Vancouver City Council

REPORT TO COUNCIL

VANCOUVER CITY PLANNING COMMISSION

Date: January 10, 2003

CC File No.: 3001/ 3107-1

Meeting: January 16, 2003

RECOMMENDATION

SUBJECT: Response to staff report entitled "Review of Advisory Bodies".

At its meeting on January 8, 2003, the Vancouver City Planning Commission considered the Administrative Report dated November 18, 2002, entitled "Review of Advisory Bodies.

BACKGROUND

The Vancouver City Planning Commission (VCPC) is a Council-appointed, volunteer citizens' advisory board. It is the City's oldest, continuously-functioning advisory board. The Commission was founded in 1926, and has a distinguished history of service to the City and to Council.

The VCPC is a unique instrument of public consultation and citizen involvement. Its 12 Commissioners contribute approximately 1,500 volunteer hours annually. It is pro-active in anticipating and communicating issues, informed by institutional memory, and concerned with the larger, long-range view.

Highlights of the VCPC's contribution to Vancouver include:

1) Commissioned the Bartholomew Report (1930)

2) Published "Goals for Vancouver" (1980), which led in turn to other major planning initiatives and reports

3) Identified the importance of the Vancouver Airport and advanced support for a new governance structure for YVR (1982)

4) Introduced the concept of "sustainability" for Southeast False Creek and followed with active involvement in SEFC development plans, (1995)

5) Organized a major public forum on urban transportation in advance of the Millenium SkyTrain line (1997), which in turn:

a) Identified knowledgeable experts who were of significant assistance in planning for the downtown streetcar
b) Directly led to a consultant's work on the Millenium Line and many improvements to SkyTrain station design, placement, and neighbourhood integration
c) Prompted some early discussion and consideration of a more comprehensive Transit Strategy (eventually proposed in 2001)

6) Organized and sponsored both a public lecture and a workshop on an integrated approach to Urban Design with Robert Glover of Toronto (1999); this led in turn to a number of improvements in Project Integration.

7) Organized and sponsored a series of public events (partnered with Simon Fraser University) with a focus on Public Realm:

a) In 2001, Urban Planner Elizabeth MacDonald (Jacobs & MacDonald) spoke on Grand Boulevard Design. This led directly to the re-design of Pacific Boulevard, and in turn, led to the study to re-design the Granville St. Pedestrian Mall.
b) In 2002, Michel Labrecque, of the Montreal High Lights Festival gave a public lecture and hosted several workshops on public festivals and special events. (A separate report on those events is currently being prepared.)

8) Organized a series of public meetings to which staff and Council were invited, with presentations on:

d) Regional governance (Prof. A. Sancton, UWO)
e) Sustainable transportation, (Al Cormier)
f) Economic potential and impacts of co-ops (Bob Williams)
g) Public private partnerships (panel discussion)
h) Comparison of regional densification patterns (Northwest Environmental Watch)
i) Transforming the City with ideas (Dean Moira Quale)
j) Renewed urban green space (M. Houck, City of Portland)
k) Civic creativity (D. Beers)
l) Public spaces for disadvantaged neighbourhoods (Prof. W Hood, Berkeley)

POLICY

The VCPC operates under By-Law 5064 (amended to include By-Law No. 7871, effective April 7, 1998). This by-law defines the terms, duties, mandate and regulations of the VCPC, (see Appendix A). Changes to this by-law require a majority vote of Council. The by-law defines two-year terms for appointees.

The VCPC By-Law sets out a general role and mandate of advising City Council on matters of importance to the City.

The VCPC is self regulating with respect to its internal policies and procedures, and has amended these policies and procedures from time to time (see Appendix B).

The VCPC operates on an annual grant from the City and employs one half-time manager/researcher.

DISCUSSION

Review of Advisory Bodies in 2002

City staff have recently reported on a review of Advisory Bodies conducted in 2002. The draft report invited comment on its recommendations. The VCPC welcomed this review and the opportunity it presented to improve the Commission's effectiveness and relevance to both Council and residents of Vancouver.

The VCPC also welcomes the opportunity to renew its role and mandate, and to receive ideas and suggestion from Council on any matter that will enhance the effectiveness of civic government. In early 2002, the VCPC initiated its own internal strategic planning review with this same objective. The VCPC identified a number of improvements to its mandate, focus and operational procedures, many of which have already been implemented, as set out below.

The Report on the Review of Advisory Bodies recommends the creation of a Council Task Force to continue the work of the staff committee from the past year. While the VCPC has already conducted a substantive review of its role, mandate and operations and has taken important steps to improve itself, it also welcomes further input from this new Task Force.

