STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL

ON PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT

A C T I O N S

DATE: Thursday, July 30, 1998

TIME: 2:00 p.m.

PLACE: Committee Room No. 1

Third Floor, City Hall

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT NANCY LARGENT AT (604) 873-7652

ADOPTION OF MINUTES

The minutes of the meeting of June 25, 1998, were adopted.

RECOMMENDATIONS (Approved by Council, July 30, 1998)

1. Environmental Grants File: 2201

A.THAT Council approve a grant of $10,540.00 to Better Environmentally Sound Transportation for their "Cycling Brochure Series"; source of funds to be the Environmental Grant Fund in the Solid Waste Capital Reserve.

B.THAT Council approve a grant of $8,000.00 to Cycling B.C. for their "Road Worthy Program"; source of funds to be the Environmental Grant Fund in the Solid Waste Capital Reserve.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY AND

BY THE REQUIRED MAJORITY

.

2. New Trade and Convention Facilities Review Program: File: 6007

Portside Development Agreement Application -

Issues and Current Status

A.THAT, in order to achieve hotel tower massing that will improve the urban design and views to the north through the Portside site, Council is prepared to consider a maximum height of 380' and an intrusion of this tower into the ‘Science World to Lions’ View Cone.

B.THAT the applicant’s request for a reduced standard for childcare not be supported and that, consistent with the approved Central Waterfront Port Lands Policy Statement, the application comply with the City’s standard childcare requirements; and

FURTHER THAT staff and Greystone Properties study the question of daycare with a view to ensuring its functionality; this is not to reduce the number of spaces but to examine its fit and program.

C.THAT a pedestrian overpass at the foot of Cambie Street not be required at this time as part of the Portside application but that alternative pedestrian access across the CP Railyards be addressed by the applicant; and

FURTHER THAT notwithstanding the foregoing, Council policy to achieve an overpass on the Cambie Street alignment will remain the objective when it becomes technically feasible.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

3. The Barrett Commission of Inquiry into the File: 2501

Quality of Condominium Construction in British Columbia

A.THAT Council instruct the Director of Legal Services to bring forward an amendment to the Vancouver Building By-law with respect to applying Part 5 requirements to buildings, and to renovations to building envelopes to all multi-family residential buildings greater than two stories in height or larger than 600 square metres in building area (regardless of fire walls).

B.THAT the Mayor write to the Minister of Municipal Affairs, on behalf of Council, noting general agreement with the findings of the Barrett Commission report: "The Renewal of Trust in Residential Construction", with the following specific comments:

1)Recommend that the entire mandate of the Building Standards Branch, including code development and building policy be re-established within the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, and that this function not be split between residential and other types of construction.

2)Recommend that the requirements for a ‘Building Envelope Specialist’, as outlined in recommendation #15 of the Barrett Commission report, be added to Part 5 of the BC Building Code.

3)Note support for the adoption of a mandatory warranty program for residential construction, as outlined in recommendations #38, 39 ,40, 41 and 42 of the Barrett Commission report.

4)Note support for Trades regulation and Training, as outlined in recommendations #22, 23, 34, 35 and 37 of the Barrett Commission report.

5)Note support for deferment of property taxes for seniors through the Provincial Government's Land Tax Deferment program, as outlined in recommendation #82 of the Barrett Commission report.

...cont'd

The Barrett Commission of Inquiry (Continued)

6)Note disagreement with recommendation #19 of the Barrett Commission report, and instead recommend that the Municipal Act be modified to provide the same liability protection as under the Vancouver Charter to the rest of the Municipalities in the Province;

7)Note disagreement with recommendation #81 of the Barrett Commission report, which would require municipalities to provide exemption from taxes to all homeowners undergoing repairs related to the leaky condo problem.

C.THAT Council instruct the Director of Planning to review the Zoning and Development By-Law with regard to the issues outlined in recommendation #10 of the Barrett Commission report, and report back to Council.

D.THAT the City Building Inspector be requested to evaluate the cost implications of waiving building permit fees for building envelope repair projects and report this issue back for Council’s consideration.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

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A Regular Council meeting was convened immediately following the Standing Committee meeting.

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ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS

1. Authority to Travel to Stratford, Ontario, to attend File: 1254

the Crime Prevention & Public Safety Committee

meeting of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities -

September 9-10, 1998

THAT Council authorize Councillor Don Bellamy to travel to Stratford, Ontario, to attend the Crime Prevention & Public Safety Committee Meeting of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, at an estimated cost of $1,385.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS (CONTINUED)

2. Bicycle Network Upgrade - Signage and Road Logos File: 5553

THAT the Bicycle Network in Vancouver be upgraded with the installation of bicycle road logos, street name blades with bicycle logos, overhead street name signs with bicycle logos, and bicycle loop detector logos at a total cost of $183,000; funds to be approved as an increase to the 1998 Streets Basic Capital Budget, with the source of funding to be debenture borrowing approved as part of the 1997 - 1999 Capital Plan; and

FURTHER THAT additional annual costs of $15,000 related to ongoing maintenance be included in future Operating Budgets, without offset.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

3. Replacement of the City's Fleet File: 1186

Management and Fuel Dispensing Systems

A.THAT Council approve the City entering into a contract, to the satisfaction of the Director of Legal Services, with CCG Systems for the acquisition and installation of software to replace the City’s current fleet system, at a maximum cost of $400,000, as detailed in this report. Implicit in this purchase is a City commitment to ongoing systems maintenance and training costs with CCG Systems of $40,000 annually from within the operating budget.

B. THAT Council approve funding of $700,000 for the fleet system (which includes $150,000 for staff resources and $150,000 for hardware) as a loan from the Capital Financing Fund, to be repaid over 5 years from a surcharge of approximately $0.75 per hour on the Engineering Garage composite labour rate.

C. THAT Council approve the replacement of the City’s fuel dispensing system at a total cost of $300,000 (including $50,000 contingency) funded by a loan from the Capital Finance fund, to be repaid by approximately a one cent per litre fuel surcharge over a five year period.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

REPORTS OF COMMITTEES

I. Standing Committee of Council

on Planning and Environment

July 30, 1998

THAT the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Planning And Environment, as set out in Clauses 1 to 4, inclusive, of its July 30, 1998 report, be approved.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

II. Vancouver Liquor Licensing Commission

July 23, 1998

THAT the recommendations of the Vancouver Liquor Licensing Commission, as set out in Clauses 1 to 4, inclusive, of its July 23, 1998 report, be approved.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ENQUIRIES AND OTHER MATTERS

1. C-2 Zoning Review File: 5302

Councillor Puil advised he had discussed the implications of dedicated resources for the C-2 Zoning Review with staff, and concluded it would be inadvisable to proceed immediately with dedicated resources.

MOVED by Cllr. Puil,

SECONDED by Cllr. Sullivan,

THAT Council rescind the following motion approved on July 28, 1998, dealing with a Policy Report dated July 14, 1998:

B.THAT Council authorize funding of $178,210, as outlined in Appendix B, for the full program; source of funds to be the 1998 General Contingency Reserve $26,060, and the remaining $152,150 to be provided in the 1999 Operating Budget.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY AND

BY THE REQUIRED MAJORITY

MOVED by Cllr. Puil,

SECONDED by Cllr. Sullivan,

THAT the start of work on the C-2 Zoning Review be delayed until approximately mid-1999, when staff will be available from other programs.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

2. Charter Amendments File: 114

Councillor Puil advised that under the Vancouver Charter, the Vancouver Athletic Commission is restricted to a five cent per seat charge, while the Municipal Act gives Athletic Commissions authority to set fees but does not set a rate. The Councillor requested that staff bring forward a Charter amendment to provide he Vancouver Athletic Commission with the same authority as that conveyed by the Municipal Act.

The City Manager advised that a report on Charter amendments will be presented to Council in the Fall, and requested Council members to provide him with any other suggestions regarding potential amendments.

ENQUIRIES AND OTHER MATTERS (CONT'D)

3. Public Process on LRT File: 5559

The Mayor advised officials of the Province's LRT project wish to meet with City Council to discuss setting a public process.

MOVED by Cllr. Chiavario,

SECONDED by Cllr Price,

THAT Council run its own public process regarding the Province's LRT proposal, and coordinate with the Provincial process, and that an advertisement be placed advising the public of this decision.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

4. Domestic Animal Committee File: 3148

Councillor Chiavario noted for the record that the Terms of Reference for the Domestic Animal Committee were not created, as they should have been, at the time of the Committee's establishment. The Terms of Reference will be worked on over the summer for report back to Council, in order that the Committee may continue to carry out its work.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver