CITY OF VANCOUVER

                        SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

                               JANUARY 30, 1997


        A Special meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held
   on Thursday, January 30, 1997, commencing at approximately 7:30 p.m in
   the Auditorium, John Oliver Secondary School, 530 East 41st Avenue,
   Vancouver, B.C, for the purpose of hearing delegations on the 1997
   Operating Budget: City Choices.

        PRESENT:            Mayor Philip Owen
                            Councillor Don Bellamy
                            Councillor Nancy A. Chiavario
                            Councillor Jennifer Clarke
                            Councillor Alan Herbert
                            Councillor Lynne Kennedy
                            Councillor Daniel Lee
                            Councillor Don Lee
                            Councillor Gordon Price
                            Councillor Sam Sullivan

        ABSENT:             Councillor George Puil

        CITY MANAGER S
        OFFICE:             Judy Rogers, Deputy City Manager

        CLERK TO THE 
        COUNCIL:            Tarja Tuominen



   COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

   MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,
   SECONDED by Cllr. Herbert,
        THAT this Council resolve itself into Committee of the Whole, Mayor
   Owen in the Chair, for the purpose of hearing delegations on the 1997
   Operating Budget: City Choices.

                                                      - CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY




   1.   1997 Operating Budget: City Choices 

        City Council, on December 10, 1996, approved a public information
   and consultation process to be used in developing the 1997 Operating
   Budget.   The public process included an information flyer, a public
   opinion survey conducted by the Angus Reid Group, and the Mayor's Forum
   series of community group meetings.    The Special Council meeting was
   part of the City Choices public consultation program and was arranged to
   hear from the public  on how to deal with the budget shortfall.

        The Mayor called for speakers and a total of 37 speakers addressed
   Council.

        Michael McCoy, Gastown Historic Planning Commission (brief filed),
   felt an 8 1/2% tax increase would not impact too severely on most area
   residents, however would on many area businesses.  The Commission does
   not support cutting areas such as the Heritage Branch in the Planning
   Department; the Public Safety budget; and far-sighted programs which
   will result in long-term savings from budget cuts, for example,
   mandatory sprinklering, continued strengthening of code and regulations,
   and "seed money" for worthwhile programs. There must be areas in which
   improved regulations and stricter enforcement will result in more
   economical ways of doing things. 

        Warren Gill, Fire Department Advisory Committee, urged Council not
   to cut fire suppression services.  This is an opportunity to address the
   coordination of emergency medical services with the provincial
   government.  

        Bryan Williamson, Vancouver City Planning Commission (brief filed),
   noted the Commission's brief  identified several short term
   recommendations and the following two long term ones: explore structural
   shifts in taxing and spending in high-cost areas of education, health
   and transportation to uncover efficiencies; and work with senior
   governments to determine which services are appropriately funded by
   property taxes and which by income taxes.

        Jim Siemens, Family Court/Youth Committee, urged Council to
   continue to fund social services agencies.  A decrease in funding of
   those services may mean  a  rise in costs of other services, such as
   policing.

        Casey Bramhoff, CUPE 1004, suggested a number of options to reduce
   the projected  budget shortfall, some of which were: annual savings from
   the transfer of the Health Department to the Province; transfer of funds
   from the Property Endowment Fund; City to reduce the number of
   consultants it uses; stop reducing taxes on businesses; improve
   financial returns on leasing terms.  In 1995, Vancouver's property taxes
   were lower than those of other municipalities.

        Rod MacDonald, President, Firefighter's Union, opposed any cuts to
   the Fire & Rescue Services.  The public has identified police and fire
   roles as necessary.  Mr. MacDonald urged Council to look at the TriData
   study which reported the Fire & Rescue Services Department was at rock
   bottom.

        Rick Gates, President, CUPE 15 (brief filed) referred to the list
   included in the Union's brief of almost 100 ideas  and proposals which
   could save the City millions of dollars.  The ideas were identified by
   CUPE 15 members.  CUPE 15 has identified three areas where assumptions
   made at the beginning of the process have skewed the input received to
   date: having only two choices - service cuts or higher taxes; limits on
   the consultation; and time-frame limits.  The Union asks that any cost
   savings derived from its proposals be used to reduce any proposed cuts
   in service.

        The following speakers opposed reduction in funding of services: 

            Gyda Chud, Westcoast Childcare Resource Centre
            Michael Goldberg
            Jean Wolfe, Vancouver Society of Children's Centres
            Donna Morgan, COPE
            Shane Simpson      
            Catherine Sheppard, Hastings Park Daycare Committee
            Bev Park, YWCA
            John Borst, Executive Director, Immigrant Services Society
            Cindy Carson, First Call
            Ron Singh, Neighbourhood Houses
            Paul Gallagher, Adult Learning Disabilities Association
            Audrey Johnson
            Isabel Minty
            William Revelle
            Percy Lo

        The speakers' points are summarized as follows:

       Westcoast Childcare Resource Centre offers much needed support to
        childcare and provides a number of programs with real and practical
        support; the Centre also provides outreach services to promote
        multicultural programming; Council is urged to maintain current
        levels of funding to community and multicultural services;

       A 8.2% increase in property taxes is less than $100 a year, and
        could save all of the City's services and maintain the quality of
        life; when people are given  a specific amount of money as a
        proposed tax increase rather than a percentage figure, they are
        prepared to pay.  Over 50 cheques, representing a 8.25% tax
        increase from each property owner, are presented to Council
        tonight;

