CITY OF VANCOUVER

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL ON
CITY SERVICES AND BUDGETS

JANUARY 7, 1999

A Regular Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Thursday, January 7, 1999, at 11:35 a.m., in Committee Room No. 1, Third Floor, City Hall, following the Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets meeting, to consider the recommendations of the Committee.

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 George Puil Councillor Sam Sullivan
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE:	Judy Rogers, City Manager
CLERK TO THE COUNCIL:	Tarja Tuominen

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Puil,
SECONDED by Cllr. Bellamy,

THAT this Council resolve itself into Committee of the Whole, Mayor Owen in the chair.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Report of Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets
January 7, 1999

Council considered the recommendations of the Committee, as contained in the following clauses of the attached report:

Cl.1: Amendment to Vehicle for Hire By-law No. 6066

Private Impoundment Towing Rate and Drop Charge

Cl.2: Street Activities Permits - Fee Review
Cl.3: Corporate Sponsorship for Street Banner Program

Clause 1
MOVED by Cllr. Puil,

THAT the recommendation of the Committee, as contained in Clause 1 of this report, be approved.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

Clause 2
MOVED by Cllr. Puil,

THAT the recommendation of the Committee, as contained in Clause 2 of this report, be approved.

- CARRIED

(Councillors Chiavario, Clarke and Sullivan opposed to A)
(Councillors Chiavario and Clarke opposed to C)
(Councillors Chiavario and Price opposed to H)

Clause 3
MOVED by Cllr. Clarke,

THAT the recommendation of the Committee, as contained in Clause 3 of this report, be approved.

- CARRIED

(Councillors Bellamy, Chiavario, Kennedy, Price and Puil opposed to A)
(Councillors Bellamy and Puil opposed to B)

RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Puil,

THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Puil,
SECONDED by Cllr. Bellamy,

THAT the report of the Committee of the Whole be adopted.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

The Council adjourned at 11:40 a.m.

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REPORT TO COUNCIL

STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL
ON CITY SERVICES AND BUDGETS

JANUARY 7, 1999

A Regular Meeting of the Standing Committee of Council on City Services and Budgets was held on Thursday, January 7, 1999, at 9:30 a.m., in Committee Room No. 1, Third Floor, City Hall.

PRESENT:	Councillor George Puil, Chair Mayor Philip Owen (Items 2 to 3) Councillor Don Bellamy Councillor Nancy A. Chiavario Councillor Jennifer Clarke (Items 2 to 3) Councillor Alan Herbert Councillor Lynne Kennedy Councillor Daniel Lee (Items 2 to 3) Councillor Don Lee Councillor Gordon Price Councillor Sam Sullivan (Items 2 to 3)
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE:	Judy Rogers, City Manager
CLERK TO THE COMMITTEE:	Tarja Tuominen

ADOPTION OF MINUTES

The Minutes of the Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets meetings of December 3 and 10, 1998, were adopted.

RECOMMENDATION

1. Amendment to Vehicle for Hire By-law No. 6066 File: 2801

Private Impoundment Towing Rate and Drop Charge

The Committee had before it an Administrative Report, dated December 14, 1998 (on file), in which the Director of Permits and Licenses, in consultation with the Director of Finance, reviewed the private towing impoundment rate and drop charge and recommended a rate increase in line with the City's rate of inflation.

Clause No. 1 (cont'd)

The following motion by Councillor Bellamy was put and carried. The Committee, therefore,

RECOMMENDED

A. That the private impoundment rates be increased to $56.00 and the drop charge to $28.00, subject to the towing companies agreeing, in writing, to storage charges of $15.00 for the first 24 hours and $11.00 for each additional 24-hour period.

B. That, subject to the above agreement, the Director of Legal Services prepare the necessary by-law amendments.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

2. Street Activities Permits - Fee Review File: 2630

The Committee had before it an Administrative Report, dated December 7, 1998 (on file) in which the General Manager of Engineering Services recommended increases to permit fees for Sidewalk Cafes, Street Vending and Produce Displays. The General Manager also recommended several housekeeping changes to the Street Activity programs, such as: changing the payment schedule for Sidewalk Cafes from 3 terms per year to 2 terms per year; changing the fee structure for Produce Displays from a flat rate to a fee per square foot; and, increasing the renewal deposit for Street Vending.

Don Brynildsen, Assistant City Engineer, Streets, briefly reviewed the report and recommendations.

The following spoke in response to the proposed changes to the Street Activity programs:

·
Myson Effa (letters filed)
· Doron Levy, Trees Coffee
· Langley Damonse, President, Street Vendors Association
· Peter McEachern, Cappeech
· Fred Wilson, Sunset Grill

Clause No. 2 (cont'd)

The following is a summary of the points made by the foregoing speakers:

· increasing street vending permit fees may make it difficult for vendors to operate; street vendors in other cities have left because of too high vending fees;
· street vendors provide a sense of security on the street and make the streets more lively;
· permit and licensing fees for small restaurants continue to increase and are making it difficult for owners to stay in business;
· the Vendors Association submits the following recommendations: a $250 street vending renewal deposit payable by the end of January; a 20% increase in fees for 1999, and another 10% increase in 2000; a payment extension period for English Bay vendors, as the sidewalk extension impeded many vendors;
· the Street Vendors Association also requests a redefinition of "dry goods" and consideration to allow vendors to sell artisan handcrafted items;
· the permit/license rate for outdoor cafes should reflect the lease rate of the property; in a few years may not be able to afford to pay for licenses and permits;
· outdoor cafe on seawall does not get cleaned unless owner sweeps; get less service than a cafe located on street frontage;
· suggestion that winter term for sidewalk cafes be pro-rated.

Dave Rudberg, General Manager of Engineering Services, agreed to look into how often the seawall under the Burrard Bridge gets cleaned. In response to a question on current enforcement for signs and merchandise displayed on City street allowance, Mr. Rudberg noted staff allow a marginal use of street space. Staff use some tolerance and at present the existing process seems to be working.

The following motion by the Mayor was put and carried. The Committee, therefore,

RECOMMENDED

A. That the fee structure for Large Sidewalk Cafes be revised and the rates increased as follows:

Downtown - $4.30 per square foot per 6 month term plus GST.
Outside Downtown - $3.00 per square foot per 6 month term plus GST.
Minimum Fee - $250.00

Clause No. 2 (cont'd)

B. That the $100.00 application fee for new cafes no longer be credited to the Permit fee.

C. That the permit fee for Small Sidewalk Cafes be increased from $214.00 (including GST) to $250.00 per year (including GST) .

D. That the fees for Street Vending permits be increased from $481.50 (including GST) to $600.00 per year (including GST) for the sale of dry goods and from $642.00 (including GST) to $800.00 per year (including GST) for food items.

E. That 25% of the annual street vending renewal fee be payable by the last business day in January.

F. That the fee structure for Produce and Flower Display Permits be revised from the current flat rate to $3.00 per square foot per year plus GST with a minimum fee of $100.00 plus GST per year.

G. That the Director of Legal Services make the appropriate by-law changes to reflect the above.

H. That the existing enforcement process for signs and merchandise displayed on City street allowance be endorsed by Council.

- CARRIED

(Councillors Chiavario, Clarke and Sullivan opposed to A)
(Councillors Chiavario and Clarke opposed to C)
(Councillors Chiavario and Price opposed to H)

3. Corporate Sponsorship for Street Banner Program File: 5766

The Committee had before it an Administrative Report, dated December 22, 1998 (on file), in which the General Manager of Engineering Services sought direction on corporate sponsorship of the summer banner program. The General Manager recommended a process for a one-year trial program permitting the display of corporate logos, and submitted for consideration the option for sponsor acknowledgement to be done through media other than the display of logos on the banners.

Clause No. 3 (cont'd)

The comments of the Street Decoration Committee were included in the report. The Street Decoration Committee felt tampering with the banner format will significantly reduce the impact and quality of the programme, and will most certainly negate its merit. Advertising will compromise the artwork.

Peter Judd, Assistant City Engineer, Electrical & Equipment Services, reviewed the report. The summer banner program is a successful program. If the proposal is approved, an immediate request for proposals will be issued and staff will report back in early March on the response. The Street Decoration Committee has suggested other alternatives which have been included in the report, such as a separate winter banner program, banners with a corporate logo at the beginning or end of a block.

The Committee was divided on the proposal. Some members noted the proposal is for a one-year trial period and it would be interesting to find out what corporate interest there is for sponsorship of the banners. Others felt allowing corporate sponsorship will corrupt the summer banner program.

The following motion by Councillor Clarke was put and carried. The Committee, therefore,

RECOMMENDED

A. THAT Council approve corporate sponsorship for the 1999 street banner program on a one-year trial basis permitting the display of corporate logos with the following process:

· tendering process to select a sponsor with a report back to Council for approval of the corporate sponsor(s) and sponsors design;

· the tendering process to include an exploration of corporate sponsorship in which acknowledgement for sponsors is done through media or in other ways;

· sponsorship guidelines for the program as outlined in the Administrative Report, dated December 22, 1998;

Clause No. 3 (cont'd)

· a staff report back to Council at the end of the 1999 trial program on public reaction and experience with the program to consider whether or not to continue the program and its expansion to Business Improvement Associations and other merchant groups, and the dispositions of revenues if they exceed program costs.

B. THAT staff investigate the feasibility of corporate sponsorship as part of a separate winter banner program and report back to Council

- CARRIED

(Councillors Bellamy, Chiavario, Kennedy, Price and Puil opposed to A)
(Councillors Bellamy and Puil opposed to B)

The meeting adjourned at 11:35 a.m.

* * * * *

(c) 1998 City of Vancouver