Vancouver City Council |
REPORT TO COUNCIL
STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL
ON CITY SERVICES AND BUDGETSAPRIL 24, 2003
A Regular Meeting of the Standing Committee of Council on City Services and Budgets was held on Thursday, April 24, 2003, at 9:30 a.m., in Committee Room No. 1, Third Floor, City Hall.
PRESENT:
Councillor Tim Louis, Chair
*Mayor Larry Campbell
Councillor Fred Bass
Councillor David Cadman
Councillor Jim Green
Councillor Peter Ladner
Councillor Raymond Louie
Councillor Anne Roberts
Councillor Tim Stevenson
Councillor Sam Sullivan
Councillor Ellen Woodsworth, Vice-ChairCITY MANAGER'S OFFICE:
Judy Rogers, City Manager
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE:
Tina Hildebrandt, Meeting Coordinator
* Denotes presence for a portion of the meeting.
ADOPTION OF MINUTES
The Minutes of the Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets meeting of March 27, 2003, were adopted.
RECOMMENDATION
1. Amenity Bonus Sublease - 639 Hornby Street (File 5104)
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated April 7, 2003, in which the Director of Social Planning in consultation with the Directors of Legal Services and Real Estate Services sought Council's approval to enter into a sub-lease of the amenity bonus facility at 639 Hornby Street with Simon Fraser University for the purpose of The Chief Dan George Centre for Advanced Education, a First Nations education and community resource centre. The General Manager of Community Services recommended approval.
Jeff Brooks, Director of Social Planning, provided an overview of the report and, together with Sue Harvey, Senior Social and Cultural Planner, and Kamala Todd, Social Planning, responded to questions related to the sublease. Ms. Todd noted that Social Planning is building relations with the Aboriginal community and this is one of a number of projects staff are working on.
Leonard George, President, Chief Dan George Centre, and Colin Yerbury, Dean of Continuing Studies, Simon Fraser University, spoke in favour of the sub-lease. They noted that this project, which is an important component in community development and partnership between the university and the Chief Dan George Centre for Advanced Education, will provide better access to First Nations education. Mr. George and Mr. Yerbury also provided some details regarding the centre including the anticipated timeline for commencing operations and programs offered.
MOVED by Councillor Cadman
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
A. THAT the City accept the surrender of the sublease of the amenity bonus facility at 639 Hornby Street granted by the City to the Canadian Craft Museum, effective January 1, 2003, and that each party release the other from any liability under the sublease; and
B. THAT Council approve a 5-year sublease commencing May 1, 2003, of the amenity bonus facility at 639 Hornby Street, legally described as Lot B, Block 40, D.L. 541, Plan 21977, Explanatory Plan LMP9500 to Simon Fraser University for the purpose of the Chief Dan George Centre for Advanced Education at a nominal rent of one dollar ( $1) per annum, the sublease to be renewable for two further five-year terms under the terms generally described in the Administrative Report dated April 7, 2003, entitled "Amenity Bonus Sublease - 639 Hornby Street" and on terms satisfactory to the Director of Legal Services in consultation with the Directors of Social Planning and Real Estate Services.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
(The Mayor absent for the vote)
2. H.R. MacMillan Space Centre - Bridge Financing (File 4003)
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated March 27, 2003, in which the Director of Office of Cultural Affairs, in consultation with the Manager of Budgets, presented the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre's request for bridge financing and sought Council's authorization to approve a lump sum payment of the balance of the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre's annual operating grant up to the approved 2002 grant level to facilitate bridge financing a capital project.
Karen Hasselfelt, Cultural Planner, reviewed the report and explained the rationale for the recommendations.
John Dickenson, Managing Director, H.R. MacMillan Space Centre (MSC), spoke in favour of the report and noted that one of the objectives of the Western Economic Diversification grant is to enable the MSC to put telecommunications and video conferencing equipment in place so quality programs can be delivered to Aboriginal, northern and rural communities.
