CITY OF VANCOUVER

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

APRIL 15, 1999

A Regular Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Thursday, April 15, 1999, at 11:10 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 Jennifer Clarke Councillor Alan Herbert Councillor Lynne Kennedy Councillor Daniel Lee Councillor Don Lee Councillor Gordon Price Councillor Sam Sullivan
ABSENT:	Councillor Nancy A. Chiavario (Civic Business) Councillor George Puil (Civic Business)
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE:	Judy Rogers, City Manager
CLERK TO THE COUNCIL:	Tarja Tuominen

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,
SECONDED by Cllr. Don Lee,

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
April 15, 1999

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

Cl.1: Vancouver Maritime Museum
Cl.2: Review of Street Entertainment Program
Cl.3: Odd Squad Productions
Cl.4: 1998 Operating Budget Year-end Adjustments
Cl.5: 1999 Operating Budget - Interim Report

Clauses 1 and 3

MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,

THAT the recommendations of the Committee, as contained in Clauses 1 and 3 of this report, be approved.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY AND
BY THE REQUIRED MAJORITY

Clauses 2, 4 and 5

MOVED by Cllr. Don Lee,

THAT the recommendations of the Committee, as contained in Clauses 2, 4 and 5 of this report, be approved.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Don Lee,

THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,
SECONDED by Cllr. Don Lee,

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

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ENQUIRIES AND OTHER MATTERS

1. Provincial Review of Liquor License Regulations File: 2611

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

THAT the following motion be forwarded to the Lower Mainland Municipal Association Annual General Meeting for endorsement and submission to the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in September 1999:

THAT WHEREAS the Provincial Government is undergoing a Review of Liquor License Regulations;

AND WHEREAS the impact of this review on policing costs and responsibilities and on the role of Municipal government within the decision-making process is uncertain and in some cases unknown;

AND WHEREAS the social costs resulting from any expanded sales of alcohol have not been addressed;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that both changes to existing regulations and new regulations be subject to a full public process of consultation with the municipalities and that a portion of new revenues from expanded sale of alcohol be dedicated to social service programs which address problems related to the consumption of alcohol.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

2. Proposed Provincial Liquor License Regulations - City Response File: 2611

MOVED by Cllr. Clarke,
SECONDED by Cllr. Kennedy,

THAT the following resolutions from Council’s meeting of April 13, 1999 also be forwarded to the Lower Mainland Municipal Association Annual General meeting for endorsement and submission to the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in September 1999:

I. THAT the Province be requested to dedicate alcohol related revenues towards the full costs associated with alcohol abuses ie: such as policing, regulating, education, treatment, prevention, recovery, support resources and social andhealth services.

J. THAT the Province be requested to return the Alcohol and Drug aspect of the Ministry of Children and Families to the more appropriate Ministries of Health and Human Resources.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

The Council adjourned at 11:15 a.m.

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REPORT TO COUNCIL

STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL
ON CITY SERVICES AND BUDGETS

APRIL 15, 1999

A Regular Meeting of the Standing Committee of Council on City Services and Budgets was held on Thursday, April 15, 1999 at 9:30 a.m., in Committee Room No. 1, Third Floor, City Hall.

PRESENT:	Mayor Philip Owen, Chair Councillor Don Bellamy Councillor Jennifer Clarke Councillor Alan Herbert Councillor Lynne Kennedy Councillor Daniel Lee Councillor Don Lee Councillor Gordon Price Councillor Sam Sullivan (Items 2 to 5)
ABSENT:	Councillor Nancy A. Chiavario (Civic Business) Councillor George Puil (Civic Business)
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 meeting of March 25, 1999, were adopted.

RECOMMENDATION

1. Vancouver Maritime Museum File: 4002

The Committee had before it an Administrative Report, dated February 17, 1999 (on file) in which the Directors of Finance and the Office of Cultural Affairs sought approval of

a 1999 Operating Grant of $265,400 to the Vancouver Maritime Museum and a 1999 supplementary grant of $82,000 to the Museum for the operations of the “St. Roch”.

Jennifer Beresford, Deputy Comptroller of Budgets & Research, briefly reviewed the report.

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

RECOMMENDED

A. THAT an operating grant of $265,400 be approved to the Vancouver Maritime Museum; source of funds to be the 1999 "Other" Grants budget.

B. THAT Council approve a 1999 supplementary grant of $82,000 to the Vancouver Maritime Museum as transitional funding for the year ending Dec. 31, 1999 for the operations of the "St. Roch"; source of funds to be the 1999 Contingency Reserve.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

2. Review of Street Entertainment Program File: 2631

The Committee had before it an Administrative Report, dated March 12, 1999 (on file) in which the General Manager of Engineering Services provided a review of the Street Entertainment permit program after one year of operation, as requested by Council.

Rowan Birch, Streets Administration Engineer, reviewed the report, and with Don Brynildsen, Assistant City Engineer, Streets, responded to questions.

The following speakers provided comments on the Street Entertainment permit program:

· Charles Gauthier, Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association
· Karen Clarke
· Tanny Duff
· Ray Allan.

The following are some of the points made by the foregoing speakers:

· the program has dramatically reduced the number of complaints about buskers performing at the same location for hours at a time;
· staff have put in place a fair and balanced permit program; please do not tinker with it;
· the program has not caused a decrease in street performers on Granville Mall;
· it is important to work with Parks Board to develop a similar program; the Parks Board

lacks a program to effectively deal with street entertainers;

· the permit program is difficult for people who do not have a lot of money;
· clarification is needed regarding the guideline on amplification: an electric piano needs some form of amplification and therefore does not comply with the current guidelines.

During discussion, the Committee requested staff to work with the speaker on the amplification issue. Staff were also requested to advise the Committee if there was a marked decrease in the numbers of street performers during the summer months.

The following motion by Cllr. Kennedy was put and carried. The Committee, therefore,

RECOMMENDED

THAT the Administrative Report, dated March 12, 1999, of the General Manager of Engineering Services be received for information.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

3. Odd Squad Productions File: 3701

The Committee had before it an Administrative Report, dated April 6, 1999 (on file)in which the Manager of Coordinated Enforcement sought approval for a grant of $13,500 to support the work of Odd Squad Productions in developing a multimedia drug awareness presentation, with the source of funds to be from Contingency Reserve.

Inspector Gordon Spencer, Manager of Coordinated Enforcement, introduced Constable Walter MacKay, a member of Odd Squad, and responded to questions.

In response to a question on the status of funds allocated to Downtown Eastside Street Programming, Judy Rogers, City Manager, advised the programming was still tied up in discussions.

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

RECOMMENDED

THAT Council support the work of Odd Squad Productions in developing a multimedia drug awareness presentation with a grant of $13,500. The source of the funding to be from Downtown Eastside, Street Programming Fund.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

4. 1998 Operating Budget - Year-end Adjustments File: 1605

The Committee had before it an Administrative Report, dated April 12, 1999 (on file) in which the Director of Finance provided an interim report on the 1998 Revenue Fund operating results at the year end and sought approval to offset the current shortfall position.

Ken Bayne, Comptroller of Budgets & Research; and Hugh Creighton, Director of Finance; discussed the revenue and expenditure issues on the year-end financial position.

The following motion by Cllr. Kennedy was put and carried. The Committee, therefore,

RECOMMENDED

THAT Council approve the following transfers from reserves into the 1998 Operating Budget in order to offset the current shortfall position:

Reserve for Tax Write-Offs $2,353,000

Capital Reserve $2,892,344
Debt Repayment Reserve $1,157,000
Reserve for Property Tax Arrears $2,530,666

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

5. 1999 Operating Budget - Interim Report File: 1605

The Committee had before it a Memorandum, dated April 13, 1999 (on file) in which the Comptroller of Budgets & Research advised that the final budget adjustments will be proposed to the Corporate Management Team on April 14, 1999 with the budget in a balanced position with a 3.4% tax increase as previously approved by Council. Therefore, the Comptroller of Budgets & Research proposes to move directly to the Final Report on the Operating Budget for the City Services and Budgets meeting of April 29.

Ken Bayne, Comptroller of Budgets & Research, was present to respond to questions.

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

RECOMMENDED

THAT the Memorandum dated April 13, 1999 of the Comptroller of Budgets & Research be received for information.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

The Committee adjourned at 11:10 a.m.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver