These Minutes will be adopted at the Regular Council Meeting on January 18, 2005.
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REPORT TO COUNCIL STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL
DECEMBER 2, 2004 |
A Regular Meeting of the Standing Committee of Council on City Services and Budgets was held on Thursday, December 2, 2004, at 9:30 a.m., in Council Chamber, Third Floor, City Hall.
PRESENT: |
Councillor Tim Louis, Chair
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ABSENT: |
Councillor Fred Bass (Civic Business)
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CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE: |
Judy Rogers, City Manager |
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE: |
Tina Hildebrandt, Meeting Coordinator |
ADOPTION OF MINUTES
The Minutes of the Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets meeting of November 4, 2004, were adopted.
RECOMMENDATION
1. Review of Water Rates for 2005 (File 1755)
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated November 15, 2004, in which the Director of Finance and General Manager of Engineering Services sought Council's approval of a general increase in water charges for 2005 to fund GVWD and City water system costs. The General Manager of Corporate Services recommended approval.
Rowan Birch, Branch Head, Budgets and Administrative Services - Engineering, was present to respond to questions.
MOVED by Councillor Louie
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
A. THAT Council approve an increase in fees contained in the Water Works By-law for 2005 of approximately 6.5% as detailed in the Administrative Report dated November 15, 2004, entitled "Review of Water Rates for 2005"; this increase to apply to:
· Flat fees for single dwelling units (increase from $287 to $306) (Schedule "B" of this report),
· Other flat water service charges for residential properties (Schedule "B" of this report),
· Charges for metered water service (Schedule "D" of this report), and
· Charges for temporary water service during construction (Schedule "F" of this report).
B. THAT fees for other services included in the Water Works Bylaw be increased as follows:
· Flat rate water connection fees for services of 40mm and 50mm by 4.5% (Schedule "A" of the Administrative Report dated November 15, 2004, entitled "Review of Water Rates for 2005"),
· All other fees included in Schedule A, C, E and G of this report by 2.0%.
C. THAT Council approve an amendment to the definitions in the Water Works Bylaw to clarify that a "unit" for billing purposes means 2,831.6 litres of water and to ensure consistency with similar provisions in the Sewer and Watercourse Bylaw.
D. THAT the Director of Legal Services be instructed to bring forward the necessary amendments to the Water Works By-law to give effect to the recommendations of the Administrative Report dated November 15, 2004, entitled "Review of Water Rates for 2005".
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
2. Establishment of 2005 Sewer Rates (File 1755)
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated November 16, 2004, in which the General Manager of Engineering Services and General Manager of Corporate Services sought Council's approval to revise sanitary sewer user fees, Sewer BOD/TSS/Flow rates and public sewer connection fees for 2005, and to change the establishment of Sewer BOD/TSS/Flow rates at the beginning of each year, instead of mid-year.
Rowan Birch, Branch Head, Budgets and Administrative Services - Engineering, was present to respond to questions.
MOVED by Councillor Louie
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
A. THAT the 2005 sanitary sewer user fees be set as per Appendix 1 of the Administrative Report dated November 16, 2004, entitled "Establishment of 2005 Sewer Rates".
B. THAT the 2005 public sewer connection fees be set as per Appendix 2 of the Administrative Report dated November 16, 2004, entitled "Establishment of 2005 Sewer Rates".
C. THAT 2005 Biochemical Oxygen Demand/Total Suspended Solids/Flow (BOD/TSS/Flow) rates payable by waste discharge permit users ("permitted industrial users") be set as per Appendix 3 of the Administrative Report dated November 16, 2004, entitled "Establishment of 2005 Sewer Rates".
D. THAT the Director of Legal Services be instructed to bring forward for enactment such amendments to the Sewer and Watercourse By-law as are required to implement Recommendations A, B and C of the Administrative Report dated November 16, 2004, entitled "Establishment of 2005 Sewer Rates" as well as the "housekeeping" amendment referred to in this report, and that all such amendments be effective January 1, 2005.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
3. 2005 Solid Waste Utility Fees (File 1755)
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated November 16, 2004, in which the General Manager of Engineering Services sought Council's approval to set the Solid Waste Utility Fees and Landfill demolition tipping fees for 2005.