MOVED by Councillor Stevenson
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
THAT Council approve a grant payment of $299,154 to the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, in advance of consideration of their 2003 annual operating grant to assist the organization with bridge financing a capital project which has received a grant from the Western Economic Diversification fund; source of funds to be the 2003 "Other" Grants budget.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
(The Mayor absent for the vote)
3. Award of Contract for Parking Operating Services for Bentall Tower V, 550 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC - Proposal No. PS02048 (File 1805)
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated April 7, 2003, in which the General Managers of Engineering Services and Corporate Services submitted the results of the responses to a public process through Request for Proposal PS02048 (RFP) and recommended the City enter into a five (5) year contract with Advanced Parking Systems to operate and administer on-site pay parking for the Bentall V Parkade located at 550 Burrard Street in accordance with their submitted proposal.
Also before the Committee was a memo from the General Managers of Engineering Services and Corporate Services, which contained an amendment to Recommendation A of the above noted report related to the management fee proposed by Advanced Parking Systems.
Bob Macdonald, Parking Engineer, provided an overview of the report and explained the rationale for the recommendations. Mr. Macdonald, together with Dave Rudberg, General Manager of Engineering Services, responded to questions concerning the City's financial considerations, the RFP evaluation process and issues related to the current parking services provider, EasyPark. Mr. Rudberg noted that staff have unsuccessfully attempted to resolve these issues and as a result the relationship between Bentall and EasyPark has deteriorated.
The following spoke in opposition to staff's recommendations:
Mel McKinney, General Manager, Parking Corporation of Vancouver (Easy Park) (summary on file)
Doug McNicol, Business Agent, CUPE Local 1004
A summary of speakers' comments follows:
The following spoke in favour of staff's recommendations:
Tony Astles, Senior Vice President - BC, Bentall Real Estate Services
John Wellman, Vice President - BC, Bentall Real Estate Services
Alan Whitchelo, Senior Vice President - Development, Bentall Development Services
Jons Edstrand, Security and Parking Services Manager, Bentall Real Estate Services
Al Walsh, Manager of Operations and Maintenance, YWCA
A summary of speakers' comments follows:
Staff, together with Estelle Lo, General Manager of Corporate Services, responded to questions regarding concerns raised by the above noted speakers, possible solutions to these concerns and the frequency of the joint management committee meetings. A Council member suggested EasyPark be placed on a probation period to allow them to implement new qualifiers that Council would like to see before a final decision be made on awarding the RFP.
MOVED by Councillor Ladner
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
A. THAT, subject to the conditions set out in Recommendations B, C and D of the Administrative Report dated April 7, 2003, entitled "Award of Contract for Parking Operating Services for Bentall Tower V, 550 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC - Proposal No. PS02048", an agreement be entered into between the City and Bentall Real Estate Services with Advanced Parking Systems for the operation and administration of on-site pay parking at the Bentall Tower V Parkade for a period of 5 years. The fee for service is based on a flat rate of $1500 per month plus 4% of net operating revenue over $800,000. Funding to be provided from the parking revenues of the Parkade.
B. That all legal documentation is to be in a form which is satisfactory to the Director of Legal Services and the General Manager of Engineering Services.
C. That upon approval of the legal documentation by the Director of Legal Services and the General Manager of Engineering Services, the Director of Legal Services and the General Manager of Engineering Services be authorized to execute and deliver the necessary legal agreement with Bentall as the co-operator and with Advanced Parking Systems as the parking services provider and that the Director of Legal Services be authorized to execute and deliver the necessary legal notice terminating the services of the existing parking services provider, Parking Corporation of Vancouver (EasyPark).
D. That no legal rights or obligations shall arise hereby and none shall arise or be granted hereafter unless and until all contemplated legal documentation has been executed and delivered by all parties.
LOST
(Councillors Bass, Cadman, Green, Louie, Louis, Roberts and Woodsworth opposed)
(The Mayor absent for the vote)
MOVED by Councillor Green
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
THAT Council extend the contract with the Parking Corporation of Vancouver (EasyPark) for a four month period with the following terms:
i) the City of Vancouver and Bentall Management Committee develop terms that reflect the needs of Bentall Tower V owners, tenants and transient parkers and that safety, security and cleanliness are top priorities;
ii) staff report back to Council in three months;
iii) if, in the opinion of staff, the Parking Corporation of Vancouver (EasyPark) has not performed to the expectations of Council, the RFP be awarded to Advanced Parking Systems.
AND FURTHER THAT staff report back on management and other aspects that have lead to this problem.
CARRIED
(Councillors Ladner and Sullivan opposed)
(The Mayor absent for the vote)
4. 2003 Property Tax Options: Tax Levy Distribution (File 1551)
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated April 10, 2003, in which the General Manager of Corporate Services and Director of Finance provided Council with the information required to make a decision about whether to adjust the relative shares of the tax levy paid by the non-residential and the residential property classes.
Ken Bayne, Director of Financial Planning and Treasury, and Karen Levitt, Manager of Financial Planning, responded to questions regarding the impact of a tax shift on property classes, taxation policy and the Property Tax Task Force. Mr. Bayne advised that as part of a review of the City's overall taxation policy, staff may include a consultative model similar to the various tax advisory bodies used in the 90's.
Brock Ryan, Property Tax Services, Deloitte & Touche LLP and Co-Chair, Vancouver Board of Trade, with aid of a PowerPoint presentation, expressed concern regarding the inequity in business property taxation. Mr. Ryan suggested Council consider implementing a ½ percent property tax shift, producing an annual property tax rate report starting in 2004 and updating the 1995 Consumption Study (summary distributed - on file).
Kim Lister, Chair, BOMA Property Tax Committee, GWL Realty Advisors Inc., and Stuart Swain, Past President for DVBIA and Treasurer for BOMA, spoke in favour of staff's recommendation for a one percent tax shift, recognizing that the shift is proportionate.
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The Committee recessed at 2:23 p.m. to convene in Council, with Deputy Mayor Stevenson in the Chair, to waive Section 3.2 of the Procedure By-law as it relates to the start time of the afternoon Standing Committee on Planning and Environment meeting and reconvened at 2:24 p.m. with the same members present.
- - - - -
Staff responded to questions regarding the impact of a property tax shift of one half percent.
MOVED by Councillor Stevenson
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
A. THAT Council approve a shift in the property tax distribution equal to one half percent of the 2003 general purposes tax levy (approximately $2.05 million), applied proportionately from Class 2 (utilities), Class 4 (major industrial), Class 5 (light industrial) and Class 6 (business/other) to Class 1 (residential) properties.
CARRIED
(Councillors Cadman, Louis, Roberts and Woodsworth opposed)
MOVED by Councillor Louie
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
B. THAT staff report back with recommendations outlining a design for a tax shift policy.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
(Councillor Bass absent for the vote)
5. City of Vancouver Year 2002 Financial Statements (File 1503)
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated April 16, 2003, in which the General Manager of Corporate Services and Director of Finance presented the 2002 Financial Statements to Council for information and to fulfill the legislative requirements of the Vancouver Charter.
Estelle Lo, General Manager and Director of Finance, Terry Corrigan, Director of Financial Services and Brian Szabo, Senior Principle, KPMG, were available to respond to questions.
MOVED by Councillor Cadman
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
THAT Council receive for information the City of Vancouver Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2002.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
The Committee adjourned at 2:40 p.m.
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|
CITY OF VANCOUVER REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
APRIL 24, 2003 |
A Regular Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Thursday, April 24, 2003, at 2:23 p.m., in Committee Room No. 1, Third Floor, City Hall, to waive Section 3.2 of the Procedure By-law.
PRESENT: |
Councillor Tim Stevenson, Deputy Mayor
|
ABSENT: |
Mayor Larry Campbell (Leave of Absence) |
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE: |
Judy Rogers, City Manager |
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE: |
Tina Hildebrandt, Meeting Coordinator |
MOVED by Councillor Louis
SECONDED by Councillor Roberts
THAT Council waive Section 3.2 of the Procedure By-law as it relates to the start time of the afternoon Standing Committee on Planning and Environment meeting.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
- - - - -
Council adjourned at 2:24 p.m., and reconvened at 2:40 p.m., all members present, with Mayor Campbell in the Chair and Councillor Bass absent, to consider the recommendations of the Committee.
- - - - -
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Councillor Sullivan
SECONDED by Councillor Louie
THAT this Council resolve itself into Committee of the Whole, Mayor Campbell in the Chair.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Report of Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets
April 24, 2003
Council considered the recommendations of the Committee, as contained in the following clauses of the foregoing report:
Cl.1: Amenity Bonus Sublease - 639 Hornby Street
Cl.2: H.R. Macmillan Space Centre - Bridge Financing
Cl.3: Award of Contract for Parking Operating Services for Bentall Tower V, 550 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC - Proposal No. PS02048
Cl.4: 2003 Property Tax Options: Tax Levy Distribution
Cl.5: City of Vancouver Year 2002 Financial Statements
Clause 1
MOVED by Councillor Louis
THAT the recommendations of the Committee, as contained in Clause 1 of this report, be approved.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY AND
BY THE REQUIRED MAJORITY
Clauses 2 and 5
MOVED by Councillor Louis
THAT the recommendations of the Committee, as contained in Clauses 2 and 5 of this report, be approved.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
Clause 3
MOVED by Councillor Ladner
A. THAT, subject to the conditions set out in Recommendations B, C and D of the Administrative Report dated April 7, 2003, entitled "Award of Contract for Parking Operating Services for Bentall Tower V, 550 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC - Proposal No. PS02048", an agreement be entered into between the City and Bentall Real Estate Services with Advanced Parking Systems for the operation and administration of on-site pay parking at the Bentall Tower V Parkade for a period of 5 years. The fee for service is based on a flat rate of $1500 per month plus 4% of net operating revenue over $800,000. Funding to be provided from the parking revenues of the Parkade.
B. That all legal documentation is to be in a form which is satisfactory to the Director of Legal Services and the General Manager of Engineering Services.
C. That upon approval of the legal documentation by the Director of Legal Services and the General Manager of Engineering Services, the Director of Legal Services and the General Manager of Engineering Services be authorized to execute and deliver the necessary legal agreement with Bentall as the co-operator and with Advanced Parking Systems as the parking services provider and that the Director of Legal Services be authorized to execute and deliver the necessary legal notice terminating the services of the existing parking services provider, Parking Corporation of Vancouver (EasyPark).
D. That no legal rights or obligations shall arise hereby and none shall arise or be granted hereafter unless and until all contemplated legal documentation has been executed and delivered by all parties.
LOST
(Councillors Bass, Cadman, Green, Louie, Louis, Roberts and Woodsworth opposed)
MOVED by Councillor Louis
THAT the recommendations of the Committee, as contained in Clause 3 of this report, be approved.
CARRIED
(Councillors Ladner and Sullivan opposed)
Clause 4
MOVED by Councillor Louis
THAT the recommendations of the Committee, as contained in Clause 4 of this report, be approved.
CARRIED
(Councillors Cadman, Louis, Roberts and Woodsworth opposed)
RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Councillor Woodsworth
THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Councillor Ladner
SECONDED by Councillor Stevenson
THAT the report of the Committee of the Whole be adopted.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
MOTIONS
B. Motions on Notice
1. Inner City Funding for Vancouver Schools
At the Regular Council meeting held April 22, 2003, the following Motion was submitted by Councillor Roberts. Councillor Sullivan called Notice under Section 5.4 (c) of the Procedure By-law.
MOVED by Councillor Roberts
SECONDED by Councillor Woodsworth
WHEREAS the Ministry of Children and Family Development has decided to cut $4.1 million from inner city schools programs in Vancouver over the next two years, and
WHEREAS the Vancouver School Board is already facing a $2.4 million cut in its current operating budget from the Ministry of Education, and
WHEREAS Vancouver has large numbers of children in need who suffer from the adverse impacts of poverty, 9000 of whom are fed at school meal programs,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
A. THAT the City of Vancouver express its concern to the Ministry of Children and Family Development that urban poverty will be increased due to diminished social services, escalating user fees, cuts in school meal programs, and other decreased services for Vancouver's poorest students.
B. THAT the City of Vancouver demand the Government ensure funding for Vancouver's inner city schools be protected so that vital programs that have a positive impact on students and their families can remain in place.
C. THAT the City of Vancouver call for an end to the downloading of provincial responsibility for services for children living in poverty so that no child goes to school too hungry to learn and that every child receives an equal opportunity to succeed at school.
CARRIED UANIMOUSLY
The Council adjourned at 2:44 p.m.
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