These Minutes will be adopted at the Regular Council meeting on March 29,
2005.
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REPORT TO COUNCIL STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL
MARCH 3, 2005 |
A Regular Meeting of the Standing Committee of Council on City Services and Budgets was held on Thursday, March 3, 2005, at 9:30 a.m., in the Council Chamber, Third Floor, City Hall.
PRESENT: |
Councillor Tim Louis, Chair |
ABSENT: |
Councillor Fred Bass (Leave of Absence - Civic Business) |
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE: |
Judy Rogers, City Manager |
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE: |
Tina Hildebrandt, Meeting Coordinator |
* Denotes absence for a portion of the meeting.
ADOPTION OF MINUTES
The Minutes of the Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets meeting of February 3, 2005, were adopted.
RECOMMENDATION
2005 Operating Budget: Vancouver Police Department Initiatives (File 1605)
At its meeting on January 18, 2005, Vancouver City Council received a Report Reference on the preliminary estimates for the 2005 Operating Budget and approved the following:
A. THAT Council receive for information the preliminary estimates for the 2005 operating budget as outlined in the Administrative Report 2005 Operating Budget: Preliminary Estimates dated December 14, 2004 and summarized in Appendix 1 of the Administrative Report.
B. THAT the Director of Finance, in consultation with the Corporate Management Team, report the interim estimates to Council by March 2005 along with options to achieve a property tax increase below 3.3% and no lower than inflationary levels.
C. THAT Council receive a list of Departmental initiatives for information as outlined in Appendix 2 of the Administrative Report and defer any decisions on these initiatives until the Interim Budget Report.
In accordance with C above, the following major initiatives from the Vancouver Police Department were presented to Council.
Annette Klein, Director of Budget Services, presented an overview of the Vancouver Police Departmental Budget requests (summary on file).
1. Vancouver Police Department Staffing Review (File 1376)
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated February 24, 2005, in which the City Manager and Chief Constable provided a report back to Council on the independent staffing review of the Vancouver Police Department that was conducted by consultants from the University College of the Fraser Valley, recommended increased staffing requirements for 2005 and 2006, including an examination of future efficiency opportunities to offset 2006 financial impacts, outlined processes and practices that the Vancouver Police Department will be undertaking both on a project and on-going basis and described the commitment to the on-going efforts by City Staff and the Vancouver Police Department to identify efficiencies and opportunities that benefit both the Police Department and the City.
Deputy Chief Constable Jim Chu, Support Services Division, Vancouver Police Department, introduced Dr. Curt Griffiths, Paul Tinsley, Vivienne Chin and Joseph Chan, Consultants, University College of the Fraser Valley (UCFV), as well as Chief Constable Jamie Graham, Deputy Chief Constables Doug LaPard and Bob Rich, and Inspector Daryl Wiebe, Vancouver Police Department. Mr. Chu briefly reviewed the major initiatives put forward by the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) as part of the 2005 Operating Budget.
Dr. Griffiths and Mr. Tinsley provided an overview of the independent review conducted for the VPD staffing requirements and summarized its recommendations (on file in the City Clerk's Office).
Brent MacGregor, Deputy City Manager, outlined the perspectives of the joint Steering Committee, noting the Steering Committee supports the recommendations from the independent review.
Dr. Griffiths, together with Mr. MacGregor and VPD staff responded to questions concerning the independent review, including costs related to the review, implications related to the current staffing levels, budget issues, insufficient linkages between the VPD's Strategic Plan and the requested resources, whether the recommendations of the review will include improvements in areas such as sexual surveillance, property crime, homicides and traffic fatalities, and whether the work of the Community Policing Centres was included in the review.
MOVED by Councillor Louie
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
THAT Council receive for information the Administrative Report dated February 24, 2005, entitled "Vancouver Police Department Staffing Review" and refer decision on this matter to the 2005 Interim Operating Budget.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
(Councillors Green, Stevenson and the Mayor absent for the vote.)
2. Staffing Review of the Information Management Section of the Vancouver Police Department (File 1376)
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated February 14, 2005, in which the Chief Constable and the City Manager provided a report back to Council on the results of an independent study of staffing levels in the Information Management Section of the Police Department. The City Manager also submitted Recommendation B for Council's consideration which would request the Chief Constable and City Manager review the report after one year and inform Council on whether the service improvement projections are being met.
Iris Romanuik, Manager, Information Management Section, Vancouver Police Department, provided an overview of the report and explained the rationale for the recommendations.
MOVED by Councillor Louie
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
THAT Council receive for information the Administrative Report dated February 14, 2005, entitled "Staffing Review of the Information Management Section of the Vancouver Police Department" and refer decision on this matter to the 2005 Interim Operating Budget.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
(Councillors Roberts and Sullivan absent for the vote.)
3. Independent Review of the Information Technology Section of the Vancouver Police Department (File 1605)
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated February 14, 2005, in which the Chief Constable and the City Manager provided a report back to Council on the results of an independent review of the functional operations of the Information Technology Section of the Vancouver Police Department. The study determined appropriate staffing levels for the section based on expected service levels and identified areas of possible collaboration with the City of Vancouver. The study was conducted using external resources. MTG Management Consultants, L.L.C., was selected via a competitive procurement to provide independent, expert analysis and recommendations.
Mary Maleson, Information Technology Manager, Vancouver Police Department, provided an overview of the report and explained the rationale for the recommendations.
MOVED by Mayor Campbell
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
THAT Council receive for information the Administrative Report dated February 14, 2005, entitled "Independent Review of the Information Technology Section of the Vancouver Police Department" and refer decision on this matter to the 2005 Interim Operating Budget.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
(Councillors Roberts and Sullivan absent for the vote.)
4. Community Policing Initiatives and Funding (File 3703)
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated January 11, 2005, in which the Chief Constable recommended approval of funds to enhance crime prevention and provide sustainable community policing programs, centres and initiatives in the amount of $1,037,267 ($150,000 existing funding and $887,267 of new funding). The City Manager noted that the report proposes increased funding to the Vancouver Police Department in order to maintain existing Community Policing Centres and to develop new Community Policing Centres. This report reflects a budget request of approximately $1 Million dollars per year.
The City Manager advised the Chief Constable that each Centre must complete a business plan that rationalizes the standardization of the proposed funding at $100,000 per Centre. The individual plans should consider the local area needs and set a plan in place, along with measurement criteria that can be reviewed annually by the Vancouver Police Board. In addition, the police department must ensure that all legal relationships are ratified through formal agreements.
The relationship established by contract will be between the Community Police Centre and the Vancouver Police Board. However, through Recommendation F, the Vancouver Police Board will be required to submit an annual business plan and an evaluation report, based on criteria, for the preceding year, for each Policing Community Centre as part of the Vancouver Police Department's annual budget submission to the City.
Deputy Chief Constable Bob Rich provided an overview of the report and responded to questions related to the program, including the need for additional Community Policing Centres, funding issues and whether the Aboriginal Community Policing Centre will have the same structure as the others.
MOVED by Councillor Woodsworth
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
THAT Council receive for information the Administrative Report dated January 11, 2005, entitled "Community Policing Initiatives and Funding" and refer decision on this matter to the 2005 Interim Operating Budget.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
(Councillors Louie and Sullivan absent for the vote.)
The Committee adjourned at 12:21 p.m.
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CITY OF VANCOUVER REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
MARCH 3, 2005 |
A Regular Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Thursday, March 3, 2005, at 12:21 p.m., in the 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 Raymond Louie
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CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE: |
Judy Rogers, City Manager
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CITY CLERK'S OFFICE: |
Tina Hildebrandt, Meeting Coordinator |
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Councillor Cadman
SECONDED by Councillor Roberts
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
March 3, 2005
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. Vancouver Police Department Staffing Review
2. Staffing Review of the Information Management Section of the Vancouver Police Department
3. Independent Review of the Information Technology Section of the Vancouver Police Department
4. Community Policing Initiatives and Funding
Items 1 - 4
MOVED by Councillor Cadman
THAT the recommendations and actions taken by the Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets at its meeting of Thursday, March 3, 2005, as contained in Items 1 - 4, be approved.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Councillor Cadman
THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Councillor Cadman
SECONDED by Councillor Louis
THAT the report of the Committee of the Whole be adopted.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
NEW BUSINESS
1. Leave of Absence - Councillor Stevenson (File 1254)
MOVED by Councillor Green
SECONDED by Councillor Louis
THAT Councillor Stevenson be granted Leave of Absence - Civic Business from the Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets meeting on March 17, 2005.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
The Council adjourned at 12:23 p.m.
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