|
CITY OF VANCOUVER ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT |
Date: |
August 31, 2004 | |
Author: |
Terry Corrigan | |
Phone No.: |
7225 | |
RTS No.: |
04497 | |
CC File No.: |
6001 | |
Meeting Date: |
September 14, 2004 |
TO: |
Vancouver City Council |
FROM: |
General Manager of Corporate Services/Director of Finance |
SUBJECT: |
Development of Sustainable and Ethical Purchasing Policy |
RECOMMENDATION
THAT City Council approve funding of $30,000 for resources required to support a task force charged with recommending a Sustainable and Ethical Purchasing Policy for the City as it directly relates to apparel and fair trade agricultural products with the source of funding being the 2004 contingency reserve.
CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The City Manager concurs with the recommendations.
COUNCIL POLICY
Expenditures of funds from the Contingency Reserve must be approved by Council.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to obtain Council approval of funding for resources required to support the activities of a task force in preparing and presenting a draft sustainable and ethical purchasing policy to Council by December 31, 2004.
BACKGROUND
At its meeting on June 22, 2004, Council considered a staff report on developing a Sustainable and Ethical Purchasing Policy. Staff recommended a two phase approach to development of the Policy. The first phase involved the development by staff of a draft policy on the purchase of apparel and fair trade agricultural products.
At its meeting on June 22, 2004, Council passed the following motion:
THAT Council, as Phase I of the development of a Sustainable and Ethical Procurement Policy, create a task force to prepare and present a draft policy to Council on the purchase of apparel and fair trade agricultural products. The task force shall be co-chaired by Councillors Louie and Louis and be composed of City staff, members of the following business, labour and NGO's: Logotex, Mountain Equipment Co-op, Maquila Solidarity Network, NoSweat SFU and UBC, Oxfam Canada, Vancouver and District Labour Council, VanCity savings Credit Union, Vancouver Fair Trade Coffee Network; and any additional organizations that are deemed necessary. The policy is to be based on best practices of similar organizations and to be implemented by December, 2004. Staff will also report on resources required to implement the policy.
Additional resources were not requested in the staff report as it was anticipated that the development of a sustainable and ethical purchasing policy could be done `in-house' with existing resources. This decision was based upon the fact that staff had access to background information about the experience and practice of other organizations that the City could use for Phase I. In addition, staff had already received significant input and information from stakeholders through the focus group meeting of stakeholders held in preparation for the June 22 staff report to Council and from attendance at the "Ethical Purchasing, Human Rights and Public Policy at BC Post Secondary Institutions" conference hosted by NoSweat SFU.
However, with Council's direction that a task force be involved in the development of a Sustainable and Ethical Purchasing Policy for the City, additional resources will be required to support the task force activities.
DISCUSSION
A work plan for the development and presentation of a Sustainable and Ethical Purchasing Policy has been approved by the task force co-chairs. Based on this work plan, in addition to the existing `in-house' staff resources, the following external resources will be required to support the work of the task force.
Resource Description |
Tasks |
Estimated Cost |
Consultant |
Draft material for consideration by the task force based on research material, the City's policies and procedures and input from various task force members and stakeholders. |
$20,000 |
Administrative Support |
Documentation (task force minutes, decisions and action items.)
|
$10,000 |
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Funding for the additional resources required to support the task force activities are estimated at $30,000. This is a non-budgeted item and therefore it is recommended that funding be provided from the 2004 Contingency Reserve.
CONCLUSION
In order to meet the deadline set by Council for the task force of December 31, 2004 and to ensure the process is inclusive of all stakeholders who have an interest in the development of the Sustainable and Ethical Purchasing Policy for the City, additional resources will be required to support the task force activities.
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