ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

                                                         Date:  May 6, 1996

     TO:       Vancouver City Council

     FROM:     Director of Finance

     SUBJECT:  1996 Basic Capital Budget



     RECOMMENDATION

          A.   THAT    Council    approve    allocation   of    the    1996
               Capital-from-Revenue funding  to the 1996 Capital  Budget as
               follows:

                    Supplementary Capital         $ 1,590,000
                    Engineering                     6,173,000
                    Park Board                      1,659,000
                    Social & Cultural Facilities      928,000
                    Other                           3,850,000
                              Total               $14,200,000


          B.   THAT  Council approve  the Park  Board Basic  Capital Budget
               totalling $6,583,000,  as detailed in the  Park Board report
               (Appendix 2)*, with $4,924,000 of that  funding to come from
               borrowing  authority  approved  as  part  of  the  1994-1996
               Capital Plan.

          C.   THAT Council approve the 1996 Fire Protection Basic  Capital
               Budget totalling  $430,000 as summarized in  this report and
               detailed  in Appendix  3*; source of  funds to  be borrowing
               authority as approved as part of the 1994-1996 Capital Plan.

          D.   THAT Council  approve the Capital Budget  allocations to the
               Social  and Cultural and Other components  of the 1996 Basic
               Capital  Budget as summarized in this report and detailed in
               Appendix 3, including  the allocation of  $450,000 from  the
               Capital Reserve to fund the Dance Centre proposal.


     GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENT

          The General Manager of Corporate Services RECOMMENDS approval  of
          A, B, C and D.


     COUNCIL POLICY

     The  1994-1996  Capital Plan  includes  provision  for $40,550,000  in
     capital expenditures to be  funded from the Operating Budget  (Capital
     from Revenue).  The 1996 component of this funding is $14,200,000.


     PURPOSE

     The purpose of this report is to summarize the 1996 Capital Budget and
     to  seek Council approval for  the allocation of  Capital from Revenue
     and for the debenture  authority necessary to complete the  funding of
     the 1996 capital program.


     BACKGROUND

     The 1994-1996  Capital Plan  forms the  framework within which  annual
     capital  budgets are  prepared.   The  two  components of  the  annual
     Capital  Budget are  Basic  Capital,  which includes  project-specific
     items  that were  included  in  the  Capital Plan,  and  Supplementary
     Capital, which includes  items that  had not been  anticipated in  the
     Capital Plan but which have become a priority during the course of the
     Plan.    Funding  for  these  capital  budgets  comes  from  debenture
     borrowing approved  by plebiscite and/or  by Council and  from Capital
     from Revenue approved as part of the annual Operating Budget.

     On  February 27,  1996, Council  approved the  1996 Engineering  Basic
     Capital  Budget  along  with  the  debenture  portion of  the  funding
     program.  Funding  to be  provided to the  Engineering Capital  Budget
     from  the Operating Budget (Capital  from Revenue) is  included in the
     recommendations of this report.

     On April 25,  1996, Council approved the  final estimates of the  1996
     Operating  Budget, including a provision of $14,200,000 to support the
     City s capital program.


     FUNDING FOR THE 1996 BASIC CAPITAL BUDGET

     The following  table summarizes  the total  funding for  the 1994-1996
     Capital  Plan (including  unallocated  borrowing authority  from prior
     Capital Plans)  and the  portion to be  allocated to the  1996 Capital
     Budget.


                            Capital
                             Plan      Prior     1996  Unallocated
                            Funding Allocations Budget   Balance
                            ($000)    ($000)    ($000)   $(000)

     Capital from Revenue: $40,550   $26,350   $14,200        0

     Debenture Authority(1):
     Plebiscite (2)          87,905    63,008    23,813    1,084
     Sewer                  49,250    35,955    13,295        0
     Water                  53,720    37,123    16,598        0
     Total Debentures     $190,875   136,085    53,706    1,084

     Total Funding        $231,425  $162,435   $67,906   $1,084



     (1)     includes   borrowing   authority  approved   in   advance   for
             Engineering projects, as follows:
             - Plebiscite Authority              $19,543,000
             - Sewer & Water Authority           $29,893,000

     (2)     plebiscite authority excludes:
             - $2,795,700 in infrastructure borrowing authority outstanding
               from the 1987-1990 capital plan, of which $2,500,000 million
               provides  back-up funding  for the Emergency  Operations and
               Communications Centre.



