CITY OF VANCOUVER
SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
MAY 13, 1997
A Special Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held
on Tuesday, May 13, 1997, at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber, Third
Floor, City Hall, for the purpose of considering the Urban Noise Task
Force Report.
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: Gail L. Johnson
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,
SECONDED by Cllr. Clarke,
THAT this Council resolve itself into Committee of the Whole, Mayor
Owen in the Chair, to consider the Policy Report on the Urban Noise Task
Force.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
1. Urban Noise Task Force
At the commencement of the meeting, Councillor Kennedy drew
attention to the Task Force's dedication of its report to the Chair,
Richard (Dick) Hiscocks, who passed away suddenly before the final
meeting. She felt the dedication was very appropriate in view of his
excellent guidance of the Committee's deliberations.
Councillor Chiavario noted the Vancouver Sun had recently printed a
story about the Task Force with an accompanying sketch. She was
pleased to have obtained a framed copy of this sketch which will be
displayed in the office of the Director of Environmental Health and
individual plaques of appreciation will be provided to the Task Force
members.
Urban Noise Task Force's Opening Comments
Mr. Tom Detlor, Acting Chair, provided Council with an audio
presentation prepared by a member of the Task Force comparing common
sounds around Vancouver in 1976 with dramatically different sounds in
the same areas in 1996. He explained that since the Task Force was
struck in early 1996, it has held 20 meetings during which it studied
the results of questionnaires, correspondence, and interviews, heard
from invited guests, held a public meeting at Robson Square, and
received valuable support from the Council liaisons, Councillors Kennedy
and Price, and City staff to bring it to the conclusion of its task
which was to seek ways to reduce excessive and unnecessary noise.
The Task Force's report indicates the City should set an example in
this regard by implementing noise reduction methods for its work crews
and combat noise in general through education, legislation and moral
support. Enforcement of the existing bylaws and amendments, should be a
high priority, including making the laws easier to enforce. It was
noted there are many positive sounds which are being drowned out by
excessive noise and the public needs to be educated abut the detrimental
effects of noise.
Staff Opening Comments
Mr. Dominic Losito, Director, Environmental Health, expressed his
appreciation to the members of the Task Force for their hard work
resulting in the report which contains 165 recommendations on ways to
deal with excessive noise. The Policy Report dated April 21, 1997 (on
file) which accompanied the Task Force's report, offered comments from
all involved departments and addressed the reality of trying to
implement the recommendations in times of fiscal restraint. To assist
Council in its deliberations, a table was attached to the report which
provided a summary of the Task Force's recommendations, the lead agency
involved, priority, time line, resources, and staff recommendations.
Twenty-one recommendations were indicated as being unsupportable by
staff for various reasons, but perhaps with modifications, this status
would change. The following recommendations were put forward in the
Policy Report:
A. THAT Council receive the Urban Noise Task Force report "City
Noise" and thank the Task Force members for their work in
producing the report;
B. THAT Council adopt those recommendations designated by staff
as being readily implementable and supportable; require
reports back from staff on those with resource
implications, or which require amendments, legal input or
further consultation with impacted segments; advocate for
action by other levels of government or external agencies
where the recommended action is outside of the City s mandate;
and refrain from endorsing those recommendations which staff
have indicated are unsupportable;
C. THAT Council endorse the approach proposed in this report to
establish sector-specific work teams, consisting of
appropriate City and Vancouver Health Board staff and at least
one member of the Task Force, to refine and prioritize those
recommendations approved by Council with detailed reports back
on implementation by October 31, 1997.
The City Manager submitted recommendation 'A' for approval and
recommendations 'B' and 'C' for consideration, in recognition of the
report's ambitious recommendations and the challenge of measuring the
costs and benefits in this time of unprecedented fiscal restraint.
Speakers
The Mayor called for speakers on the Report and the following
people addressed Council:
Jane Stock, B.C. Nursery Trades Association, Surrey (brief filed)
Merv Therriault, Vancouver
Pierrette Winter, Vancouver
Robert Toews, Vancouver
Thomas Brans, Vancouver
Tony Cox, Stihl Ltd., Langley
Jenny Shaw, West End Seniors Network, Vancouver
Eleanor Hadley, Vancouver
Brian Harton, Vancouver
Scott Nelson, Vancouver
Marie-Claire Seebohm, Vancouver
Rob Wynen, Vancouver
Donovan Atreides, Abbotsford
Sharena Atreides, Abbotsford
Ely Chornenki, Vancouver
Saul Pilar, Vancouver
Byron Bertram, Abbotsford
Comments provided by the foregoing are noted below:
. The B.C. Nursery Trades Association and the Japanese Gardener's
Association accept responsibility to provide leadership in
minimizing urban noise through equipment modification, education
and, where necessary, regulation. They support City staff's
recommendations on the Task Force Report with the exception of
Recommendation 40.1 which they believe should be tabled until late
1997 when the newly created Canadian Motorized Landscape Equipment
Committee, formed by the landscape industry, will report back with
suggestions for the City on how best to solve the issue related to
the noise level of leaf blowers. Members of this Committee will
represent the provincial and national landscape associations
together with North American equipment manufacturers;
. Residents of the Citygate area are besieged by siren noise. As
most of this noise is generated by ambulances which are travelling
north through this area, Council and staff were asked to seek
discussions with the province to move two or three ambulances from
the station at 7th & Columbia to the one at Heatley and Powell and
address traffic patterns in general;
. Changes to by-laws to better regulate noise from nightclubs, and
enforcement of these bylaws, is urgently required especially by the
residents of the Alexandra Street area so that they may have a safe
and pleasant environment in which to live. Also, the operators of
these establishments should be reminded of existing bylaws
regarding noise. The noise and activity when people exit these
places at closing time is another source of irritation;
. Recommendation 3.4 was supported by the proprietor of a mediation
company which mostly handles neighbourhood disputes. A community
mediation model that is unique to Vancouver's needs could be
developed;
. The sale and use of firecrackers should be eliminated in Vancouver.
Firecrackers are used indiscriminately in the downtown eastside
area between mid-September to mid-November and should not be
allowed. This activity violates both the fire and noise bylaws yet
police are not effective in controlling it;
. It is very difficult to predict what type of noise or how much
noise will cause annoyance to individuals with respect to leaf
blowers. It is also difficult to set standards on acceptable dBA
levels given the many different types of leaf blowers that are
manufactured. A balance is required so that members of the
motorized garden equipment industry can do their jobs, yet still
find a way of reducing the noise level. Manufacturers will work
with the B.C. Nursery Trades Association to address this problem;
. Motorbikes do not have adequate mufflers and create a great
disturbance, particularly at the corner of Robson and Thurlow
Streets in the evening. Something must be done to deal with this
acute noise problem;
. The Task Force report is very good but staff's recommendation that
Council refrain from endorsing those Task Force recommendations
which staff have indicated are unsupportable should not be approved
by Council. Making improvements to road surfaces to reduce noise
is just as acceptable as building aesthetically pleasing berms and
barriers;
. The Symphony of Fire show in the summer should be cancelled as the
noise factor is unhealthy for people's ears and hard on their
hearts;
. Tour bus companies should be fined for the unnecessary noise caused
by idling tour buses;
. The Health Department should prepare a report each year on the
effects of existing and increasing noise on the residents of
Vancouver;
. Residents require relief from the noise of horns, tires screeching,
and cars "crunching" when accidents happen as a result of the
current traffic light sequence at the intersection of Terminal and
Quebec streets. This noise increases at rush hour and when
sporting events take place downtown. This could be relieved by
introducing a left turn lane and implementing a light sequence
similar to that used at Main and Terminal streets;
. Noise caused by buses, trucks, and automobiles is a major problem
in Vancouver and could be reduced by greater use of electric buses
and by reducing the volume of traffic. The Transportation Plan and
the Noise report have common themes and should assist Council in
resolving these noise-related problems;
. The recommendations concerning vehicular noise, which as a
significant problem in the West End, are good and should be
endorsed by Council so that the implementation team can get to
work;
. The recommendation concerning a reduction in the speed limit on
residential streets should be supported to assist in alleviating
traffic noise. Ways to promote a reduction in traffic travelling
through neighbourhood areas also should be promoted;
. In reference to Recommendation 31.2, there are pros and cons
associated with licensing buskers and it is better to deal with
them on an individual basis, if there is a problem, rather than as
a whole group to obtain a professional class of entertainment.
City staff should hold a meeting with buskers to discuss options.
Initiating a lottery system similar to that used for distributing
street vending licenses would not be a good idea;
. Professional street entertainers provide good quality entertainment
which is beneficial for the merchants and enjoyable for the
audience. Recommendation 31.2 should be supported by Council and
the criteria for choosing professional street entertainers over
others should include obtaining letters of reference, resumes and
actually seeing the show;
. Street entertainers should be respected as they are performing a
valuable service that is not harming anyone. The City should
provide locations for the buskers to work. If there are complaints
about noise, it is better to deal with the street entertainer on an
individual basis rather than implementing an enforcement tool.
Since Granville Island initiated licensing for buskers, many good
entertainers have not returned as they refuse to pay the fee for a
whole year when they only may be in Vancouver for a couple of
weeks;
. Street entertaining should be licensed so that the police will stop
harassing the performers. Buskers help the tourist industry in
Vancouver and create job opportunities for young people;
. Recommendation 23.3 should be supported. Sirens should be banned
all the time. The type of sirens used in Vancouver are ineffective
and obsolete. A study originating in the U.S. has proven that, in
most emergencies, the outcome is the same with or without the use
of sirens by emergency vehicles.
Comments Noted During Questions to the Speakers
. In discussing the proposal by the B.C. Nursery Trades Association
that recommendation 40.1 dealing with leaf blower noise be tabled
until the new national committee reports back by the end the year,
staff and members of the Task Force agreed this would be
acceptable;
. Staff agreed to discuss with the Province, traffic patterns used by
ambulances when responding to emergencies, and suggest changes
where appropriate. This would include exploration of changes at
the 7th & Columbia and Heatley and Powell stations;
. Staff will pursue with the Province, the idea of re-educating
drivers about their role when hearing or seeing an emergency
vehicle on its way to a problem and will verify the speed limit for
emergency vehicles when responding to emergencies;
. Noise from motorcycles must be dealt with whether it be through
changes to the Vancouver Charter to allow more stringent control,
or through road block measures in the downtown area, no motorcycle
zones, and/or the initiation of a noise testing facility;
. Councillor Chiavario agreed to meet with street entertainers to
seek common ground on ways to deal with this form of entertainment
and noise complaints.
Council Decision
The hearing of the public having concluded, Mayor Owen advised that
a final decision on this matter would be made at an upcoming Regular
meeting of Council under Unfinished Business.
RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy, THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
ADOPT REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Cllr. Clarke,
SECONDED by Cllr. Bellamy,
THAT the report of the Committee of the Whole be adopted.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
The Special Council adjourned at 10:00 p.m.
* * * * *