CITY OF VANCOUVER

SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

COURT OF REVISION

January 20, 1998

A Special Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Tuesday, January 20, 1998, at approximately 7:30 p.m., in the Council Chamber, Third Floor, City Hall.

PRESENT: Mayor Philip Owen

Councillor Don Bellamy

Councillor Nancy Chiavario

Councillor Alan Herbert

Councillor Daniel Lee

Councillor Don Lee

Councillor Sam Sullivan

ABSENT: Councillor Jennifer Clarke (Leave of Absence)

Councillor Lynne Kennedy (On Civic Business)

Councillor Gordon Price (On Civic Business)

Councillor George Puil (On Civic Business)

CLERK TO THE

COUNCIL: Gail Johnson

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,

SECONDED by Cllr. Herbert,

THAT this Council resolve itself into a Court of Revision for the purpose of hearing complaints against the proposed assessments or the accuracy of frontage measurements, or any other complaint which persons interested may desire to make and which is by law cognizable by the Court, Mayor Owen in the Chair.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

COURT OF REVISION

LOCAL IMPROVEMENT

Project by Council Initiative

Downtown Vancouver BIA Area Expansion

Before Council was a memorandum from the Director of City Plans, dated January 19, 1998 which recalled that on October 30, 1997, Council considered an application by the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association to expand its BIA area boundaries to the east, south, and west, as described in an appendix to the report. The application was referred to a Court of Revision for consideration as it is a form of local improvement. Property owners in the proposed expansion area were given appropriate notification as required by the Vancouver Charter, and business tenants also received notification according to City policy.

Delegations

The Mayor called for representations relating only to errors in the names of property and business owners, however, no one came forward.

RISE FROM COURT OF REVISION

MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,

SECONDED by Cllr. Chiavario,

THAT the Court of Revision rise and report.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

COUNCIL

RECEIVE REPORT OF COURT OF REVISION

MOVED by Cllr. Don Lee,

SECONDED by Cllr. Bellamy,

THAT the report of the Court of Revision be received.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

Downtown Vancouver BIA Area Expansion

Memorandum from the Director of City Plans

January 19, 1998

Prior to considering the Memorandum from the Director of City Plans, the following delegations were heard:

Applicant Comments

Mr. George Cadman, President, DVBIA, explained that information about the proposed initiative has been widely circulated and members have contacted other members. Concerns raised by property and business owners have been addressed and will continue to be addressed. Mr. Cadman circulated new information (on file) which included additional letters of support and a comparative budget analysis. A comparative analysis related to assessed value of properties in the area indicated that the proposal has the support of 33% of the total assessed value in the area. It is anticipated that a crime prevention coordinator will be hired in the future. The BIA presently has four sub-committees to oversee its business and it hopes to include new members in a fourth sub-committee if the expansion is approved.

Speakers

Mr. Henry Lee, Tom Lee Music, and Mr. Charles Wertman, property owner, expressed their support for the proposed area expansion.

cont’d

Downtown Vancouver BIA Area Expansion

Memorandum from the Director of City Plans

January 19, 1998 (cont’d)

Summary of Correspondence

A review of correspondence received on this application indicated the following:

-23 letters received from business or property owners opposed to the application;

-45 letters received from business or property owners in support of the application.

The Memorandum dated January 19, 1998 from the Director of City Plans contained the following three options for Council to consider once it had reviewed letters of objection and heard from delegations. In the past, Council practice has been to approve the application if less than one-third of property owners or business tenants are in opposition.

A.THAT the application of the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association to expand its boundaries, as described in Appendix C to the memorandum of the Director of City Plans dated January 20, 1998, be approved and that the Director of Legal Services, in consultation with the Director of City Plans, prepare a by-law to establish the new BIA boundaries and funding ceiling.

OR

B.THAT the application of the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association to expand its boundaries not be approved.

OR

cont’d

Downtown Vancouver BIA Area Expansion

Memorandum from the Director of City Plans

January 19, 1998 (cont’d)

C.THAT the hearing on the application by the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association to expand its boundaries, be concluded; and that before Council decides on the application, the Director of City Plans, in consultation with the Director of Finance and Director of Legal Services, assess information received from opponents of the proposed expansion and report to Council on the proportion of property owners and/or business tenants, by number of properties and assessed value, who do not support the proposal.

MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,

SECONDED by Cllr. Herbert,

THAT option ‘A’ be approved.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

* * * *

The Council adjourned at 8:15 p.m.

(c) 1997 City of Vancouver