     Capital from Revenue funding  of $14,200,000 was provided in  the 1996
     Operating Budget and  Recommendation A of  this report allocates  this
     funding to individual capital budgets.

     The $53,706,000 balance  of the  funding for the  1996 Capital  Budget
     comes  from debenture authority,  including $23,813,000  in plebiscite
     authority  and  $29,893,000 in  sewer  and  water borrowing  authority
     approved  by Council.   This  is reported  inclusive of  the borrowing
     authority previously approved for the Engineering Capital Budget.  The
     1996   allocation  will  leave  $1,084,000  in  unallocated  borrowing
     authority from the 1994-1996 and prior Capital Plans.

     Appendix  1 of this report  summarizes the funding  allocations to the
     individual components of the 1996 Capital Plan.


     FUNDING FOR THE 1996 SUPPLEMENTARY CAPITAL BUDGET

     The  1994-1996 Capital  Plan includes  funding of  $4,680,000 for  the
     Supplementary Capital Budget. The 1996 allocation  provided for in the
     Plan,  and recommended  in this  report, is  $1,590,000.   Council has
     previously  approved  $762,000 of  this  funding  to individual  items
     leaving $828,000 to  be allocated from among the funding  requests.  A
     report recommending allocation of this funding accompanies this report
     to Council.


     COMMENTS ON THE BASIC REQUESTS

     The Engineering  Capital Budget  was  detailed in  the  Administrative
     Report approved  by Council on February 17, 1996.  Details of the Park
     Board Capital  Budget are attached  as Appendix 2  and details of  the
     balance of the Capital Budget are attached as Appendix 3.

     1.   Engineering

     As noted, the Engineering Basic Capital Budget, totalling  $54,525,000
     was approved by Council on  February 27, 1996, subject to  approval of
     Capital  from Revenue.  Approval of the recommendations in this report
     will allocate Capital  from Revenue  to complete the  funding of  this
     budget.

     With  approval  of  the  recommendations  in  this   report,  all  but
     $1,084,000 of 1994-1996 Capital Plan funding will have been  allocated
     to project  budgets.  The  outstanding borrowing authority  in Streets
     (Granville  Bridge Safety  Improvements, $226,000)  and Communications
     (Police  Dispatch  Console  Replacement,  $857,000)  will  be  carried
     forward into the 1997-1999 Capital Plan.


     2.   Park Board

     The 1996  Capital Budget  from  the Park  Board is  summarized in  the
     following table:

                                     1994-96  Prior       1996
                                  Capital Plan                                            Approvals    Budget

     Land Acquisition           $ 3,882     $ 3,793      $    0
     Park Development            11,799       7,739       3,831
     Facility Development         9,799       7,071       2,642
     Debenture Costs                  0         290         110

     Total                      $25,480     $18,897      $6,583


     Details of  the Park Board requests  are set out in  Appendix 2. These
     requests  include  $1,198,500 in  funding  related  to projects  which
     required early approval and  which was approved in advance  by Council
     on March 12, 1996.

     The  Park Board  Capital Budget  proposes several projects  which will
     expand the services provided by the  Park Board and which will require
     additional  operating costs to be added to the global operating budget
     in future years.   As identified in the submission  of the Park Board,
     these additional operating costs will be approximately $103,500.  Some
     of the increases that have been identified are:


     New Brighton Park                                   $20,000
          operating costs associated incorporating
          additional land and a reconfigured site
          at New Brighton Park.

     Playfield and Playground Upgrading                  $14,300
                       the operating costs associated with field
          improvements, new irrigation systems and
          playgrounds at City parks.

     Street Tree Program                                 $31,500
          the cost of maintaining the additional
          street trees to be planted in 1996.

     Information Systems                                 $31,700
                          the ongoing costs of maintaining lease
          telephone     lines     to    provide     data    communica-
          tions among Park Board facilities and
          between the Park Board and City.

     Fieldhouse Upgrades                                  $6,000
          the costs of maintaining improved field-
          house facilities in City parks.



     In  addition to these  specific items,  increased operating  costs are
     anticipated  for  projects  for  which  no  estimates  are   currently
     available.