       Do not waive your commitment for childcare centres; the community
        has to take care of its children;

       Increase residential or commercial taxes first before cutting
        services; look at expenditures, i.e., review the use of
        consultants; planning should be more decentralized; eliminate the
        grant to Tourism Vancouver; protect services to the poor and needy;
        developers should be charged the total cost of  sewerage and
        development costs;

       City departments have eliminated most of their flexibility; include
        police and fire in any reduction in services; the vast majority of
        participants in the Mayor's Forums supported the  protection of 
        services; ask the provincial and federal governments to pay for
        their own share; look at development cost levies; canvass the civic
        unions for efficiencies; phase any increases or cuts over a number
        of years;

       Request support for a day care facility in the Hastings Park area;

       Every dollar spent on child care is returned six times; very
        concerned about single mothers and low income families; maintain
        the reputation of Vancouver as a caring city; continue to provide
        services;

       Many of the community services which the City supports serve the
        ethnic organizations; community services are the most cost
        effective way to provide  preventative services to the community;

       Urge Council not to cut services as that  will have a major impact
        on families; look for sources of revenue, such as increasing fees
        at community facilities; the best option is to increase taxes;

       Maintain safe neighbourhoods which make a livable city; maintain an
        adequate network of support for neighbourhoods so they stay vibrant
        and caring; urge Council to preserve services for youth, child care
        and non-market housing;

       Vancouver has a well established reputation of being a
        compassionate community; hope  Council is compassionate when making
        choices; may have to discontinue support for some, may have to
        acknowledge cannot support everyone;

       Cuts to community services will cut the city's social net and
        people who need services will be further marginalized;  it will
        cost the City more money in the long term;

       Should not have a 0% property tax policy which has helped create
        the current shortfall;

       Set up special events planning program for welfare recipients in
        the Downtown Eastside; and

       Why don't Eastside residents have the same opportunities; the
        population density is very high in the Eastside so why close the
        pool at Templeton; ask all users to pay for pool use.


        The following speakers opposed increased taxes:

            John Hanson, Board of Trade
            Richard Dauphin


        The delegations' points are summarized as follows:

       Changes to the tax structure are needed; the unemployment rate in
        Washington is 6 1/2% and in B.C. it is 9 1/2 to 10%;

       The Seattle Times has 32 pages of employment ads; the Vancouver
        Sun, 4 pages;

       The taxation rate adopted will have an impact on job creation; and

       The results of the Angus Reid poll does represent the ideas of the
        majority of homeowners - no increase in property taxes.


        The following speakers suggested the City look for additional
   revenues or economies before increasing taxation or cutting services:

            George Cadman, Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Society
             (brief filed)
            Bruce Ng
            Dr. Bruce Campbell, Parking Corporation of Vancouver (brief
             filed)
            Audrey Laferriere
            Arthur Hughes (brief filed)
            Ellen Woodsworth
            Peter Busby, Downtown Vancouver Association
            Bruce Gillespie

        The delegations' points are summarized as follows:

       Don't raise taxes beyond the point of inflation and move towards
        equalization of the tax share between business and residential
        classes;

       Look at how the City is charging for the use of municipal
        properties; look closely at community services; should review
        budgets across the board;  merge community services agencies
        serving common areas; expand  the ticket levy so that cultural
        groups can "self-fund" themselves;

       Use transitional funding from reserves; the current crisis is not
        short-term and the City needs to get the business community
        involved to look at long-term changes;  

       Look at the returns the City gets on its short-term investments;

       Generate more revenues from the City's on and off-street parking
        resources, e.g., higher on-street rates with shorter durations,
        elimination of free on-street parking, utilization of vandal-proof
        meters, higher on-street parking fees in residential areas,
        converting free off-street parking stalls to fee-for-service
        facilities;

       Inform small business owners they are responsible for clean-up of 
        the area around their business;

       Eliminate duplication of work by Parking Checkers and Meter
        Checkers by allowing Meter Checkers to write impound tickets;

       Support a mix of tax increase and cuts in services; also support
        finding additional revenues such as continuing to pressure the
        Province for revenues from photo-radar; increase user fees and
        parking revenues; eliminate the duplication of multiple
        representation of staff at meetings; cut out service expansion;
        assume responsibility for transportation, merging of Park Board
        administration and services; and

       Look at the  economics of using ambulance services versus fire
        services; review the spending on green ways/bikeways, grants to
        Tourism Vancouver; don't spend other people's money too readily.   



        The following speakers opposed any cuts in Library services:

            Judith Saltman
            Samuel Rothstein
            Bonnie Roberts-Taylor


        The delegations' points are summarized below:

       It is important to maintain literacy levels; the Library needs the
        appropriate budget for collecting; cuts would be devastating to
        families; any further cuts will be penalizing disadvantaged
        communities;

       The Library provides services to many people of all backgrounds and
        ages; and

       Library branches are needed; the downtown branch cannot serve all
        of the city; libraries maintain literacy for children, teens and
        adults.


        John Gifford noted a budget reduction in grounds maintenance would
   be beneficial in providing an increase in songbird habitat, provide 
   future bird sanctuaries with no additional  cost and protect songbird
   diversity.



   RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

   MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,
        THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.

                                                      - CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

   ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

   MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,
   SECONDED by Cllr. Puil,
        THAT the report of the Committee of the Whole be adopted.

                                                      - CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY



                  The Council adjourned at 10:15 p.m.


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