CITY OF VANCOUVER

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL ON

CITY SERVICES AND BUDGETS

JANUARY 22, 1998

A Regular Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Thursday, January 22, 1998, at 1:40 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 Philip Owen Councillor Don Bellamy Councillor Nancy A. Chiavario Councillor Jennifer Clarke Councillor Alan Herbert Councillor Lynne Kennedy Councillor Daniel Lee Councillor Don Lee Councillor Gordon Price
ABSENT:	Councillor George Puil (Civic Business) Councillor Sam Sullivan
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE:	Judy Rogers, Deputy City Manager
CLERK TO THE COUNCIL:	Nancy Largent

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,

SECONDED by Cllr. Herbert ,

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

January 22, 1998

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

Cl.1: 1998 Consolidated Assessment Roll

Cl.2: Grandview Woodlands Neighbourhood Issues

1998 Consolidated Assessment Roll

(Clause 1)

MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,

THAT Clause 1 of this report be received for information.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

Grandview Woodlands Neighbourhood Issues

(Clause 2)

MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,

THAT the recommendation of the Committee, as contained in Clause 2 of this report, be approved.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

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. Bellamy,

SECONDED by Cllr. Herbert,

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

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

The Council adjourned at 1:45 p.m.

* * * * *

STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL

ON CITY SERVICES AND BUDGETS

JANUARY 22, 1998

A Regular Meeting of the Standing Committee of Council on City Services and Budgets was held on Thursday, January 22, 1998, at 9:30 a.m. in Committee Room No. 1, Third Floor, City Hall.

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

CITY MANAGER'S
OFFICE:

CLERK TO THE
COMMITTEE:

ADOPTION OF MINUTES

The Minutes of the Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets meetings of December 4, 1997 and December 11, 1997 were adopted.

INFORMATION

1. 1998 Consolidated Assessment Roll File: 1552

David Highfield, Area Assessor, BC Assessment Authority, gave a presentation on assessment trends reflected in the City of Vancouver 1998 Assessment Roll Report dated January, 1998 (on file). Areas of interest highlighted by Mr. Highfield included the following:

·A 1997 legislative change now requires the BC Assessment Authority to cover costs of appeal under the Assessment Act. It is believed these costs can be covered by efficiencies implemented by the Assessment Authority. It was also pointed out that the appeal rate is very low (below 2%) compared to many other jurisdictions;

·In the matter of City of Vancouver vs. Musqueam Holdings Ltd. and Musqueam Properties Ltd., the Appeal Board has ruled that the subject properties must remain on the City of Vancouver Assessment Roll. This decision has been appealed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia;

·Key dates were briefly reviewed, noting that for this year only, the Court of Revision appeal deadline will be February 2, 1998;

·1998 Rolls totals were reviewed by property class, and Council's attention drawn to classes where there has been a significant percentage change between 1997 and 1998, including a 3.7% increase in actual values for Class 6 Business and Other;

·There was a significant shift in actual values between Class 4 Major Industry and Class 5 Light Industry. Much of this shift resulted from a reclassification of Port Corporation lands, based on more accurate reporting of information concerning those lands. Some Port lands were also removed from the rolls because they are now known to be navigable waterways or public roads, and, therefore, not taxable property;

cont'd

Clause No. 1 (cont'd)

·Changes in residential values have been more value-based than area-based, with higher-priced properties more likely to have fallen in value and lower-priced properties more likely to have remained the same or risen in value.

Deborah Lee, Deputy Assessor, responded to queries regarding changes in property values in specific geographic areas of the City, including portions of the Downtown Eastside, Chinatown, and Robson Street. Mr. Highfield and Ms. Lee undertook to obtain more detailed information on specific addresses for Council members desiring it, noting that the assessments in the Roll are as of July 1, 1997.

Mr. Highfield and Hugh Creighton, Director of Finance, responded to questions concerning the Port Corporation's grant in lieu of taxes to the City, and the status of the Port's appeal.

