, and "Approval of 2003-2005 Capital Plan Plebiscite Questions" on October 8, 2002.

In response to questions, Mr. Bayne clarified the pool of funding available for cost-shared projects, the capital envelope upper limit, noting an increased capital envelope would put significant pressure on taxes, i.e., .5% per $10 million, and noted Council could change the draft plan as they saw fit.

Brent MacGregor, Deputy City Manager, Dave Rudberg, General Manager of Engineering Services, Estelle Lo, General Manager of Corporate Services, Tom Timm, Deputy City Engineer, and Piet Rutgers, Director of Planning Operations - Park Board, were available to respond to questions.

The following speakers requested additional Park Board capital funding:

Commissioner Clarence Hansen, Chair, Vancouver Park Board
Kathleen Bigsby, Past President, Kerrisdale Community Centre Association (brief filed)
Chris Payne, President, Grandview-Trout Lake Community Centre Association (brief filed)

Alexandra Geysendorpher, President, Douglas Park Community Centre Assn. (brief filed)
Suzanne Anton, Vancouver Field Sport Federation
Sandra Stevenson, President & CEO, Sport BC
Commissioner Duncan Wilson, Vancouver Park Board
Walter Schultz, President, Sunset Community Centre Association
Gail Uthoff, Gators Swim Club
Ian Haywood-Farmer, Vandusen Botanical Garden Association
Ann Buffam, Vandusen Botanical Garden Association
Margaret Knox, Vandusen Botanical Garden Association
Isabel Minty
Anita Romaniuk, COPE Parks Committee
Colin Metcalfe, Vancouver Field Sport Federation
May Tong, Tai Chi Exercise Groups
Eddie Tang, Lams Tai Chi Group (brief filed)
Commissioner Christopher Richardson, Vancouver Park Board
Charles Cullen, Queen Elizabeth Park Health and Exercise Association
Elizabeth Jang, Kingcrest Park
Ravi Patel

The following summarizes the comments made by the foregoing speakers:

· the Park Board is unable to keep up with long range renewal strategies due to capital allotment under-funding;
· indoor swimming pools have reached the end of their useful life and require a rebuilding system to start immediately;
· strong concern was expressed regarding Vancouver playing field maintenance;
· urgent park renewal is required to keep Vancouver parks beautiful; this includes work at Hastings Park, the Queen Elizabeth reservoir, and reconstruction of weakened areas of the seawall;
· Vancouver's 22 Community Centre Associations unanimously requested Council's help in meeting the urgent need for community centre renewal through the proper level of funding in the Capital Plan plebiscite that goes to voters on November 16th;
· at the 1996 civic election, 75% voted in favour of an additional $2 million toward parks and recreation capital funding;
· the city is made more livable by the many benefits from recreation programs delivered through community centre facilities, i.e., youth programs bring a significant reduction in policing and social costs, and seniors programs have a large beneficial impact on health costs; suggestion was made to measure the cost-benefit relationship;
· high priority renewal needs are estimated at $22 million by the Park Board, however, the recommendation is for less than $2 million, $1.5 million of which is to cover an increase in the estimated cost of the Mount Pleasant Centre's replacement;
· in view of the potentially disastrous consequences of a failure to address Community Centre renewal needs outlined in Park Board's long range plan for such renewal, the Vancouver Community Centre Association Presidents strongly support the Park Board request, contained in Commissioner Duncan Wilson's motion adopted unanimously by the Park Board on June 24, 2002, that City Council "give consideration to increasing the property tax supported Capital Plan financial limit by an amount sufficient to adequately fund the Park Board's infrastructure renewal plan as identified in the Board's draft Capital Plan";
· Council was urged to restore $25 million to the Capital Plan provisions for investment in Parks and Recreation infrastructure, including sufficient funds for the renewal of Sunset Community Centre;
· Council was urged to guarantee renewal of at least one of the five community centres on the Park Board's high priority list, during the 2003-2005 period;
· there is room to restore the Parks and Recreation Capital Plan provisions to the level recommended in the Park Board's draft Capital Plan and still stay within the limits of Council's conservative fiscal policy;
· grass on playing fields needs ongoing maintenance similar to other capital projects;
· many field sports such as soccer are growing and fields are in increased demand; however, many fields lay empty because they are dangerous or unplayable; young people are forced to play field sports in neighbouring municipalities;
· all-weather artificial fields are a good investment; they are expensive to build but low maintenance and long wearing;
· Vancouver needs more and better fields in order to bid for events and tournaments and to attract premier players;
· Sunset Community Centre has 150 kids on waiting lists for programs; it needs the tools to service South Vancouver;
· Vandusen Botanical Garden buildings have reached the end of their practical life and expansion is needed; the facility can no longer handle the increased visitors;
· the Vandusen Botanical Garden Association is concerned that expansion will not be able to go ahead given the severely limited capital allotment; if the Park Board does not participate in the renewal, the capacity to raise the additional funds will be limited;
· Vandusen Gardens need to be more visible and available to Vancouver residents and tourists; visibility will also increase revenue;
· the Capital Plan should be in context with the entire budget;
· community centres are designated as emergency centres yet are not earthquake proof;
· current modifications to the Queen Elizabeth reservoir include removal of the shelter; request was made that the platform and shelter be retained to allow people tocontinue practicing tai chi and other forms of exercise year round at that location;
· Council was urged to consider funding for Kingcrest and other neighbourhood parks which badly need improvements such as repairing drainage and closed washroom facilities; teenagers need parks as a place to exercise; parks help create a safer, more vibrant atmosphere in communities.

Dr. Nellie Martin offered her financial planning services.

Don Buchanan, on behalf of Rob Wynan, West End Residents Association (brief filed), requested Council amend the Draft 2003-2005 Capital Plan to:

· fully fund sidewalk reconstruction;
· provide for aggressive measures to support transit such as bus lanes and bulges;
· update the City's transportation targets and parking by-law to match stated policy and current modal split;
· and most importantly include the public earlier in the process of future budgeting exercises.

RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Councillor Don Lee

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Councillor Puil
SECONDED by Councillor McCormick

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

The Special Council adjourned at 10:32 p.m.

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