     3.   Fire Protection

     The following table  summarizes the Fire  Protection component of  the
     Capital  Plan, the  allocations  made in  the  1994 and  1995  capital
     budgets and the current status of the funding: 
       
       
                                     Capital Plan    1994/1995
                                      Allocation      Funding 

       Firehall reconstruction
         seismic upgrading           $3,380,000      $1,020,000 
       Emergency radio channel        1,040,000         770,000 
       Fire training site             1,230,000       1,070,000 

       Total                         $5,650,000      $2,860,000 

       Unallocated Balance                            2,790,000 
       Reallocated to EOCC                           (2,360,000)

       Balance to 1996 Capital Budget                $  430,000 
       
       
       
     On July 25,  1995, Council  approved the recommendations  of the  City
     Manager  that  a  varying  bylaw  be  approved  with  the  purpose  of
     reallocating $2,360,000 of  remaining Fire Protection Capital  funding
     to development  of the new  Emergency Operations  and Control  Centre.
     This  funding, provided  from debenture  authority, has  exhausted the
     firehall upgrading and  replacement allocation in the Capital Plan and
     deferred consideration of the associated projects until the  1997-1999
     Capital Plan.

     On  March 14, 1996, Council approved the recommendation of the General
     Manager  of  Fire and  Rescue Services  that the  City apply  for $1.0
     million  in BC21 project funding  to complete the  Fire Training Site.
     At  that time Council allocated  the remaining funding  of $160,000 in
     advance  of the 1996 Capital  and allocated an  additional $770,000 to
     this project from  the next  Capital Plan (with  interim funding  from
     Revenue Surplus). Approval of the borrowing authority associated  with
     the  $160,000 allocation is  now required and  is included  as part of
     Recommendation C.

     The balance  of the  fire protection capital  to be allocated  in 1996
     ($270,000)  relates  to  the  new  emergency  communications  channel.
     Funding  for  this  allocation  is  to  be  provided   from  borrowing
     authority.


     4.   Social and Cultural Facilities

     The 1994-1996 Capital Plan includes funding of $4,374,000 for projects
     related to social  and cultural facilities  owned by the  City and  by
     others.  These include upgrading or  relocation initiatives for social
     service, daycare  and cultural facilities  and funding for  the public
     art program.

     In  1994 and  1995,  $3,446,000  of  this  funding  was  allocated  to
     individual  capital  programs  leaving  $928,000  in  funding  to   be
     allocated in the 1996 Capital Budget as follows:

       -  capital  requirements  related   to  City-owned   facilities
          including daycare integration ($387,000);

       -  the capital  grant program which supports  the capital needs
          of  social and  cultural facilities  not owned  by  the City
          ($222,000); and

       -  continuation of the Public Art program ($319,000).


     On  March 28, 1996, Council  approved the allocation  of $900,000 from
     the  Social and Cultural Facilities category  of the 1994-1996 Capital
     Plan  to fund a  prepaid lease of  PEF property for  the Dance Centre.
     This proposal was based  on an assessment of specific  project funding
     needs in  1996.    A  subsequent  review  completed  as  part  of  the
     development of this report indicates  that additional funding will  be
     needed,  leaving the  Dance Centre proposal  in a  shortfall position.
     The  Director  of  Finance  is  therefore  recommending  that  Council
     allocate  $450,000 from the Capital Reserve as back-up funding for the
     Dance  Centre  proposal.   This  recommendation  is  reflected in  the
     funding allocation in recommendation D.
     Approval of this additional  funding gives consideration only to those
     projects that are likely to come  forward in 1996.   Should additional
     requirements  be identified  prior  to year-end,  alternative  funding
     arrangements will have to be determined.

     Allocation of  these Social  and Cultural funds  to specific  projects
     will require future Council approvals.


     5.   Other

     The  "Other" category  of the  Capital Plan  included allocations  for
     maintenance   and   renovation  of   the   City   Hall  precinct   and
     Museum/Planetarium  complex and  for  affordable housing  initiatives.
     Funding for these projects was  provided in the 1994 and 1995  Capital
     Budgets.

     The  1996 allocation of $3,850,000 provides the balance of the funding
     designated for the  restoration of  Hastings Park and  will bring  the
     total  funding  allocated  to that  project  in  the  Capital Plan  to
     $4,850,000.  These funds  are available to continue the  Park planning
     process and to begin the restoration work in 1997 and  will be subject
     to specific Council approvals at a future date.


     CONCLUSION

     The 1996 Capital Budget represents the last annual budget arising from
     the  1994-1996 Capital Plan and provides for the allocation of funding
     included in that Plan to individual projects and programs.



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