The Report also recommends that Council re-appoint members for a 6-month term, while this additional review is being implemented. The VCPC feels strongly that 6-month "interim" appointments would be counter productive. Such a short horizon would make it difficult to recruit new members and keep existing volunteers motivated. It would also cause a loss of momentum at a time when the VCPC has a full agenda and workplan. Instead, the VCPC recommends that Council call for applications and appoint or re-appoint members as per its by-law, as soon as possible.

Should any further review indicate changes to role, mandate or membership of the VCPC then those changes should be considered at that time.

The VCPC Strategic Review

Role and Mandate

The VCPC recognized that its effectiveness and relevance to the City could be improved. On its own initiative, it completed a strategic planning process during 2001/2002. This included two off-site, facilitated workshops and several "clear-agenda" meetings. As a result the VCPC adopted a refined mandate so that it now concentrates on:

1) Issues of long range importance (ones that are outside the usual planning horizon of Council or staff)

2) Issues that are otherwise not receiving attention of Council or staff;

3) Issues that can be explored by airing new ideas, from interesting and informed people, frequently from outside Vancouver.

For example, as a part of its current work plan, the VCPC is exploring the long range issue of housing choice and affordability; density and neighbourhoods. The Commission is planning to organize and host a public forum that will bring together neighbourhood representatives with planners and developers. This is planned for April of 2003.

Bringing forward interesting and informed speakers has provided perhaps the highest profile for the VCPC. It recognized that the very best practices for Vancouver's future may be happening today somewhere else. Finding such people, bringing them to Vancouver and providing them a forum allows the Commission to spark thinking outside the usual planning process. Commission members can ask the "what if?" and "why not?" questions, and challenge established thinking. A review of the VCPC accomplishments as set out above reveals that many of them have arisen by this process.

Improving Effectiveness

In addition to refining its role and mandate, the VCPC implemented a number of internal improvements including:

1) Adopting revised guidelines for setting VCPC meeting Agenda topics

2) Establishing criteria to evaluate City staff requests for presentations

3) Reviewing and amending internal policies and procedures

4) Refining the roles and expectations of the VCPC sub-committees and the Executive Committee

5) Refining the role and duties of the Manager (formerly Executive Coordinator), and filling this contract position with a new appointment with enhanced skills and experience

6) Establishing a Chair's Standing Committee comprised of former VCPC Chairs, which accesses the institutional memory of the Commission

Through this strategic planning process, members of the VCPC identified several specific suggestions for improving the effectiveness and public profile of the VCPC, and for enhancing its relevance to Council, and for improving VCPC/Council communications. These include:

1) Reinforcing the role to provide a public forum for the exploration of innovative ideas and policies
2) Enhancing its profile with Council, the media and the public by offering more and better opportunities for information sharing, debate and participation
3) Improving public discourse to effect policy changes (e.g. sponsor key public events)
4) Sponsoring and facilitating increased public events, speakers, panel discussions
5) Increasing its resources and impact by forging partnerships e.g. with UBC (SCARP), SFU (City Program), and other civic committees such as the Vancouver Economic Development Commission
6) Requesting from Council, when appropriate, to approve a research budget on an annual basis, in addition to the current operating grant, to enable the VCPC to undertake more credible, detailed research into areas of interest to Council;
7) Requesting from Council the provision of additional planning staff resources to the VCPC on a select basis, in addition to the current contract Manager position;

The VCPC also considered a number of ways that it could enhance its relevance to Council and ways it could improve VCPC/Council communications by:

1) Having informal non-voting workshops with members of Council on topics of mutual interest
2) Addressing Committees of Council on a more regular basis
3) Inviting members of Council to attend selected regular meetings of the VCPC when there is a speaker of interest.
4) Inviting Council to request that the VCPC examine and report back on specific topics of interest to Council
5) Continuing to assign individual pairings between VCPC members and members of Council
6) Having the Chair and Executive meet with the Mayor on a bi-annual basis to review the VCPC workplan and outcomes
7) Requesting that City staff allow access to the City's Report Tracking System, to enable the VCPC to be aware of and comment on staff initiatives in a more timely fashion
8) Amending the VCPC Annual Report to include not only a summary of VCPC activities but also highlight issues of importance that require further attention.

Where appropriate these improvements have been incorporated in the VCPC Procedures and Policies (see Appendix B). Also included in Appendix C is a summary of the Strengths and Weaknesses of the VCPC that were identified in the strategic planning process.

VCPC RECOMMENDATIONS

The VCPC recommends that:

1) The Advisory Body Task Force's objective be established to examine improving the effectiveness of the VCPC, and its value to Council. These might include increased or revised orientation, training, protocols, member selection and communication. The VCPC strongly believes that the Advisory Body Review should result in an enhanced role for the VCPC as the City's pre-eminent, broadly-based advisory commission.