In response to a question why properties zoned for future residential use are taxed at a higher rate, Mr. Highfield clarified that multi-use properties are classified under their highest use. The legislation and a series of Supreme Court decisions do not permit a separate assessment. Ted Droettboom, General Manager of Community Services, further clarified that this applies only while land is vacant. Once it is in residential use, it will be classified accordingly.

Also in response to queries, Mr. Highfield explained the methods utilized to assess property, which are based on market value.

The Committee commented favourably upon the integrity of the BC assessment system, and thanked the Area Assessor for his presentation.

2. Grandview Woodlands Neighbourhood Issues File: 8008

At the request of the Grandview Woodlands Neighbourhood Action Group, arrangements were made for representatives to address the Committee about prostitution and drug trade activities in the neighbourhood. The Committee had before it the following materials as background information (on file):

·letter dated August 14, 1997 from the Grandview Woodlands Neighbourhood Action Group;

·Prostitution Fact Sheet and Backgrounder.

Councillor Puil left the meeting on civic business mid-way through the hearing of delegations on this item, and Councillor Chiavario assumed the Chair.

The following residents and business people addressed the Committee:

Cindy Chan Piper, Grandview Woodlands Neighbourhood Action Group (petition filed; also read letter from Sue Henderson, area resident, on file)

Howard Obrand, Beatty Floors

Jim Close, ASL Laboratories

John Davis, Mt. Pleasant area resident

Nash Hannamen, Royal Bank, Hastings and Nanaimo

"Louise", area resident

Following are some of the points made by the foregoing:

·The activities of prostitutes, johns and pimps and related drug use activities disturb the peace of the neighbourhood and threaten the safety of area residents and businesses. For example:

- residents and employees are openly solicited,

-needles, broken glass and used condoms are found on residential, business and school property;

- buildings and cars are broken into frequently;

- residents and employees have been threatened, robbed or assaulted;

-residents are afraid to walk in their own neighbourhoods,

cont'd

Clause No. 2 (cont'd)

-women employees are unable to work late and must be escorted to their cars after dark;

-business clients are disturbed by these activities and there is concern that many will begin to do their business elsewhere;

-associated panhandling, noise, traffic and litter are also problems;

·600·Area residents are particularly concerned for the safety of their children. There are serious health concerns because of the needles, broken glass, etc., which are so prevalent that children cannot even be allowed out to play in neighbourhood yards. There are also concerns because pimps target children and attempt to recruit them into prostitution;·600

·600·The City’s attempt to dissuade johns by installing temporary traffic barriers has had mixed results, and this barricading of the neighbourhood should be re-examined. While some in the area believe that traffic circulation has been reduced somewhat, the concrete barriers have also given the prostitutes places to sit or stand to entice their customers. Many of the johns continue to cruise the area in both private and company vehicles. Some cruise through by taxi. More ticketing could be helpful;·600

·600·Some speakers felt the Police seem unwilling to use their powers to deal with this street activity. Instead, the Police suggest measures such as installing garbage receptacles and increasing street lighting, rather than moving the activity out of the neighbourhood. One speaker described this as cooperating with the sex trade activity. Police response to complaints was also characterized as slow, although it was acknowledged the Police do respond promptly to reports of new minors on the street. There have also been communication problems; for example, 911 operators do not respond to sex trade-related complaints, and many area residents and businesses are unsure where to take their complaints;·600

·600·Some residents would be willing to lay complaints and testify in court against johns or pimps who have solicited them on the street, but the Police have refused to lay charges. Residents understand that the Police are frustrated by the leniency of the Courts towards the sex trade, but surely charges should be laid anyway;·600

cont'd

Clause No. 2 (cont'd)

·The Mount Pleasant neighbourhood was also invaded by the sex trade. Unable to obtain adequate Police protection, or help from the judicial system, the residents, in desperation, decided to occupy their own streets, take pictures of johns with prostitutes, etc. Finally, after an area resident successfully defended himself from a pimp’s assault, the prostitutes and their pimps left the neighbourhood;

·There were mixed reactions to a Committee member’s query whether the delegations would support the legalization of prostitution to permit its regulation;

·Various speakers suggested that the City take the following actions:

-adoption of a zero tolerance policy toward this activity, with consistent enforcement;

-more liaison and communication between Police and citizens so problems are acted upon immediately;

-follow-up of all complaints;

-target the johns, for example, make broader use of "Dear John" letters;

-assign adequate Police resources 24 hours a day, and when the problem moves on to another neighbourhood, follow it there:

-clean up the area, install brighter lighting, require adjacent owners to better maintain their properties, and any similar measures which will discourage the street activity;

·Such activity should not be tolerated in any neighbourhood. Grandview Woodlands is devastated and frustrated and needs help now.

The following responded to remarks by the foregoing speakers and answered questions from the Committee:

Inspector Gary Greer, Vancouver Police

Jeff Brooks, Director of Community Services, Social Planning

Sandy Cunningham, Provincial Prostitution Unit

Valerie Spicer, Britannia Community Safety Office

Constable Russ Mitchell, Hastings North Community Safety Office

Nancy Cheung, Neighbourhood Integrated Service Teams (NIST) Coordinator

Judy Rogers, Deputy City Manager

cont'd

Clause No. 2 (cont'd)

Following are some of the points made:

·Prostitution is not illegal in Canada unless the prostitute is underaged. Solicitation for the purpose of engaging in prostitution is illegal, but is very difficult to prove. Either the prostitute or the john would have to testify, and this is very unlikely. The standard of proof is such that area residents would likely be unable to prove they were solicited;

·It is not the Police, but Crown Counsel who decides whether to lay charges. Crown Counsel is unwilling to lay charges unless there is good likelihood of a conviction;

·The Police do not have the power to simply move people off the street. The old vagrancy laws which gave the Police this leeway are no longer in force;

·The judiciary regards sex trade activity as a nuisance crime. Even where convictions can be obtained, unless the john has a prior record, the most likely outcome is a discharge. Residents of areas impacted by the sex trade may be able to influence the judiciary’s opinion by filing neighbourhood impact statements, making it clear how serious the impacts can be;

·Public information campaigns, such as the poster campaign that buying sex from children is a crime, can be useful if followed up by enforcement. Community education is an important factor in changing behaviour. Many corporations would be willing to help in funding of such programs, and the Provincial Prostitution Unit can provide some assistance in coordinating such initiatives.

·The Police do target johns. Where there is good evidence that a john has actually bought sex, Police will follow up with a "Dear John" letter (sample in previously referenced Prostitution Backgrounder). However, the Police must have good reason to use such letters, which may have serious repercussions for the recipient. For example, it is not sufficient simply to see a car cruising the area, or a driver simply speaking with a prostitute;

cont'd

Clause No. 2 (cont'd)

·The Vice Squad targets pimps. However, this is a time-consuming activity, and there has been no increase in the number of Police members on the squad for years. (Inspector Greer was asked to provide information regarding how many members would be required to bring the Vice Squad up to adequate strength);

·The goal is to have community safety offices become the focal point for community complaints, and it was pointed out a new community safety office is opening in this neighbourhood. 911 operators are being provided with information which will enable them to refer such complaints to the appropriate community safety office. This and other issues of coordination are being addressed by the Chief Constable’s restructuring initiative. Also, there are long-serving community Police officers on all NIST teams, which, because of their cross-departmental nature, provide a useful forum for dealing with community complaints;

·The Police do their best to remove underaged prostitutes from the streets, but when they are turned over to Social Services Ministry workers, those workers have no power to hold them. However, when a john who has purchased sex from a child can be brought to trial, judges are more likely to regard the offense as serious and to sentence accordingly. However, it can be difficult to get the child to testify, often out of fear of retaliation by pimps;

