CITY OF VANCOUVER
COMMUNITY SERVICES
Licences and Inspections Department
Licence Division

M E M O R A N D U M November 19, 2002
TO:	Mayor and Council
COPY TO:	Judy Rogers, City Manager Brent MacGregor, Deputy City Manager Jacquie Forbes-Roberts, General Manager of Community Services Inspector Bob Taylor, Strategic Initiatives, Patrol Support Section
FROM:	Paul Teichroeb, Chief License Inspector
SUBJECT:	Outstanding Recommendation Items from the Secondhand Dealers and Pawnbrokers By-law No. 2807 and License By-law No. 4450 Update and Changes Report dated October 30, 2002.

At the November 7, 2002 meeting of the Standing Committee of Council on Planning and the Environment, Council approved 2 of the 10 recommendations noted in the above report, and postponed a decision on the remaining items. For Council's convenience, the outstanding recommendations are repeated below as per the original report along with changes as discussed at the previous meeting:

RECOMMENDATION

A. THAT Council receive this report for information on the performance of the X-Tract Internet reporting system and previous Secondhand Dealers and Pawnbrokers By-law changes.

C. THAT Council approve business license fee increases as outlined in Appendix A Part 3 to this report to provide funding for the estimated ongoing costs of $107,200 to support the Internet-based property reporting system and associated staffing.

D. THAT Council approve the one-time costs of $202,200 incurred by the Vancouver Police Department during the implementation of the Internet-based property reporting system; source of funding to be Contingency Reserve.

E. THAT Council approve the creation of a regular full-time position of Data Entry Clerk II in the Vancouver Police Department Property Crime Unit to provide data entry and clerical support for the Internet property recording system required under the Secondhand Dealers and Pawnbrokers By-law subject to a formal classification review by the General Manager of Human Resources.

F. THAT Council direct Vancouver Police Department staff to negotiate the terms and conditions of a contract with ECOMM for the services to be provided by ECOMM for this system, subject to the approval of the contract by the Director of Legal Services and that the Director of Legal Services be authorized to execute and deliver such contract with ECOMM on behalf of the City.

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G. THAT Council direct Vancouver Police Department staff to negotiate the terms and conditions of a contract, irrespective of the City's public tender process, with XML-Global Research, Inc. for the use and support of the X-Tract Internet Reporting System, subject to the approval of such contract by the Director of Legal Services and that the Chief Constable be authorized to execute and deliver such contract with XML-Global Research, Inc. on behalf of the City.

H. THAT Council authorize the Director of Legal Services to bring forward the appropriate by-law amendments.

I. THAT no legal rights or obligations will be created by the adoption of Recommendations D, F, or G, unless and until the negotiation, approval, execution and delivery of the above-noted contracts by the City.

CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION

J. THAT Council instruct the Chief Constable to seek alternate forms of funding for future program upgrades and system improvements from corporations that benefit from this system, such as ICBC, the Insurance Industry and large retailers, as well as other government agencies that benefit from this city initiative, and report back in one year on progress.

Should Council approve the above recommendations, staff are recommending that Council approve the following amendments:

1. The definition of a Secondhand Dealer - Class 6 as indicated in Appendix A Part 1 be amended to read: "means a person who carries on the business of retailing new property but who takes in trade or buys used property that is similar to the new property being retailed."

2. The definition of Secondhand Dealer - Class 3 as indicated in Appendix A Part 1 be amended by deleting the words "vinyl records."

Staff propose Amendment 1 for the reasons explained on November 7, 2002, unfortunately this amendment was omitted when the other by-law amendments were passed.

Staff suggest Amendment 2 as a further refinement to the amendment passed November 7, 2002.
Furthermore, should Council decide to not proceed with the X-Tract software and associated purchases, it is still necessary for Council to set license by-law fees for the new business license categories approved at the last meeting. Staff recommend approval of the License By-law fees as proposed in the report. The proposed new fees are consistent with fees charges in neighbouring municipalities and will provide the necessary funding for enforcement and the required tracking system.

_________________________
Paul Teichroeb

(c) 1998 City of Vancouver