CITY OF VANCOUVER
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
A Regular Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on
Thursday, November 9, 1995, at 11:25 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 Owen
Councillors Bellamy, Chiavario,
Clarke, Hemer, Ip,
Kennedy, Kwan, Price
Puil and Sullivan
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE: Ken Dobell, City Manager
CLERK TO THE COUNCIL: Tarja Tuominen
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,
SECONDED by Cllr. Clarke,
THAT this Council resolve itself into Committee of the Whole,
Mayor Owen in the chair.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Report of the Standing Committee
on City Services and Budgets
November 9, 1995
Council considered the recommendations of the Committee, as
contained in the following clauses of the attached report:
Cl. 1: City Communications Strategy
Cl. 2: 1995 Cross-Cultural Initiatives Grants
City Communications Strategy
Clause 1
MOVED by Cllr. Puil,
THAT the recommendations of the Committee, as contained in Clause
1 of this report and quoted below, be approved.
A. THAT Council approve the Communications Strategy as outlined
in the Policy Report dated October 17, 1995.
B. THAT Council approve the establishment of a regular full-
time Communications Co-ordinator position in the
Communications Division, subject to job evaluation by the
General Manager of Human Resource Services, at an estimated
annual cost of $64,400.
C. THAT Council approve additional program and support
expenditure of $120,000, as detailed in the Policy Report
dated October 17, 1995. This includes a one-time allocation
of $42,000 for graphics support pending evaluation of a
permanent arrangement from within existing departmental
budgets.
D. THAT Council approve the elimination of the regular full-
time administrative position, at an annual saving of
$35,100.
E. THAT the additional funds required for the expanded
Communications Program (estimated to be $135,900) be funded
from within existing departmental budgets, with the offsets
to be reported in the 1996 Operating Budget Process. The
1995 portion of the program cost is estimated to be $23,900,
with the source of funds to be Contingency Reserve.
F. THAT Council approve a proposal call for professional
services to establish a City Visual Identity Program,
including standards for City publications, vehicle and
building signage, letterhead and business cards, at an
estimated cost of $60,000. Source of funds for this program
to be the 1995 Strategic Initiatives Fund.
G. THAT Council direct the Communications Advisor to report
back on the other proposed programs in 1997 and 1998, when
the sources of funds for these programs have been
identified.
- carried
(Councillor Kwan opposed to F)
MOVED by Cllr. Kwan, in amendment
- THAT Recommendation C be amended by the addition of "to be
obtained within the jurisdiction of CUPE Local 15" following
the words "graphic support".
- THAT Recommendation G be amended by adding: "The report
back to include the effect of this expansion on the City,
including potential impact of the added workload on the City
Clerk's Office staff, the impact of reduced funding for
other departments, and the overall effectiveness of the
communications strategy."
- LOST
(Councillors Bellamy, Chiavario, Clarke,
Hemer, Ip, Kennedy, Price, Puil, Sullivan
and the Mayor opposed)
MOVED by Cllr. Kwan,
- THAT Recommendation F be deferred, to allow the
establishment of a staff Task Force to identify an
appropriate City logo and report back.
- THAT relevant unions be invited to participate and provide
feedback on the City's communications strategy as it
progresses.
- THAT, prior to implementation of the volunteer program to
conduct tours of City Hall, the terms of reference for the
work of the volunteers be worked out with the relevant
union.
- LOST
(Councillors Bellamy, Chiavario, Clarke,
Hemer, Ip, Kennedy, Price, Puil,
Sullivan and the Mayor opposed)
The foregoing motions having lost, the motion of Councillor Puil
was put and CARRIED, with Councillor Kwan opposed to Recommendation F.
1995 Cross-Cultural
Initiatives Grants
Clause 2
MOVED by Cllr. Puil,
THAT the recommendation of the Committee, as contained in
Clause 2 of this report, be approved.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY AND
BY THE REQUIRED MAJORITY
RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Cllr. Clarke,
THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
ADOPT REPORT OF THE 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
Street Person File: 4101-4
Cllr. Bellamy advised of an unfortunate woman who lives
under shopping carts at the corner of Adanac
and Broadway.
Cllr. Bellamy enquired whether staff could do
anything about her situation.
The City Manager agreed to follow up on the
situation, although it is likely staff will
not be able to pick her up off the street, if
she does not want to go and is not a danger
to herself or others.
The Council adjourned at approximately 11:28 a.m.
* * * * *
REPORT TO COUNCIL
STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL
ON CITY SERVICES AND BUDGETS
NOVEMBER 9, 1995
A Regular Meeting of the Standing Committee of Council on City
Services and Budgets was held on Thursday, November 9, 1995, at 9:30
a.m., in Committee Room No. 1, Third Floor, City Hall.
PRESENT: Councillor Puil, Chair
Mayor Owen
Councillor Bellamy
Councillor Chiavario
Councillor Clarke
Councillor Hemer
Councillor Ip
Councillor Kennedy
Councillor Kwan
Councillor Price
Councillor Sullivan
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE: Ken Dobell, City Manager
CLERK: Tarja Tuominen
Recorded Vote
Unless otherwise indicated, votes of the Committee on all items
are unanimous.
Adoption of Minutes
The Minutes of the Standing Committee on City Services & Budgets
meeting of October 19, 1995, were adopted.
RECOMMENDATION
1. City Communication Strategy File: 1160
The Committee had before it a Policy Report dated October 17,
1995 (on file), in which the City Clerk and Communications Advisor
sought approval of the proposed City Communications Strategy and the
resources and activities to support the strategy. The City Clerk and
Communications Advisor also sought recognition of the City's
communications function as a corporate resource funded in the
Operating Budget.
Mr. Scott Macrae, Communications Advisor; Ms. Maria Kinsella,
City Clerk; Ms. Lorna McCreath, Director, Equal Employment
Opportunities Program; and Mr. Baldwin Wong, Multicultural Planner,
Social Planning Department, were present to review the report and
answer questions. The Corporate Management Team and departments
support the proposed strategy. A significant number of people do use
the multilingual telephone lines which were initially set up for
CityPlan. Translation requirements for City information is an on-
going subject of discussion with departments. Translation
requirements are usually related to a specific project, and therefore
built into the project's budget.
A City-wide visual identity is seen as a cost-saving benefit;
departments will not be customizing their own letterhead. The City
also will have a higher visibility in the community. Standardization
across departments and boards will have to be done collaboratively.
A member of the Committee noted work has been done already
regarding a City-wide visual identity with the heritage plaque
program.
In response to a question, Mr. Ken Dobell, City Manager, agreed
internal communication was an issue, and management is looking for
solutions, i.e., electronic mail, Internet.
Ms. Wai Young, Member, Diversity Communications Project Team,
outlined several situations and incidents faced by residents of
Vancouver every day. The involvement of city residents can assist
staff in resolving situations. The proposed communications strategy
outlines a viable strategy to overcome language barriers, maximize
participation in the city by residents, and maximize services to all
city residents.
Mr. Bruce Gilmour, Member, Diversity Communications Project Team,
strongly advocated the diversity approach proposed in the
communications strategy. Through communication, the residents will
see themselves as partners in City government.
Mr. Paul Faoro, Executive Member, CUPE Local 15, supported the
Policy Report in principle. However, Mr. Faoro pointed out several
concerns with some of the proposed recommendations:
- many capable employees are already in a graphics support
position; the position should be posted internally;
- the $60,000 for a consultant to assist with establishing
a City logo is high. This would be a perfect opportunity
for City staff to be involved in developing a logo and
therefore feel a part of the City;
- City Hall tours are currently given by City employees; do
not want a volunteer program to result in loss of full-
time positions; and
- the additional funding of $135,900 for the expanded
Communication Program, which is to come from existing
Departmental budgets, may mean a corresponding offsetting
of departmental resources, i.e., lay-offs or reduction of
staff.
Mr. Macrae advised City Hall tours are currently conducted by one
staff member in the City Clerk's Office in one language.
Multicultural tours will not reduce that work. The funding for the
graphics support will allow hiring a regular position or a consultant,
whichever is best.
Ms. Kinsella advised discussions with other departments have
confirmed there is no available graphics support currently. The
Communications Section needs on-going graphics assistance now.
In response to questions, Mr. Ken Dobell, City Manager, explained
the City of Vancouver is looking at new ways of doing things, and
examining potential impacts on staff already here. The funding for
the graphics support would allow flexibility in filling the position
on a temporary basis. Volunteers are more and more part of how we do
our work. The City Manager also urged the Union to discuss issues
with staff when reports are received.
The following motions by the Mayor were put and carried. The
Committee, therefore,
RECOMMENDED
A. THAT Council approve the Communications Strategy as
outlined in the Policy Report dated October 17, 1995.
B. THAT Council approve the establishment of a regular
full-time Communications Co-ordinator position in the
Communications Division, subject to job evaluation by
the General Manager of Human Resource Services, at an
estimated annual cost of $64,400.
C. THAT Council approve additional program and support
expenditure of $120,000, as detailed in the Policy
Report dated October 17, 1995. This includes a one-
time allocation of $42,000 for graphics support pending
evaluation of a permanent arrangement from within
existing departmental budgets.
D. THAT Council approve the elimination of the regular
full-time administrative position, at an annual saving
of $35,100.
E. THAT the additional funds required for the expanded
Communications Program (estimated to be $135,900) be
funded from within existing departmental budgets, with
the offsets to be reported in the 1996 Operating Budget
Process. The 1995 portion of the program cost is
estimated to be $23,900, with the source of funds to be
Contingency Reserve.
F. THAT Council approve a proposal call for professional
services to establish a City Visual Identity Program,
including standards for City publications, vehicle and
building signage, letterhead and business cards, at an
estimated cost of $60,000. Source of funds for this
program to be the 1995 Strategic Initiatives Fund.
G. THAT Council direct the Communications Advisor to
report back on the other proposed programs in 1997 and
1998, when the sources of funds for these programs have
been identified.
(Councillor Kwan opposed to F)
The following amendments by Councillor Kwan were put and LOST:
- THAT Recommendation C be amended by the addition of "to
be obtained within the jurisdiction of CUPE Local 15"
following the words "graphic support".
- THAT Recommendation G be amended by adding: "The
report back to include the effect of this expansion on
the City, including potential impact of the added
workload on the City Clerk's Office staff, the impact
of reduced funding for other departments, and the
overall effectiveness of the communications strategy."
(Councillors Bellamy, Chiavario, Clarke,
Hemer, Ip, Kennedy, Price, Puil,
Sullivan and the Mayor opposed)
The following motions by Councillor Kwan were put and LOST:
- THAT Recommendation F be deferred, to allow the
establishment of a staff Task Force to identify an
appropriate City logo and report back.
- THAT relevant unions be invited to participate and
provide feedback on the City's communications strategy
as it progresses.
- THAT, prior to implementation of the volunteer program
to conduct tours of City Hall, the terms of reference
for the work of the volunteers be worked out with the
relevant union.
(Councillors Bellamy, Chiavario, Clarke,
Hemer, Ip, Kennedy, Price, Puil,
Sullivan and the Mayor opposed)
The foregoing motions having LOST, the motion of the Mayor was
put and CARRIED, with Councillor Kwan opposed to Recommendation F.
2. 1995 Cross-Cultural Initiatives Grants File: 2053-2
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated
October 24, 1995 (on file), in which the Director, Office of Cultural
Affairs, recommended approval of grants totalling $40,500 to eleven
cultural organizations. The source of funds will be the Cross-
Cultural Initiatives category of the 1995 Cultural Grants budget.
The appendices attached to the report provided a detailed
description of the projects recommended for funding, listed the eleven
projects not recommended for funding, and provided a detailed
description of the guidelines and criteria for the Cross-Cultural
Initiatives program.
Ms. Alice Niwinski and Mr. Lorenz von Fersen, Cultural Planners,
were present to answer questions.
The following motion by Councillor Hemer was put and CARRIED.
The Committee, therefore,
RECOMMENDED
THAT Council approve grants totalling $40,500 to eleven
organizations, as listed in Table 1 of the Administrative
Report dated October 24, 1995; source of funds to be the
Cross-Cultural Initiatives category of the 1995 Cultural
Grants budget.
The meeting adjourned at approximately 11:25 a.m.
* * * * *