·Many sex trade workers become involved in the trade at an early age. Therefore, prevention may be the best long-term method for dealing with this problem. Preventing the sexual exploitation of children requires a coordinated approach. Different jurisdictions have the ability to pass laws dealing with the sexual exploitation of children, and lawmaking would also benefit from a coordinated approach;

cont'd

Clause No. 2 (cont'd)

·Young people at risk of involvement in the sex trade or drug use can often be identified at an earlier stage. Those at risk include youth with low self-esteem, youth in care, and youth from poor family backgrounds which do not offer adequate support. The Provincial Prostitution Unit has a resources package which identifies factors which may place a child at risk of recruitment into the sex trade. Intervention could appropriately form part of the school curriculum, targeted even at children in elementary school. Teachers, child care workers and parents could all intervene, given appropriate information and options;

·There is a need for more resources to assist those sex trade workers who want to get off the street. Needed resources include detox facilities, and safe housing. "You Have Heard This Before" (on file), a report prepared for the Children’s Commissioner by the Vancouver Interministerial Street Children’s Committee, contains detailed information on resources needed by street youth;

·It may be possible to more vigorously enforce City by-laws having to do with littering, standards of property maintenance, traffic, etc. to assist such communities in the short term. However, there are budget implications. A staff team has been looking into this and will be advising Council of the results;

·The Britannia Community Safety Office area is also affected by similar problems, and will be hosting a meeting on March 3rd with area MLAs and MPs to discuss the issues. Council, Police, and the Provincial Prostitution Unit were invited to attend. (The Committee suggested that all Vancouver Mps and MLAs be invited to attend.)

The Committee shared the frustrations expressed. While there are clearly no easy solutions, it was hoped staff would be able to provide useful information on measures to address these issues. In the longer term, the laws may have to be changed to provide better solutions.

cont'd

Clause No. 2 (cont'd)

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

RECOMMENDED

THAT staff provide an information memo on initiatives which the City can pursue to deal with community problems caused by the sex trade, including:

·whether the City Manager can increase street cleaning, standards of maintenance enforcement, litter control and traffic control measures to assist neighbourhoods struggling to cope with street sex trade activity;

·the involvement of taxis in this problem and what approach the City can take to curtail their involvement;

·methods whereby the judiciary and Crown Counsel can be educated to recognize the real impacts of sex trade activity on the neighbourhoods in which it is located, and to provide appropriate sentencing (community service or fine options) or other options, with these judicial issues being referred to the Urban Safety Commission for a strategy;

·contacting the Canadian and BC Bar Associations to integrate into their programs education on how sex trade activity affects neighbourhoods;

·means of educating johns not to engage in such activity, such as Calgary’s "john school";

·a meeting with Vancouver MPs and MLAs to discuss the consequences of sex trade activity on neighbourhoods and how they can be addressed by coordinating the activities and possibly modifying the laws of the three levels of government;

·discussing the need for more detoxification facilities, safe houses and longer-term secure housing;

cont'd

Clause No. 2 (cont'd)

·reviewing the issue of "Dear John" letters and how they might be more broadly used; for example, whether they might be used in neighbourhoods which are willing to be publicly identified as neighbourhoods in crisis, with ads and signs to this effect posted accordingly;

·what potential there is for adding information on identification of at-risk behaviour into school curricula;

·what are the problems preventing intervention before children become involved in drugs or prostitution, and what opportunities or windows there are for resolving this, i.e. intervention by parents, social workers, police, and schools;

·citizens presenting the issue with City staff to the School Board to discuss developing curriculum for children regarding safety and early intervention issues;

·Council having a joint meeting with the Police Board to discuss the topics of prostitution, crime and drugs relative to policing strategies;

·what the City can do to raise public information and awareness on a consistent basis; for example, production of a regular news column to provide information about where to go for help with neighbourhood issues.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

(Cllr. Sullivan not present for the foregoing vote)

The meeting adjourned at 1:40 p.m.

(c) 1997 City of Vancouver