REPORT TO COUNCIL
STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL
ON CITY SERVICES AND BUDGETS
JANUARY 16, 2003
A Regular Meeting of the Standing Committee of Council on City Services and Budgets was held on Thursday, January 16, 2003, at 9:30 a.m., in Committee Room No. 1, Third Floor, City Hall.
PRESENT: |
Councillor Tim Louis, Chair
|
ABSENT: |
Councillor Raymond Louie (Leave of Absence)
|
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE: |
Judy Rogers, City Manager |
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE: |
Tina Hildebrandt, Meeting Coordinator |
* Denotes presence for a portion of the meeting.
RECOMMENDATION
1. 2003 Assessment Roll Report (File 1551)
The Committee had before it the City of Vancouver 2003 Assessment Roll Report dated January 2, 2003, prepared by the BC Assessment Authority, which provided property and value information for taxation purposes.
David Highfield, Area Assessor, BC Assessment Authority, gave a presentation on the assessment trends reflected in the report, legislative changes and notable Supreme Court cases. Mr. Highfield, accompanied by Deborah Francis and David Lee, Deputy Assessors, responded to questions regarding the new Assessment Roll totals and appeals.
MOVED by Councillor Cadman
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
THAT the BC Assessment Authority presentation and City of Vancouver 2003 Assessment Roll Report dated January 2, 2003, be received for information.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
2. Property Taxation on Ports and Port Industries: Submission to Province (File 1551)
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated January 8, 2003, in which the City Manager sought Council's endorsement of a statement on the issue of property taxes paid by owners of property within Canadian ports (i.e., port authorities and port-related industries) and to forward this statement to the appropriate provincial ministers.
Karen Levitt, Manager of Financial Planning, provided a brief overview of the report, and together with Ken Bayne, Director of Financial Planning and Treasury, responded to questions regarding port competitiveness factors, consultation and taxation issues. A member of Council expressed concern regarding the lack of consultation with all relevant stakeholders on this matter.
The following spoke in opposition of the current taxation system for Vancouver port industries:
Brad Eshleman, President of B.C. Wharf Operators Association and Chair, B.C. Ports Competitiveness Committee (brief filed)
Morley Strachan, Director, Marketing and Strategic Planning, TSI Terminal Systems Inc. (brief filed)
A summary of speakers' comments follows:
- property taxes significantly impact the ability of B.C. ports to compete with US facilities and changes to the current system are needed;
- the Federal Government is not likely to subsidize municipal taxation when studies have concluded that certain municipalities have disproportionately increased property taxes on port facilities;
- competitive issues could be solved by shifting port export terminals from the heavy industry class to business class and providing tax exemptions on berth structures;
- the port-related industries are only disputing the current taxation process not seeking tax reductions or exemptions as the Administrative Report implies.
Nancy Chiavario spoke in general favour of staff's recommendation. She also pointed out that new negotiations should be opened up between the City of Vancouver and Vancouver Port Authority on civic service issues including Police services related to federal security and environmental concerns related to the arrival of containers and cruise ships in port. With regard to the recipients of the statement, Ms. Chiavario suggested Council be more specific and distribute it to the Premier and all MLA's, the Prime Minister and all MP's, leadership candidates, the Union of British Columbia Municipalities and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
Rob Fitzgerald, Director of Property Administration, Vancouver Port Authority, spoke in favour of staff's recommendation. He also suggested a consumption of services study be done annually to make it clear where services are being consumed and who is paying for them.
Staff, together with David Highfield, Area Assessor, BC Assessment Authority, responded to questions regarding concerns raised by some of the speakers.
MOVED by Councillor Bass
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
A. THAT Council endorse the statement in Appendix A of the Administrative Report dated January 8, 2003, entitled "Property Taxation on Ports and Port Industries: Submission to Province" that presents the collective position of local port host municipalities' on property taxation for port authorities and port-related industries, and that Council instruct the City Clerk to send this statement to the following provincial MLAs: Rick Thorpe, Minister of Competition, Science and Enterprise, Gary Collins, Minister of Finance, George Abbott, Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services, and Stan Hagen, Minister of Sustainable Resource Management (responsible for the BC Assessment Authority).
B. THAT this Council ask the City Manager to work with the Port of Vancouver in leading a meeting of Port of Vancouver stakeholders, including employers, shippers, maritime unions and other groups, to develop recommendations to improve the Port's competitive position and invite the Port to do a Report Reference to Council as soon as possible to hear about the Port issues and their current strategies to deal with competitiveness.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
(Councillor Cadman absent for the vote on Recommendation A)
3. 2003 Vancouver Economic Development Commission Services Contract and the Administration of the Downtown Eastside Tenant Improvements Assistance Program and the Lease Subsidy Program (File 8104)
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated December 17, 2002, in which the General Manager of Corporate Services in consultation with the General Manager of Community Services and the Director of Real Estate sought Council's approval to enter into a revised services contract with the Vancouver Economic Development Commission (VEDC) and execute a new services contract between the City and the Partners for Economic and Community Help (PEACH).
Estelle Lo, General Manager and Director of Finance, Corporate Services Group, described the services contracts.
MOVED by Councillor Green
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
A. THAT Council amend the terms of its approval related to the administration of the Tenant-Improvements Assistance Program and the Lease Subsidy Program (the Programs), as (contained in Recommendations A, B and D of the Policy Report dated March 3, 2000) approved by Council on March 16, 2000, by authorizing the Partners for Economic and Community Help (PEACH) to be the manager and administrator of the Programs, in place of the Vancouver Economic Development Commission (VEDC), in accordance with and subject to the terms and conditions of the March 3, 2000 Policy Report and subject to PEACH entering into a contract with the City as provided for in Recommendation C of the Administrative Report dated December 17, 2002, entitled "2003 Vancouver Economic Development Commission Services Contract and the Administration of the Downtown Eastside Tenant Improvements Assistance Program and the Lease Subsidy Program".
B. THAT the General Manager of Corporate Services, in consultation with the Director of Legal Services, be authorized to enter into a revised one year services contract between the City of Vancouver and the VEDC for the 2003 fiscal year on terms and conditions satisfactory to the General Manager of Corporate Services and the Director of Legal Services, including that the VEDC be absolved of any future responsibility to manage and administer the Tenant-Improvements Assistance Program and the Lease Subsidy Program and that no future administration fees are payable to the VEDC for these Programs. No legal relations are hereby created and none shall arise hereunder until such time as a new services contract for the 2003 fiscal year is executed by the City and the VEDC and a contract has been entered into by the City and PEACH as referred to in Recommendation C of the Administrative Report dated December 17, 2002, entitled "2003 Vancouver Economic Development Commission Services Contract and the Administration of the Downtown Eastside Tenant Improvements Assistance Program and the Lease Subsidy Program".
C. THAT the General Manager of Corporate Services in consultation with the Director of Legal Services be authorized to negotiate a one year services contract for the 2003 fiscal year, between the City and PEACH to administer the Tenant-Improvement Assistance Program and the Lease Subsidy Program. The Services contract shall provide, subject to Council approval, for a maximum management and administration fee of $15,000 (including GST) being payable to PEACH for the 2003 fiscal year, with such sum to be negotiated. Terms of the contract to be similar to those that currently exist with the VEDC regarding the administration of these Programs and to include such other terms and conditions satisfactory to the Director of Legal Services, the General Manger of Community Services and the General Manager of Corporate Services, with the contract to be signed by the General Manager of Corporate Services. No legal relations are hereby created and none shall arise until such time as a services contract is executed by the City and PEACH.
AND THAT the funds for the management and administration fee to be allocated in advance of Council's approval of the 2003 Capital Budget (source of funds to be the Downtown Eastside allocation in the 2003-2005 Capital Plan).
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
4. Community Policing Funding - 2003 (File 3703)
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated January 2, 2003, in which the Chief Constable and Director of Social Planning recommended continued support for the enhancement of a community policing approach and further recommended transition/ terminating grants be implemented by 18 Community Policing Centres (CPCs). Council was also given the option of terminating its participation in the joint Community Safety Funding Program in light of the Provincial Government's funding withdrawal. The City Manager recommended approval of staff's recommendations and put forward for consideration an option to withdraw from the joint Community Safety Funding program.
Mario Lee, Social Planning, and Inspector Max Chalmers, responded to questions regarding the proposed community policing model.
The following spoke in favour of staff’s recommendations:
Eileen Mosca, Co-Chair, Community Policing Advisory Committee
Chris Taulu, Joyce Station Area Planning Association
Paula Carr, Collingwood Neighbourhood House
Barb Wright, Cedar Cottage Community Policing Office
A summary of speakers' comments follows:
- Council is urged to approve the recommendations with the addition that the Mayor and Council request the Province to reinstate its share to the joint funding program to ensure sustainable funding is there in the future;
- including community groups in the development of a community policing model will give volunteers a strong assurance that Council believes in true community involvement;
- the volunteer component in community policing centres makes crime prevention much more cost effective.
MOVED by Councillor Sullivan
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
A. THAT Council approve 18 transition/terminating grants for a total of $150,000, for crime prevention and community safety activities for a six month period ending June 30, 2003, as listed in Appendix A of the Administrative Report dated January 2, 2003, entitled "Community Policing Funding - 2003", including conditions on the grants. The source of funds to be the 2003 Other Grants Budget, to be approved in advance of approval of the 2003 Operating Budget.
B. THAT Council reiterate its support of the Vancouver Police Department's and community groups' ongoing efforts to develop a community policing model to facilitate the implementation of crime prevention initiatives in partnership with residents and businesses at the neighbourhood level; and
FURTHER THAT the Chief Constable report back to Council, before April 30, 2003, with a proposal for a new community policing model which clearly identifies the future City, Police and community roles.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
(Councillor Green absent for the vote)
MOVED by Councillor Cadman
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
C. THAT the Mayor, on behalf of Council, send a letter to the Solicitor General requesting the reinstatement of their annual allocation of $150,000 to the Joint Community Safety Funding Program.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
(Councillor Green absent for the vote)
The Committee adjourned at 12:10 p.m.
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