ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: February 24, 1998

Author/Local: Judy Rogers/7626

CC File No. 1008

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	Deputy City Manager, on behalf of the Urban Safety Commission
SUBJECT:	SPONSORSHIP OF CASCADIA FORUM

RECOMMENDATION

THAT Council approve the City of Vancouver’s Co-sponsorship of Building Partnerships", an invitation only forum to be held April 1, 2, and 3, in Vancouver, at a cost of $2,500; source of funds to be the 1998 Operating Budget.

CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The City Manager RECOMMENDS approval of the foregoing.

POLICY

There is no applicable policy.

The Urban Safety Commission supports this initiative as it demonstrates the importance of bringing together partnerships to find solutions to the impacts of alcohol in the City of Vancouver.

The Vancouver Liquor Licensing Commission, at its meeting held February 5, 1998, recommended

THAT the Vancouver City Council endorse the continuation of discussions initiated by the Northwest Conference for Best Practices and Policies in Alcohol Management and Oversight, held in Portland, Oregon, December 4, 1997.

The foregoing was approved by City Council on February 17, 1998.

PURPOSE

To seek Council’s support for the City of Vancouver’s co-sponsorship of the Cascadia Forum with City of New Westminister and Seattle, April 1 - 3, an invitational meeting to look at Alcohol Management Strategy.

BACKGROUND

Staff from Planning, Permits & Licenses, and Police, and Councillors of the City of Vancouver attended two meetings in 1997 in Seattle and Portland on Alcohol Management. The first meeting in Seattle, in the spring of 1997 was a half day informal session that consisted of meetings with City and County representatives regarding alcohol management programs and initiatives, as well as tours of the downtown areas (eg. Pioneer Square) as well as discussions with the local business people and associations.

A second meeting, held in December 1997 in Portland, Oregon, was a conference on the "Best Practices and Policies in Alcohol Management and Oversight". While the central focus of this meeting was Alcohol Management, other areas of interest and significance were reviewed and linked components of an overall effective Alcohol Management Strategy (eg. The Portland/Oregon Comprehensive Model). This conference was attended by Councillor Kennedy and City of Vancouver staff, as well as staff and the Mayor of the City of New Westminster. Discussions between the staff of the two cities, Vancouver and New Westminster, began to highlight some of the similarities between the two cities (eg. concentrated number of liquor licensed establishments in a Downtown Core, problems with chronic public inebriants, a downtown core that is under siege, street prostitution and a significant drug problem).

It was agreed that the next meeting would be held in Vancouver, with the Cities of Vancouver and New Westminster co-sponsoring the next meeting on alcohol management, to take place in the Spring of 1998.

DISCUSSION - Cascadia Forum

Invited participants from the City include the members of Council, the Urban Safety Commission, and staff working in the area of Alcohol Management. It is anticipated that 80 - 100 people will be in attendance.

The theme of the gathering is "building partnerships to improve neighbourhood liveability in alcohol management and nuisance behaviour". Morning sessions will look at Alcohol Management in Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, and the Neighbourhood District Attorney Model in Portland Oregon. The afternoon session will look at Solutions and Neighbourhood liveability tools. George Kelling - author of the "Broken Windows" theory and Catherine Coles, expert on community courts, will be speaking at public meetings during the forum. A wrap-up session will evaluate what has been accomplished and look at next steps.

Financial Implications

The cost of the forum is estimated at $12,000. DVBIA is sponsoring, along with Seattle and New Westminster. The City of Vancouver is being asked to contribute $2,500.00 to assist in Conference hosting and facilitation. The source of funds to be the 1998 Operating Budget.

SUMMARY

The theme of the Conference is "Building Partnerships" and will include invited guests from Vancouver, New Westminster, Seattle, Portland, Tacoma, and the Provincial Government. It is anticipated that the attendees will include senior politicians and staff involved in Alcohol Management as well as community impacts and programs. Staff and politicians have worked closely with their counterparts in Seattle and Portland to share information, and the participants are looking forward to learning about the Vancouver and New Westminster solutions.

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(c) 1997 City of Vancouver