2) That Council endorse the VCPC's interpretation of its role and mandate to:

a. focus on matters relating to the long-range planning and development of the City;
b. provide an independent public forum for members of the VCPC, members of Council, other elected bodies, and members of the public to explore and debate ideas and opinions about the future of the city
c. act as a point of broad contact and consultation between Council and the citizens of Vancouver
d. act as a stimulator of civic discussion about vital planning issues on the horizon
e. provide Council with independent, ongoing advice and review of City staff reports and recommendations.
f. as requested by Council, to examine and report back to Council on specific topics of interest to Council

3) While the Advisory Body Review Task Force undertakes its work, VCPC members should continue to be appointed to two-year terms as required by By-Law. This is important, in order not to adversely impact the Commission's effectiveness, work-plan continuity, levels of commitment and morale.

The VCPC serves an important and unique role in advising Council on broad-based, long-range, planning and development issues, and in providing a broadly based vehicle for citizen/Council communications. It should continue to serve this role in an enhanced, more effective capacity, and the Advisory Board Review process should aim to achieve this objective.

In the interim the VCPC must continue to function as usual, and its members must be appointed or reappointed as per the governing by-law.

This report is submitted to Council by the Chair and Executive of the Planning Commission. It is supported unanimously by the members of the VCPC.

Therefore, the Commission

RESOLVED

A. That Council receive and consider the recommendations outlined in this submission, as part of its ongoing Advisory Body Review.

B. That in the interim, Council appoint or reappoint members to the Planning Commission on the established basis, for two-year terms.

(signed) "Lance Berelowitz" (signed) "Reena Lazar"
Chair Vice-Chair

CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The City Manager apologizes for the late submission of this report, noting that staff did not receive the final copy from the VCPC until Monday, January 13, 2003.

The City Manager notes that in the staff report on the Review of Advisory Bodies, a six-month review process is recommended for all Topic and Area-Based Advisory Bodies (Category III), of which the VCPC is considered a part. Since VCPC was founded in 1926, the City has initiated a variety of additional ways to obtain public input. Because, as this report notes, the VCPC has a long history of providing advice to Council and staff on a variety of topics, it is important to include it in the larger review process. Further, given the annual cost of approximately $51,500 for the Commission Manager, Meeting Coordinator and budget, not inclusive of the additional staff resources required to attend meetings and make presentations, it is also important to include VCPC in the full review of how resources are allocated.

With respect to the concerns about a six-month appointment term, these temporary appointments are being recommended for all the advisory bodies in this category. Incumbents have been asked if they are willing to serve the additional six months to contribute to the work of the Advisory Task force and to provide stability for the ongoing work of the advisory bodies while the review is underway.

Therefore, the City Manager RECOMMENDS

THAT the VCPC report be received for information and be referred to the Advisory Body Task Force for consideration if the full review is approved by Council.

APPENDIX C

VCPC Strategic Planning Highlights: Strengths and Weaknesses

The following were identified in the VCPC Strategic Planning Process of 2001/2002

Institutional Strengths Include:

1) a strong history of innovation
2) ability to think "out of the box" as it does not have to deal with immediate political impacts
3) autonomy and independence from City staff, thus having the ability to provide Council with an unbiased perspective, objective advice and alternative viewpoints.
4) an open mandate allowing it to look at long-term, and at issues not currently being addressed, but which may become more significant with time
5) credibility and respect as an unbiased body without any `agenda'
6) appointed directly by Council, therefore works directly for Council, and can offer Council another vehicle for exploring issues
7) control over its own rules and procedures
8) broadly representative of Vancouver's diverse citizenry
9) the ability to raise funds and partner with other organizations to leverage our resources

Strengths of individual Commission members include:

1) high levels of experience and capability
2) diversity of backgrounds, perspectives and experience
3) many links to the community and Council
4) ability to be self-critical
5) neither elected nor paid, therefore able to be unbiased, apolitical and to "go out on a limb" without risk to positions or careers

The Commission has identified certain weakness, including:
Procedural:

1) too many issues, making it difficult to keep track of the issues and decisions made
2) not enough concentration on specific issues
3) lack of resources, both human and financial
4) lack of sufficient volunteer time to follow all issues through to detailed resolution
5) lack of research and report writing capability

Substantive:

1) little structural relevance/relationship to City organization
2) "fuzzy" mandate, not always relevant or known
3) insufficient and irregular reporting to Council
4) not always aware of major issues being dealt with by staff; issues come before us too late for us to have any impact
5) staff can block feedback on critical issues if VCPC is seen as a threat to a plan
6) need better linkages within City Hall and to other agencies, Park Board, School Board, business groups, etc.
7) non-voting, therefore lacking in real power