CITY OF VANCOUVER

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL ON

CITY SERVICES AND BUDGETS

JULY 9, 1998

A Regular Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Thursday, July 9, 1998 at 10:35 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 Daniel Lee Councillor Don Lee Councillor Gordon Price Councillor George Puil Councillor Sam Sullivan
ABSENT:	Councillor Nancy A. Chiavario (Civic Business) Councillor Lynne Kennedy (Civic Business)
CLERK TO THE COUNCIL:	Tarja Tuominen

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Puil,

SECONDED by Cllr. Bellamy,

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

July 9, 1998

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

Cl.1: Coin Collection Operations Re-Engineering

Cl.2: Gastown Lighting

Clause 1

MOVED by Cllr. Puil,

THAT the recommendation of the Committee, as contained in Clause 1 of this report, be approved.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

Clause 2

MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,

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

- CARRIED

(Councillors Herbert, Don Lee and Puil opposed to Recommendation A)

RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Puil,

THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ADOPT REPORT OF 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

The Council adjourned at 10:40 a.m.

* * * * *

REPORT TO COUNCIL

STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL

ON CITY SERVICES AND BUDGETS

JULY 9, 1998

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

PRESENT:	Councillor George Puil, Chair Mayor Philip Owen Councillor Don Bellamy Councillor Jennifer Clarke Councillor Alan Herbert Councillor Daniel Lee Councillor Don Lee Councillor Gordon Price Councillor Sam Sullivan
ABSENT:	Councillor Nancy A. Chiavario (Civic Business) Councillor Lynne Kennedy (Civic Business)
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE:	Ken Dobell, City Manager
CLERK TO THE COMMITTEE:	Tarja Tuominen

ADOPTION OF MINUTES

The Minutes of the Standing Committee on City Services meetings of May 14, 25 and 28, and June 2, 1998, were adopted.

RECOMMENDATION

1. Coin Collection Operations Re-Engineering File: 5654

The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated June 16, 1998 (on file) in which the General Manager of Engineering Services reviewed the City’s coin collection operation and recommended the amalgamation of the Coin Collection and Parking Meter Maintenance Operations and the addition of a supervisor and four regular employees.

The Chair advised of the receipt of a letter dated July 6, 1998 from CUPE 15 requesting the matter be deferred to allow the Union an appropriate opportunity to respond. The Chair further advised CUPE 15 was notified of the meeting date by letter, dated June 23, enclosing a copy of the final report. Following brief discussion, the Committee agreed to proceed with the consideration of the report.

Brent MacGregor, Deputy City Engineer, provided a brief history of the operation and a rational for the proposals recommended in the report. Coin Collections has become a much more significant operation which needs six day coverage, and will eventually expand to seven days. Mr. MacGregor responded to questions on security, hours of work, and enforcement.

The following motion by the Mayor was put and carried. The Committee, therefore,

RECOMMENDED

A.THAT the Coin Collection and Parking Meter Maintenance Operations be combined as a new Engineering Services Operating Branch.

B.THAT the four existing Temporary Full Time Coin Collector positions be confirmed as Regular Full Time.

C.THAT the Coin Collector I and II positions be combined into a single classification with some meter maintenance duties. Salary level to be initially established at the Coin Collector II level subject to job classification by the Director of Human Resources.

cont'd

Clause No. 1 (cont'd)

D.THAT two regular full time exempt staff positions of Manager and Assistant Manger be established subject to job evaluation by the Director of Human Resources. The cost of these positions will be offset by parking meter revenues and by the elimination of one existing full time Foreman position.

E.THAT staff establish the hours of work to meet the operational requirements for the combined operation over the next two months.

F.THAT initial operating expenses, totalling an estimated $213,000, and ongoing annual costs of $128,000, as detailed in the Administrative Report dated June 16, 1998, be approved.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

2. Gastown Lighting

The Committee had before it an Administrative Report, dated June 11, 1998 (on file) in which the General Managers of Engineering and Community Services reviewed lighting options for the Gastown heritage lighting fixtures and sought approval of one of two alternative lighting sources for the Gastown heritage fixtures: retaining the original incandescent lighting or changing to less costly fluorescent lighting except for those lamps in the unit block Alexander.

Peter Judd, Assistant City Engineer, Electrical & Equipment Services, and Jeannette Hlavach, Heritage Planner, reviewed the options put forward in the report and responded to questions on funding of the incandescent lighting and reliability of compact fluorescent lamps. Ms. Hlavach advised the film industry is quite keen to make a contribution to retain the incandescent lighting; the industry is always looking for an opportunity to make a contribution to a neighbourhood in which it is working.

The following spoke in support of retaining the incandescent lighting in Gastown:

·Sue Bennett, Chair, Gastown Historic Area Planning Committee

·Ralf Kalman, Friends of Incandescence

·Mary Jewell, Lighting Subcommittee, Gastown Historic Area Planning Committee (brief filed)

cont'd

Clause No. 2 (cont'd)

The foregoing speakers supported the incandescent lighting based on one or more of the following points:

·there will be growing willingness on the part of Gastown homeowners to pay for incandescent lighting;

·the film industry works a lot in Gastown and is interested in contributing funds for the neighbourhood;

·this is a rare international opportunity to save incandescent lighting in a small area;

·feel secure the economic issue of funding the incandescent light can be met;

·strongly urge using the 100-watt option for incandescent lighting; still safe and efficient;

·retaining the incandescent lighting is an issue of preserving our cultural identity;

·the GHAPC Lighting Subcommittee has identified a number of potential funding options to assist in retaining the incandescent lighting in the Gastown area.

During discussion, the Committee noted the discussion on incandescent versus fluorescent lighting has been ongoing for several years.

The following motion by Councillor Herbert was put and lost.

THAT the existing 150 watt incandescent lamps in the Gastown style fixtures remain and that staff be directed to set up a heritage sponsorship program in consultation with the BC Film Commission to allow film companies to contribute funding toward the preservation of incandescent lighting in Gastown;

FURTHER THAT the program be reviewed at the end of one year.

- LOST

(Councillors Bellamy, Daniel Lee, Puil, Sullivan and the Mayor opposed)

The following motion by the Mayor was put and carried. The Committee, therefore,

RECOMMENDED

ATHAT all lighting in the Gastown style fixtures be converted to 23 watt compact fluorescent lamps, except for those in the unit block Alexander;

cont'd

Clause No. 2 (cont'd)

BTHAT staff monitor the savings associated with the approved alternative and report back to Council if the savings differ significantly from those estimated or if a change in circumstances warrants a reexamination of alternatives;

C.THAT a 50% cost-sharing grant be sought from the BC Heritage Trust for the preparation of a Gastown lighting plan at a total estimated cost of $20,000. Funding for the City's share of $10,000 is available from the 1998 Engineering Street Lighting Capital Budget for Street Lighting Design.

- CARRIED

(Councillors Herbert, Don Lee and Puil opposed to Recommendation A)

A member of the Committee requested staff to explore the potential of voluntary contributions by the film industry to the Gastown area and report back by memorandum.

The meeting adjourned at 10:35 a.m.

* * * * *

(c) 1998 City of Vancouver