CITY OF VANCOUVER
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
A Regular Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was
held on Thursday, June 22, 1995, at 12:30 p.m., in Committee
Room No. 1, Third Floor, City Hall, following the Standing
Committee on City Services and Budgets meeting, to consider
the recommendations of the Committee.
PRESENT: Mayor Owen
Councillors Chiavario, Clarke,
Hemer, Ip, Kwan,
Puil and Sullivan
ABSENT: Councillor Bellamy (Sick Leave)
Councillor Kennedy (Sick Leave)
Councillor Price (Civic Business)
MANAGER'S REPRESENTATIVE: Ted Droettboom, General Manager,
Community Services
Ken Stoke, General Manager,
Corporate Services
CLERK TO THE COUNCIL: Tarja Tuominen
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Cllr. Puil,
SECONDED by Cllr. Clarke,
THAT this Council resolve itself into Committee of the
Whole, Mayor Owen in the chair.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Report of the Standing Committee
on City Services and Budgets
June 22, 1995
Council considered the recommendations of the Committee,
as contained in the following clauses of the attached report:
Cl. 1: 1995 Capital Grant Allocations
Cl. 2: Mountain View Cemetery
.../2
COMMITTEE REPORTS (CONTINUED)
Report of the Standing Committee
on City Services and Budgets
June 22, 1995 [Continued]
1995 Capital Grant Allocations
Clause 1
MOVED by Cllr. Puil,
THAT the recommendations of the Committee, as contained
in Clause 1 of this report, be approved.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY AND
BY THE REQUIRED MAJORITY
Mountain View Cemetery
Clause 2
MOVED by Cllr. Kwan,
THAT Council defer consideration of the issuing of a
Request for Proposal on the leasing and operating of Mountain
View Cemetery until staff report back on an examination of
how the City can improve and operate Mountain View Cemetery
at a cost recovery level.
- LOST
(Councillors Chiavario, Clarke, Hemer,
Ip, Puil, Sullivan and the Mayor opposed)
MOVED by Cllr. Clarke,
THAT the recommendations of the Committee, as contained
in Clause 2 of this report, and quoted below, be approved.
A. THAT Council direct staff to prepare and issue a
Request for Proposal on the subject of leasing and
operating the Mountain View Cemetery on a contract
basis under the general terms and conditions
outlined in the Administrative Report dated May 8,
1995;
FURTHER THAT the proposal call be open to profit,
non-profit and current City staff groups, and
include provisions to keep the cemetery open to
visitors, protect the heritage of the cemetery,
protect the status of the Jewish Cemetery, address
concerns about the veterans' graves, and create a
community advisory group.
.../3
COMMITTEE REPORTS (CONTINUED)
Report of the Standing Committee
on City Services and Budgets
June 22, 1995 [Continued]
Mountain View Cemetery (Continued)
B. THAT Council review and evaluate the proposals,
with public participation, and approve any contract
or lease award that might arise from this process.
- CARRIED
(Councillors Chiavario, Kwan and Puil opposed)
RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Cllr. Puil,
THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
ADOPT REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Cllr. Puil,
SECONDED by Cllr. Clarke,
THAT the report of the Committee of the Whole be
adopted.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
ENQUIRIES AND OTHER MATTERS
Non-Conforming Uses -
Vanier Park
MOVED by Cllr. Puil,
SECONDED by Cllr. Clarke,
THAT there be no enforcement of non-conforming uses in
Vanier Park, i.e., Theatre Sports, Children's Festival, Bard
on the Beach, at this time.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
The Council adjourned at approximately 12:35 p.m.
* * * * *
REPORT TO COUNCIL
STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL
ON CITY SERVICES AND BUDGETS
JUNE 22, 1995
A Regular Meeting of the Standing Committee of Council on
City Services and Budgets was held on Thursday, June 22,
1995, at 9:30 a.m., in Committee Room No. 1, Third Floor,
City Hall.
PRESENT: Councillor Puil, Chair
Mayor Owen
Councillor Chiavario
Councillor Clarke (Clause 2)
Councillor Hemer
Councillor Ip
Councillor Kwan
Councillor Sullivan (Clause 2)
ABSENT: Councillor Bellamy (Sick Leave)
Councillor Kennedy (Sick Leave)
Councillor Price (Civic Business)
MANAGER'S REPRESENTATIVE: Ted Droettboom, General Manager,
Community Services
Ken Stoke, General Manager,
Corporate Services
CLERK: Tarja Tuominen
Recorded Vote
Unless otherwise indicated, votes of the Committee on
all items are unanimous.