Rowan Birch, Branch Head, Budgets and Administrative Services - Engineering, was present to respond to questions.
MOVED by Councillor Louie
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
A. (i) THAT the 2005 annual garbage collection fees be increased by $1 to $28
per stop and remain at $32 per garbage receptacle.
(ii) THAT the 2005 annual recycling fees for single dwelling unit properties be reduced by $2 to $19, and for multiple dwelling unit properties be reduced by $2 to $10 per stop and remain at $9 per dwelling unit.
(iii) THAT the 2005 annual yard waste collection fees be increased by $3 to $38 per stop.
(The recommendations in `A' result in a net $2 increase ($147 to $149) in the total fees for a single dwelling unit house owner.)
B. THAT Landfill demolition tipping fees be increased from $390 to $410 for each tandem axle trailer and from $470 to $495 for each tridem axle trailer.
C. THAT the Director of Legal Services be instructed to prepare a by-law to amend the Solid Waste and Recycling By-law to incorporate the 2005 fee increases in accordance with this report."
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
4. Engineering Services Department Permit Fees for 2005 (File 1758)
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated November 12, 2004, in which the General Manager of Engineering Services sought Council's approval of a schedule of Engineering Permit Fees which will generate an additional $80,000 per year in 2005. The City Manager recommended approval.
Rowan Birch, Branch Head, Budgets and Administrative Services - Engineering, was present to respond to questions.
MOVED by Councillor Louie
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
THAT Council approve increases in the Engineering Services Department Permit Fees totalling an estimated amount of $80,000, as set out in Appendix A to the Administrative Report dated November 12, 2004, entitled "Engineering Services Department Permit Fees for 2005"; and
FURTHER THAT the Director of Legal Services be instructed to prepare by-laws to amend the Street and Traffic By-law, Granville Mall By-law, Encroachment By-law, Crossing Bylaw and Street Vending By-law, all generally in accordance with Appendix A of the Administrative Report dated November 12, 2004, entitled "Engineering Services Department Permit Fees for 2005". Effective date of all new fees to be January 1, 2005.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
5. Specific Application Fee Increases to Achieve Recovery of Costs Incurred (File 1758)
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated October 28, 2004, in which the Directors of Development Services and Support Services, in consultation with the General Manager of Engineering Services, Director of Legal Services, General Manager of Fire & Rescue Services, Director of Current Planning, Chief Building Official, Director of Licensing and Inspections, Director of Social Planning, Director of Real Estate Services, Manager of the Housing Centre and Director of Finance, sought Council's approval for substantial increases in various specific application fees to more fully reflect the real costs of service provision based on a corporate assessment. The City Manager and General Manager of Community Services recommended approval.
The General Manager of Community Services noted the fee increases will more fully capture the corporate costs incurred as tabulated through the comprehensive, inter-departmental fee review completed earlier this year. She also supported the analysis undertaken in Community Services and elsewhere in the corporation to conclude the fee review, particularly in the absence of project-specific or process-specific data on costs incurred. This shortcoming may be overcome in future with new information technology to support the City's application/permitting processes. This will be the subject of a future report to Council.
Rick Scobie, Director - Development Services, was present to respond to questions.
MOVED by Councillor Louie
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
A. THAT Council approve increases to specific subdivision, strata title conversion, file research and plans and miscellaneous fees (as reflected in the attached fee schedules in Appendix A of the Administrative Report dated October 28, 2004, entitled "Specific Application Fee Increases to Achieve Recovery of Costs Incurred" to increase recovery of the real corporate City costs incurred in providing these services, at a net revenue impact of $422,000 to the 2005 Operating Budget.
B. THAT the Director of Development Services and Chief Building Official advise the development and building community of these changes.
C. THAT the Director of Legal Services bring forward for enactment the necessary by-law amendments to By-laws No. 5208 and 5664, generally in accordance with the fee schedules attached to the Administrative Report dated October 28, 2004, entitled "Specific Application Fee Increases to Achieve Recovery of Costs Incurred".
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
6. Upgrade of Vancouver Police Mobile Workstations (File 1007)
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated September 26, 2004, in which the Chief Constable sought Council's approval for a sustainable mobile workstation replacement program for the Vancouver Police Department that will be in keeping with industry (and City) standards and that will also provide for the upgrade of the Department's 225 mobile workstations in time for the discontinuation of CDPD technology in 2007.
Inspector Kevin McQuiggin, Financial Crime Section - Police Services, was present to respond to questions.
MOVED by Councillor Louie
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
THAT Council approve the replacement of the Vancouver Police Department's Mobile Workstations in 2005 and 2006, to coincide with technological changes to be introduced in 2007 by Telus, and to migrate the Mobile Work Stations to the City's standard replacement cycle of once every four years. The 225-unit fleet will be replaced as follows: 102 units in 2005, 103 units in 2006; 112 units in 2009; and 113 units in 2010; and
FURTHER THAT funding be added/(reduced) to the Operating Budget without offset and subject to Budget Review for E-Comm Levy and VPD Maintenance Costs as follows:
2005 $299,900 (includes one time costs of $45,300)
2006 $125,600
2007 ($102,800)
2008 ($173,500)
2009 ($53,000)
2010 $19,200
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
7. Text Amendment to the Parking By-law - Street Access (File 113)
At the Regular Council meeting on November 30, 2004, the Chair advised a request to speak on this matter had been received and Council agreed to refer consideration to the Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets meeting on December 2, 2004, in order to hear from the speaker.
Accordingly, the Committee had before it a Policy Report dated November 10, 2004, in which the Director of Current Planning and the General Manager of Engineering Services sought Council's approval for an amendment to the Parking By-law to confirm that the City Engineer is the sole authority with respect to street access and sidewalk crossings to off-street parking. The General Manager of Community Services recommended approval.
Dave Rudberg, General Manager - Engineering Services, reviewed current issues, explained the rationale for staff's recommendations and responded to questions concerning the appeal process and Council policy.
Loy Leyland spoke in opposition to staff's recommendations and expressed concerns with regard to the proposed amendment to the Parking By-law as it would eliminate the appeal process.
MOVED by Councillor Louie
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
THAT the Parking By-law be amended to give the City Engineer sole authority with respect to street access and sidewalk crossings, generally in accordance with Appendix A of the Policy Report dated November 10, 2004, entitled "Text Amendment to the Parking By-law - Street Access"; and
FURTHER THAT the Director of Legal Services be instructed to bring forward the necessary by-law for enactment.
CARRIED
(Councillor Louis opposed)
The Committee adjourned at 9:48 a.m.
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CITY OF VANCOUVER REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
DECEMBER 2, 2004 |
A Regular Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Thursday, December 2, 2004, at 9:48 a.m., in Council Chamber, Third Floor, City Hall, following the Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets meeting, to consider the recommendations and actions of the Committee.
PRESENT: |
Mayor Larry Campbell
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ABSENT: |
Councillor Fred Bass (Civic Business)
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CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE: |
Judy Rogers, City Manager |
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE: |
Tina Hildebrandt, Meeting Coordinator |
"IN CAMERA" MEETING
MOVED by Councillor Cadman
SECONDED by Councillor Louie
THAT Council will go into a meeting later this day which is closed to the public, pursuant to Section 165.2(1) of the Vancouver Charter, to discuss matters related to paragraph(s):
(a) personal information about an identifiable individual who holds or is being considered for a position as an officer, employee or agent of the city or another position appointed by the city;
(e) the acquisition, disposition or expropriation of land or improvements, if the Council considers that disclosure could reasonably be expected to harm the interests of the city.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Councillor Roberts
SECONDED by Councillor Cadman
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
December 2, 2004
Council considered the report containing the recommendations and actions taken by the Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets. Its items of business included:
1. Review of Water Rates for 2005
2. Establishment of 2005 Sewer Rates
3. 2005 Solid Waste Utility Fees
4. Engineering Services Department Permit Fees for 2005
5. Specific Application Fee Increases to Achieve Recovery of Costs Incurred
6. Upgrade of Vancouver Police Mobile Workstations
7. Text Amendment to the Parking By-law - Street Access
MOVED by Councillor Louis
THAT the recommendations and actions taken by the Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets at its meeting of December 2, 2004, as contained in Items 1 - 7, be approved.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Councillor Louie
THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Councillor Louis
SECONDED by Councillor Roberts
THAT the report of the Committee of the Whole be adopted.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
The Council adjourned at 9:49 a.m.
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