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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