CITY OF VANCOUVER

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

MARCH 11, 1999

A Regular Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Thursday, March 11, 1999, at 10:40 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 Alan Herbert Councillor Lynne Kennedy Councillor Daniel Lee Councillor Don Lee Councillor Gordon Price Councillor George Puil Councillor Sam Sullivan
ABSENT:	Councillor Jennifer Clarke
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
March 11, 1999

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

Cl.1: 1999 Operating Budget - Preliminary Report
Cl.2: Three-Year Land Averaging for 1999 Property Tax Calculations
Cl.3: Heather Civic marina 1999 Moorage Rates and Other Fees

Clauses 1 and 3
MOVED by Cllr. Puil,

THAT the recommendations of the Committee, as contained in Clauses 1 and 3 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

(Councillor Price opposed to A to D)

RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,

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

ENQUIRIES AND OTHER MATTERS

1. Expansion of Gaming in B.C.

MOVED by Cllr. Kennedy,
SECONDED by Cllr. Herbert,

THAT Council's motion of March 9, 1999 directing copies of the document "City of Vancouver Response to the Provincial Report on Gaming Legislation and Regulation in British Columbia" be sent to all member Municipalities in the UBCM, and to all Vancouver MP's and MLA's be expanded to include all B.C. MP's and MLA's.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

2. Leave of Absence - Cllr. Price

MOVED by Cllr. Chiavario
SECONDED by Cllr. Bellamy,

THAT Cllr. Price be granted Leave of Absence for the period March 12 to 29 to attend study tours on housing and transportation as Chair of the Transportation and Traffic Standing Committee.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

The Council adjourned at 10:45 a.m.

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REPORT TO COUNCIL

STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL
ON CITY SERVICES AND BUDGETS

MARCH 11, 1999

A Regular Meeting of the Standing Committee of Council on City Services and Budgets was held on Thursday, March 11, 1999, Third Floor, City Hall.

PRESENT:	Councillor George Puil, Chair Mayor Philip Owen Councillor Don Bellamy Councillor Nancy A. Chiavario Councillor Jennifer Clarke (Items 1 to 2) Councillor Alan Herbert Councillor Lynne Kennedy Councillor Daniel Lee Councillor Don Lee Councillor Gordon Price (Items 2 to 3) Councillor Sam Sullivan
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 January 28 and February 4, 1999, were adopted.

RECOMMENDATION

1. 1999 Operating Budget - Preliminary Report File: 1605

At its meeting on February 16, 1999, City Council referred consideration of Appendix 3 of the Administrative Report, dated February 9, 1999 to the Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets meeting of February 25. Subsequently, the meeting date was changed to March 11.

The Committee had before it the Administrative Report, dated February 9, 1999 (on file) and the relevant extract from the Regular Council meeting of February 16, 1999.

Clause No. 1 (cont'd)

Ken Bayne, Comptroller of Budgets and Research, with the aid of a slide presentation and a handout (on file), reviewed the preliminary budget position and the February 16 Council action, advised of the revised budget position and outstanding issues, and recommended adjustments to balance the 1999 Operating Budget.

Lois Johnson, Vice Chairman, Vancouver Public Library Board; and Gillian Doan, President, CUPE 391; supported the recommended adjustments and hoped no service reductions were required.

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

RECOMMENDED

A. THAT Council approve the following adjustments to the 1999 Operating Budget:

· addition of the major road network recovery of $1.8 million;
· funding the DTES Police Beat Team over two years, resulting in no change to the program agreed to with the Police Board; and

bringing the budget to a balanced position with a 3.4% property tax increase.

B. THAT the Director of Finance, in consultation with the Corporate Management Team, report back the interim estimates, including final adjustments to the budget, on April 15, 1999.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

(Councillor Price not present for the vote)

2. Three-Year Land Averaging for 1999 Property Tax Calculations File: 1551

The Committee had before it a Policy Report, dated February 25, 1999 (on file) in which the Director of Finance sought approval of the continuation of three-year land value averaging as the 1999 property tax calculation methodology for residential (Class 1) and business/other (Class 6) properties.

Clause No. 2 (cont'd)

With the aid of slides and a handout, Karen Levitt, Financial Analyst, reviewed the background, characteristics, mechanics, and impacts of three-year land averaging on the average residential and business class property.

Bob Langlois, residential taxpayer, (brief filed) advised the BC Assessment Authority, in estimating market value of residential and business properties, does not allocate land and building values in a consistent manner. There is different and discriminatory treatment between fee simple and strata properties - both residential and commercial.

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

RECOMMENDED

A. THAT Council approve the continuation of three-year land value averaging as the 1999 property tax calculation methodology for the residential (Class 1) and business/other (Class 6) properties as discussed in the Policy Report, dated February 25, 1999, and that the property taxes for all other classes (Classes 2, 4, 5, 8 and 9) be calculated using market assessed values.

B. THAT the Directors of Finance and Legal Services be instructed to submit a bylaw to Council, for approval before March 31 of this year, which sets out the particulars of averaging in accordance with the provisions of the Vancouver Charter.

C. THAT Council instruct the Director of Finance to make appropriate arrangements with the BC Assessment Authority for the production of an averaged 1999 taxation roll, at an approximate cost of $20,000.

D. THAT the Director of Finance be authorised to place the required advertisements in a local newspaper notifying the City's taxpayers of Council's intent to implement three-year land averaging and showing the effects of averaging on sample properties within the City.

- CARRIED

(Councillor Price opposed)

Clause No. 2 (cont'd)

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

RECOMMENDED

E. THAT staff provide an analysis and report back on the effects of three-year land averaging on single-family versus strata properties.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

3. Heather Civic Marina 1999 Moorage Rates and Other Fees File: 1757

The Committee had before it an Administrative Report, dated February 4, 1999 (on file) in which the Director of Finance recommended the 1999 moorage rates, other fees and boat lift fees at Heather Civic Marina be increased by 1.5% and sought approval for new and non-recurring expenditures for equipment purchases and painting.

The following speakers expressed concerns with the proposed increase and the services provided at Heather Civic Marina:

· Terry McFarlane
· John Timmerman

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

· the rate increase at Heather Civic Marina is compounding every year;
· boat owners cannot afford the moorage;
· the Marina continues to have problems with the electrical connections and water supply and issues with fire safety; no one knows where the valve is for the fire hose;
· the boat owners at Heather Civic Marina are not able to make payments by credit card; however, Burrard Marina accepts credit card payments.

Brian Ferguson, Manager, Heather Civic Marina, explained it is too expensive to provide water to the float area year-round as the pipes freeze. The electrical outlets do not fall apart and the fire valve is well marked.

Hugh Creighton, Director of Finance, advised he will look after the credit card payment concerns.

Clause No. 3 (cont'd)

During discussion, one of the Committee members expressed a concern with the way notice of the meeting was distributed. The Chair noted notice of the meeting was posted at the Marina well in advance of the meeting date.

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

RECOMMENDED

A. THAT the 1999 moorage rates, other fees and boat lift fees at Heather Civic Marina be increased by 1.5%, reflecting a general inflationary increase. Proposed fees are outlined in Appendix III of the Administrative Report, dated February 4, 1999, to be effective April 1, 1999.

B. THAT the proposed rate changes be posted at the Heather Civic Marina.

C. THAT Council approve new and non-recurring expenditures in the amount of $14,600 as outlined in Appendix IV of the Administrative Report dated February 4, 1999.

D. THAT appropriate staff inspect Heather Civic Marina to review boaters` concerns, in particular about fire safety, electrical and water availability.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

The Committee adjourned at 10:40 a.m.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver