REPORT TO COUNCIL

CHINATOWN AND GASTOWN
HISTORIC AREA PLANNING COMMITTEES

March 6, 2000

RECOMMENDATION

1. CHAPC/GHAPC Funding Request

Planning, Design and Development Workshop

At its meeting on October 7, 1997, Vancouver City Council instructed the Director of Finance to provide an allocation of $3,500 in the Operating Budget beginning in 1998, to be reserved for grant requests for local conference expense from Council-appointed bodies without direct access for funding. Access to this funding is by way of individual committee requests to Council.

Accordingly, both CHAPC and CHAPC request Council approve attendance for one member each from the Chinatown and Gastown Historic Area Planning Committees to attend a one-day workshop at Simon Fraser University at Harbour Centre. The workshop (see Appendix A) will focus on the municipal design process and the role played by advisory commissions in the Lower Mainland. It will explore the mandate of municipal advisory commissions --design panels, advisory planning commissions, heritage preservation commissions -- and how they function within an environment of rapid growth and urban change.

The workshop will examine the current municipal context in which planning and architectural decisions are made, and will address such questions as: how do commissions represent diverse points of view in their communities; how can criticism be offered constructively in a public forum; should advisory meetings be open or closed to the public and what are the legal responsibilities of municipal advisory commissions.

The workshop is scheduled for Friday, March 10, 2000, and cost per person is one hundred and seventy-five dollars ($175.00).

Accordingly, the Chinatown and Gastown Historic Area Planning Committees

RECOMMEND

THAT Council approve funds, in the amount of three hundred and fifty dollars($350.00), to cover the cost of the one-day workshop at Simon Fraser University at Harbour Centre on March 10, 2000, for one member each from the Chinatown and Gastown Historic Area Planning Committees.

FURTHER THAT funds be taken from the City Clerk's Operating Budget.

(Signed) "Ronald Bijok"

Ronald Bijok, Chair

Chinatown Historic Area Planning Committee

(Signed) "Sue Bennett"

Sue Bennett, Chair

Gastown Historic Area Planning Committee

CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The City Manager RECOMMENDS approval of the foregoing.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver