CITY OF VANCOUVER
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
A Regular Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on
Thursday, May 9, 1996, at 3:20 p.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 Chiavario, Clarke,
Hemer, Ip, Kennedy,
Kwan, Price, Puil
and Sullivan
ABSENT: Councillor Bellamy (Leave of Absence)
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE: Ken Dobell, City Manager
CLERK TO THE COUNCIL: Tarja Tuominen
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Cllr. Puil,
SECONDED by Cllr. Hemer,
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
May 9, 1996
Council considered the recommendations of the Committee, as
contained in the following clauses of the attached report:
Cl. 1: Grant Request - 1997 Canadian Figure
Skating Championships
Cl. 2: Grant Requests - Chinatown Community
Police Services Centre and the
Vancouver Police & Native Liaison Society
Cl. 3: Additional Taxation Policy
Considerations for 1996
Grant Request - 1997 Canadian
Figure Skating Championships
Clause 1
MOVED by Cllr. Puil,
THAT the recommendations of the Committee, as contained in Clause
1 of this report, be approved.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
Clauses 2 and 3
MOVED by Cllr. Puil,
THAT the recommendations of the Committee, as contained in
Clauses 2 and 3 of this report, be approved.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY AND
BY THE REQUIRED MAJORITY
RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Cllr. Hemer,
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. Hemer,
THAT the report of the Committee of the Whole be adopted.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
The Council adjourned at approximately 3:25 p.m.
* * * * *
REPORT TO COUNCIL
STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL
ON CITY SERVICES AND BUDGETS
MAY 9, 1996
A Regular Meeting of the Standing Committee of Council on City
Services and Budgets was held on Thursday, May 9, 1996, at 2:00 p.m.,
in Committee Room No. 1, Third Floor, City Hall.
PRESENT: Councillor Puil, Chair
Mayor Owen
Councillor Chiavario
Councillor Clarke
Councillor Hemer
Councillor Ip (Clauses 2 & 3)
Councillor Kennedy
Councillor Kwan
Councillor Price
Councillor Sullivan
ABSENT: Councillor Bellamy (Leave of Absence)
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE: Ken Dobell, City Manager
CLERK: Tarja Tuominen
Adoption of Minutes
The Minutes of the Standing Committee on City Services & Budgets
meetings of April 18 and 25, were adopted.
RECOMMENDATION
1. Grant Request - File: 2204
1997 Canadian Figure Skating Championships
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated April
11, 1996 (on file), in which the Director of Finance recommended a
grant request of $76,000 from the Canadian Figure Skating Association
not be approved as it does not comply with current Council policy.
Brad Boyes, Chair, Local Organizing Committee, and Jack Zaleski,
Chair, '97 Championships Committee, Canadian Figure Skating
Association, requested the City's support for the 1997 Canadian Figure
Skating Championships, to be held February 6 to 19, 1997, in
Vancouver. Mr. Boyes explained the Local Organizing Committee hopes
the City will host one of 18 hospitality venues, and cover the rental
of the Coliseum and the Agrodome for the novice event and for practice
ice. The Committee hopes to secure the Coliseum for the practice
arena as it is important for the skaters to have the same environment
for practice as for competition.
During discussion, the Committee was sympathetic to the request,
but noted it is against current Council policy to give hospitality
grants to sports championships unless senior staff are directly
involved in the event. Members suggested the Organizing Committee
approach corporate sponsors and meet with Parks Board Community Centre
Associations for help in organizing and hosting events.
The following motion by the Mayor was put and carried. The
Committee, therefore,
RECOMMENDED
A. THAT Council NOT approve the grant request of $76,000
from the Canadian Figure Skating Association.
B. THAT Council support, in principle, the Canadian Figure
Skating Championships, to be held February 6 to 9,
1997.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
2. Grant Requests - Chinatown Community File: 3701-5
Police Services Centre and the Vancouver
Police & Native Liaison Society
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated April
29, 1996 (on file), in which the Director of Finance and General
Manager of Corporate Services submitted for considera-tion two grant
requests: one from the Chinatown Police Community Services Centre for
a grant of $40,000; the other, from the Vancouver Police & Native
Liaison Society for a grant of $24,800, and use of the office space at
312 Main Street at no cost to the Society, for an estimated value of
$15,200.
Ken Dobell, City Manager, and Ken Stoke, General Manager of
Corporate Services, responded to questions on the funding of
non-profit societies, noting any funding would have to be in the way
of a grant. Mr. Dobell advised a report on community policing,
including funding issues, is due in the next few months.
The following motion by Councillor Price was put and carried.
The Committee therefore,
RECOMMENDED
A. THAT Council approve a grant of $40,000 to the
Chinatown Police Community Services Centre; source of
funds to be 1996 'Other' Grants budget.
B. THAT Council approve a grant of $24,800 to the
Vancouver Police & Native Liaison Society; source of
funds to be 1996 'Other' Grants budget.
C. THAT Council approve the use of the office space at 312
Main Street by the Vancouver Police & Native Liaison
Society at no cost to the Society. The estimated value
of the free accommodation is $15,200 in 1996.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY AND
BY THE REQUIRED MAJORITY
3. Additional Taxation Policy File: 1554
Considerations for 1996
The Committee had before it a Policy Report dated April 26, 1996
(on file) in which the General Manager of Corporate Services, in
consultation with the Citizens' Advisory Group on Property Taxation,
recommended approval of a 1996 Property Tax Limitation Program for
Business (Class 6) properties. The Limitation Program is a
continuation of the phase-out program for capping property taxes on
commercial properties.
The General Manager also submitted for consideration a
recommendation from the Citizens' Advisory Group to approve a $3.2
million shift of tax burden from the Utilities (Class 2), Business
(Class 6), Major Industry (Class 4), and Light Industry (Class 5)
properties to Residential (Class 1) properties in 1996. The General
Manager did not support the recommendation.
Ken Stoke, General Manager of Corporate Services, briefly
reviewed the recommendations and responded to questions.
With the aid of an overhead slide presentation, Karen Levitt,
Financial Analyst, Budgets & Research Department, described the tax
distribution options.
Graydon Hayward, representing the Board of Trade, and a member of
the Citizens' Advisory Group on Property Taxation, supported the
recommended shift of tax burden to the Residential Class properties.
Mr. Hayward referred to a letter dated May 8, 1996 from the Vancouver
Board of Trade (on file), and noted the business community has been
paying more than a fair share of the tax burden for many years.
Merrilee Robson, Grandview-Woodland Area Council, also a member
of the Citizens' Advisory Group, opposed any further shift of the tax
burden to Residential Class properties.
Mr. Stoke advised he would like to see how the implementation of
the solid waste and sewer utilities will impact on the tax burden for
different classes of properties, and what longer term taxation
policies the Advisory Group may suggest, prior to considering a
further 1% tax burden shift.
The following motion by Councillor Hemer was put and carried.
The Committee, therefore,
RECOMMENDED
A. THAT Council instruct the Director of Finance to
introduce a 1996 Property Tax Limitation Program for
Business (Class 6) properties, along the lines
discussed in the Policy Report dated April 26, 1996.
B. THAT Council instruct the Director of Legal Services to
prepare a 1996 Property Tax Limitation by-law
applicable to Business (Class 6) properties containing
the tax capping parameters outlined in the Policy
Report dated April 26, 1996, for submission back to
Council for approval.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY AND
BY THE REQUIRED MAJORITY
The meeting adjourned at approximately 3:20 p.m.
* * * * *