Adoption of Minutes
The Minutes of the Standing Committee on City Services &
Budgets meeting of June 1, 1995, were adopted.
RECOMMENDATION
1. 1995 Capital Grant Allocations File: 2005
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report
dated May 18, 1995 (on file), in which the Director of Social
Plan-ning recommended approval of 12 Capital Grants,
totalling $130,250. The Director also recommended the
Capital Grant recipients be required to include a reference
to the City in any forms of acknowledgement of financial
contributions to the capital projects funded, in whole or
part, by the Capital Grant.
Mr. Rick Gates, Social Planner, and Ms. Sue Harvey,
Cultural Planner, were present to answer questions.
The following motions by the Mayor were put and CARRIED.
The Committee, therefore,
RECOMMENDED
A. THAT Council approve 12 Capital Grants,
totalling $130,250, as listed in Appendix A of
the Administrative Report dated May 18, 1995,
including conditions on the grants, where
noted.
B. THAT all Capital Grant recipients be required
to include reference to the City in any forms
of acknowledgement of financial contributions
to the capital projects which have been
funded, in whole or part, by the Capital
Grant.
2. Mountain View Cemetery File: 5126
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report
dated May 8, 1995 (on file), in which the Medical Health
Officer and the Manager of Real Estate Services recommended
staff be directed to prepare and issue a Request for Proposal
for the leasing and operating of Mountain View Cemetery, for
Council's review and approval of a contract or lease award.
Clause No. 2 Continued
Prior to hearing from the speakers, the Chair clarified
a number of concerns which had been raised following the
circula-tion of the Administrative Report: there is no
intent to reclaim occupied cemetery sites; only unused,
unoccupied sites will be looked at for resale; a private
operator will be required to provide additional security; the
City will continue to own the land and control the perpetual
care fund.
Mr. Ken Stoke, General Manager of Corporate Services,
reiterated the public will continue to have access to the
site. A private operator be required to upgrade the grounds.
Any changes or disruptions to the cemetery will be subject to
City by-laws. The proposal for a lease operation of the
cemetery has financial merit and staff felt obligated to put
it before Council. Currently, the cemetery runs a deficit:
$620,000 in 1994; $680,000 in 1995. Proposals will be
reported back to Council, who will make the ultimate decision
and add any further conditions to the contract. In response
to a question, Mr. Stoke noted in some jurisdictions the Park
Board operates cemeteries. Regarding the perpetual care
fund, the fund's interest is used to pay for the maintenance
of the cemetery. However, not enough interest earnings are
generated to keep up the maintenance.
Also before the Committee was a memorandum dated June
20, 1995 (on file), from the Heritage Planner recommending
the following points be added to the list of conditions and
requirements in the request for proposals:
a) the heritage value of the site, its landscape
features, monuments and historical value be
respected and any additions, new facilities or
alterations to the site be reviewed by Planning
staff and the Vancouver Heritage Commission; and,
b) as the proposed "Ridgeway" Greenway runs through
the cemetery along the 37th Avenue right of way,
the privatization of the cemetery not preclude the
objectives of the Vancouver Greenways Plan.
The following appeared as delegations, putting forward a
variety of views, including some opposition to the leasing
and operating of Mountain View Cemetery by a private
operator:
Ken Davidson, President, C.U.P.E. 1004
Lorraine Irving, representing the
B.C. Genealogical Society
George Anderson
Clause No. 2 Continued
Margaret Hannay, Chairperson, Cemetery Committee
B.C. Genealogical Society (brief filed)
Patricia Lust
Benjamin Mularczyk
Tom Crean (brief filed)
Carol Young
Jean Campbell
George Bancroft
Elizabeth O'Kiely
Jim Turner
David Atherton
Joe Cleavely
Mary Choo
Alexander Young
Marilyn Pollard, representing
Healthy Communities, Riley Park
Lisa Schwabe (letter read by Marilyn Pollard [on file])
Esther Lamble
Patrick Britten
Following are some of the points made by the foregoing
speakers:
- the City has operated the cemetery for over 100 years;
- the cemetery has a great deal of history and stirs
sentimental emotions;
- discussions on the cemetery go above and beyond talk of
cost effectiveness. More work needs to be done to
address the deficit concerns before calling for tenders;
- private operation of the cemetery may mean the gradual
erosion of the site, particularly if more buildings are
allowed on-site;
- the cemetery should stay in the City's hands;
- staff should look at the proposal to make the cemetery
break even;
- private operation of the site may mean the introduction
of commissioned sales. The incentive of corporate
profit and personal gain is inappropriate and has no
place in the management of a publicly owned facility;
Clause No. 2 Continued
- a non-profit community-based management opportunity be
considered for the management of the cemetery;
- Council should be very careful and look into the
backgrounds of applicants submitting proposals to
operate the cemetery;
- cemetery operation should be taken over by current
employees or a non-profit group;
- all affected families should be notified of the lease
proposal;
- the cemetery should remain part of the City's heritage;
- the cemetery could be run as a viable enterprise with
the Park Board managing the maintenance of the cemetery.
The operation should be done in consensus, with
volunteer input;
- the cemetery is a unique park experience. Area
residents can get away from noise, traffic, and go to an
open, quiet space;
- relieved to hear a private operator will be required to
provide public access;
- the cemetery is a spiritual place;
- need to keep 37th Avenue open - it is a much needed
street, and part of the Greenways pilot project;
- the proposal should be tabled for further research and
input solicited from all interested groups and
individuals;
- the cemetery should be declared a heritage site;
- residents should receive adequate notice of any future
meetings to discuss Mountain View cemetery;
- request meeting with all relevant City employees at the
cemetery to discuss how to protect the site;
- the cemetery is a neighbourhood park, where the children
can go and learn family ancestry and the City's history;
- the cemetery is a valuable civic heritage.
Clause No. 2 Continued
Mr. Andrew Sandilands, representing the Schara Tzedeck
Cemetery Board (brief filed), explained deceased Jews must be
buried in consecrated ground, and therefore, the Jewish
Cemetery at Mountain View would have been consecrated before
the first burial. The Jewish Cemetery would no longer be
consecrated ground if burial of non-Jews occurred within its
bounds. Therefore, the Board expressed concern with the
proposed resale of unused plots. Closure of 37th Avenue
would affect existing access to the Jewish Cemetery. The
Schara Tzedeck Cemetery Board supports the concept of
establishing an advisory committee to deal with the public or
private management of the Cemetery.
Mr. Wayne Smith, Superintendent, and Mr. Arnold McEwen,
Foreman, of Mountain View Cemetery presented a proposal (on
file) to keep the cemetery under City of Vancouver operation.
The proposal identified a number of ways to control the
cemetery's deficit by increasing fees and introducing new
operations or services.
Mr. Fred Harvey, Veterans Affairs Canada (letter on
file), expressed concern about reclamation of veterans'
graves. Veterans Affairs would not agree to any changes to
veterans' graves, and is opposed to any changes to Mountain
View Cemetery.
Mr. Don Winch, The Royal Canadian Legion, Pacific
Command (letter on file), was opposed to any reclamation of
veterans graves. Unoccupied grave sites in the Veterans
Section should be made available for veterans and sold under
a lottery system.
Responding to a query, Mr. Ted Droettboom, General
Manager of Community Services, stated the Province has no
interest in taking over operation of the cemetery with the
regionalization of the City's health system.
The Committee thanked the speakers for coming to express
their opinions. Some of the Committee members supported the
City continuing to operate the cemetery. Members requested
the report back on proposals to address issues of maintenance
and operation of the cemetery, the Greenway initiatives, and
protection of the cemetery as a historic site and park.
Clause No. 2 Continued
The following motion by Councillor Kwan was put and
LOST.
THAT Council defer consideration of the issuing of
a Request for Proposal on the leasing and operating
of Mountain View Cemetery until staff report back
on an examination of how the City can improve and
operate Mountain View Cemetery at a cost recovery
level.
(Councillors Chiavario, Clarke, Hemer,
Ip, Puil, Sullivan and the Mayor opposed)
The following motion by Councillor Clarke was put and
CARRIED. The Committee, therefore,
RECOMMENDED
A. THAT Council direct staff to prepare and issue
a Request for Proposal on the subject of leas-
ing and operating the Mountain View Cemetery
on a contract basis under the general terms
and conditions outlined in the Administrative
Report dated May 8, 1995;
FURTHER THAT the proposal call be open to
profit, non-profit and current City staff
groups, and include provisions to keep the
cemetery open to visitors, protect the
heritage of the cemetery, protect the status
of the Jewish Cemetery, address concerns about
the veterans' graves, and create a community
advisory group.
B. THAT Council review and evaluate the
proposals, with public participation, and
approve any contract or lease award that might
arise from this process.
(Councillors Chiavario, Kwan and Puil opposed)
The meeting adjourned at approximately 12:30 p.m.
* * * * *