Vancouver City Council

COUNCIL MEETING FOLLOWING
STANDING COMMITTEE ON CITY SERVICES AND BUDGETS
MEETING

JUNE 10, 2004

DECISIONS

For information, please contact Denise Salmon, Meeting Coordinator, at 604-873-7269 or
e-mail denise_salmon@city.vancouver.bc.ca.

At its meeting following the Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets meeting on Thursday, June 10, 2004, Vancouver City Council approved the following:

1. 2004 Opportunity Grant Allocation

This item was moved to the June 10^th Planning and Environment Committee meeting.

2. Review of Sewer BOD/TSS/Flow Charges for Permitted Industries, Other Sources Control Measures, and Establishing 2004 Rates

A. THAT Biochemical Oxygen Demand/Total Suspended Solids/Flow (BOD/TSS/Flow) rates for permitted industries continue to be established using the same methodology as used in previous years.

B. THAT staff report back by the end of the year on alternatives, including the potential of banning the use of food grinders, and a best practices action plan for implementation to move towards elimination of solid and toxic discharges to the sewer system and develop an action plan for potential energy recovery from the heat and flow of the sewage system, with funding of up to $40,000, subject to approval of the City Manager, to be provided from the Sewer Rate Stabilization Reserve to carry out this work

C. THAT 2004 BOD/TSS/Flow rates payable by waste discharge permit users ("permitted industrial users") be set as per Appendix 1 of the Administrative Report dated May 21, 2004, entitled Review of Sewer BOD/TSS/Flow Charges for Permitted Industries, Other Sources Control Measures, and Establishing 2004 Rates".

D. THAT the Director of Legal Services be instructed to bring forward for enactment and amendment to the Sewer and Watercourse By-law effective July 1, 2004, implementing Recommendation C of the Administrative Report dated May 21, 2004, entitled Review of Sewer BOD/TSS/Flow Charges for Permitted Industries, Other Sources Control Measures, and Establishing 2004 Rates".

3. Small Development Sites in Downtown South

A. THAT small development sites (these being corner sites with frontages of less than 175 feet and interior sites with frontages of less than 200 feet), as described in the Policy Report dated May 21, 2004, entitled "Small Development Sites in Downtown South" and , in Downtown South (Areas L, M and N in the Downtown District Official Development Plan[DDODP]) not be considered for floor space (density) bonusing beyond the 10 per cent increase in floor space which can be considered for heritage density transfers and the density and height provisions allowable for affordable housing projects, unless there are exceptional circumstances such as:
· there will be no opportunity for more than two towers on a block face, due to the frontage restrictions in the DDODP and the pattern of development sites; and
· higher elements (i.e. those portions of a building over 70 feet (21.4 m) in height) of the building are a minimum of 80 feet (24.4 m) away from an adjacent tower;

THAT these policies shall not apply to current applications which shall be dealt with on their own merits;

AND FURTHER THAT in all cases where a height relaxation or densities exceeding 3.0 FSR are considered for small development sites the development sufficiently addresses the design, livability, shadowing and other provisions of the "Downtown South Guidelines (except Granville Street)" and other relevant Council-approved policies and neighbourhood input.

B. THAT the proposed amendments of the Downtown South Guidelines (except Granville Street) (attached as Appendix `A' to the Policy Report dated May 21, 2004, entitled "Small Development Sites in Downtown South") be adopted by Council for development applications in Area L, M and N in the Downtown District Official Development Plan.

B. Motions on Notice

1. Community Social Services Funding

MOVED by Councillor Woodsworth
SECONDED by Councillor Bass

WHEREAS community social services are vital to the health and well-being of thousands of British Columbians, especially women, people with disabilities, children and families in need, and the most vulnerable people in our society; and

WHEREAS these critical services are dependent on adequate funding by the provincial government; and

WHEREAS the provincial government has already cut $100 million from the community social services sector since 2001, and plans to cut at least $70 million more before March 31 of this year; and

WHEREAS these cuts are having a devastating impact on families and communities;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED council send a letter to the BC government calling on Premier Gordon Campbell, Finance Minister Gary Collins, and Minister of Children and Family Development Christy Clark to put on hold any further cuts to community social service funding in the upcoming 2004/2005 budget, and to make every effort to restore program funding to the pre-2001 level.

Referred

The Chair noted a request to speak on the matter.

MOVED by Councillor Woodsworth
SECONDED by Councillor Louis

THAT consideration of this Motion be referred to the Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets meeting on July 6, 2004, to hear the speaker.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

2. Request for a Report on Options and Costs for Testing Low-Cost Alternatives for Redesign of the Burrard Bridge

At the Council meeting following the City Services and Budgets meeting of June 10, 2004, Councillor Bass submitted the following Motion. Councillor Sullivan called Notice under Section 5.4(c) of the Procedure By-law. The Motion will be considered at the next Regular Council meeting which will be held Thursday, June 10, immediately following the Standing Committee on Planning and Environment meeting.

MOVED by Councillor Bass
SECONDED by Councillor Louis

Background

The purpose of this request is to seek a report that would identify the pro's and con's of implementing a test of the simplest and least-cost alternatives for redesign of the Burrard Bridge, that is, committing one or two lanes of the bridge for bicycle use. This report would allow Council to consider the options and costs of testing a much-lower-cost alternative prior to receiving in September/October the full report that considers all the options for bridge re-design. The test period would begin before the end of July and would end when Council acts on the report for the Burrard Bridge redesign or sooner, if circumstances require ending of the test period.

The summer offers an opportunity to begin such a test, since commuter traffic is reduced because of holidays, and persons are more likely to try commuting by bicycle during warm weather than they would during rainier, colder weather.

Motion

BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council requests staff to report to Council by July 6 the work done to date on options that would assign one or two lanes of the Burrard Bridge for cycling and other non-powered wheeled transportation. Staff should list the pro's and con's of each option (taking zero, one or two lanes for cycling) and the costs of each option.

The report should address, as feasible:

a) Simple traffic modifications at each end of the bridge;
b) Means to monitor traffic and make adjustments;
c) Suggestions for diversion of traffic to alternative routes;
d) Ways to separate the lanes from motor vehicle traffic with cones or other barriers and the cost of demarcating the bike lanes with temporary paint;

e) Suggestions for publicizing the planned changes in advance; and
f) Potential sources of funding.

Notice

NEW BUSINESS

1. Leave of Absence - Councillor Louis (File 1254)

MOVED by Councillor Woodsworth
SECONDED by Councillor Bass

THAT Councillor Louis be granted Leave of Absence (Civic Business) from this afternoon's Planning and Environment Committee meeting.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

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