Board Meeting Highlights
July 11, 2005
The following information is intended to provide quick highlights of this scheduled Board meeting. Every attempt has been made to summarize these highlights as accurately as possible; however, the complete and official minutes will be posted on the web site on the Monday one week prior to the next scheduled Board meeting.
Meeting Agenda - July 11, 2005
CHAIR'S REPORT
Canada's Park Day is Saturday, July 16 - the Park Board is celebrating by hosting two interpretive Tall Tree walks in Queen Elizabeth Park. Premium on-line golf reservations have been introduced, allowing tee time bookings six to thirty days in advance.
GENERAL MANAGER'S REPORT
A number of Park Board related agenda items are at Council and Committees this week, including: cost escalation for the new Sunset Community Centre, records management by-law and policy, Plaza of Nations land use study, new Animal Control by-law and amendments, and City employee recruitment campaign.
At last Council meeting, a resolution was added to the 2006-2008 Capital Plan to include a public consultation question about the future of the Mount Pleasant Pool.
STAFF REPORTS
Falaise
Park Wetland Concept Plan
The Board approved the Concept Plan for Falaise
Park in East Vancouver. The Park Board and
consultant have worked with residents to develop
a wetland garden concept to enhance local habitat,
capture surface run-off, improve park aesthetics,
provide educational opportunities and enable
greater community use. In four garden areas
there will be plants and grasses, pathways
and boardwalk and a meadow. Construction will
begin in September.
Pandora Park
and Playground Update
The Concept Plan was approved to address the
community's desire for increased use and enjoyment
of Pandora, an East Vancouver neighborhood
park. Improvements will be concentrated in
the four acre park's central core and will
include replacement and relocation of the playground,
new pathway, more picnic and seating areas,
retention of all mature trees, increased connections
to other portions of the park, reduction of
hard surfaces and additional trees, flowering
shrubs and greenspace. Work will begin in early
Fall.
Sunset Community
Centre Cost Escalation
Replacement of the Sunset Community Centre
is a high priority for the Park Board. Plans
are to build the new facility to LEED Gold
standards. Construction escalation has increased
the costs signficantly over the last 18
months. Funding to-date is from the Canada/BC
Infrastructure Grant and original 2006-2008
Capital Plan. The Board endorsed recommendations
in the Council report which approved an additional
allocation of $3 million to fund the shortfall;
and acknowledged the generous contribution
of $500,000 from the Sunset Community Centre
Association towards the centre replacement.
Operating Statements
as at May 31, 2005
For the first five months of the year Park
Board revenues are down, influenced by
poor Spring weather. Programs such as golf,
concessions and leased operations have
earned $550,000 less than in the same period
of 2004. Strategies are in place to address
the revenue shortfall and contain related
costs. Expenditures are aligned with the
budget. It is anticipated that a shortfall
in revenues, offset by savings in expenditures,
will produce a balanced budget by year
end.
Lawn Bowling
Clubs
The leases for seven lawn bowling clubs were approved
for five more years: Dunbar, West Point Grey, Kerrisdale,
Granville Park, Vancouver, Vancouver South and Stanley
Park. These clubs provide a valuable recreation service
to the public.
Memo of
Understanding (MOU) Oppenheimer Park
The Board received an information report on a Memo
of Understanding (MOU) for Oppenheimer Park. The small
park in the Downtown Eastside has long served as a
recreational and social centre for the community. The
MOU will help the Park Board and Carnegie Centre, which
operates a year-round program in the park, work together
more effectively, share goals and expectations, and
coordinate effort. Roles and responsibilities will
be clarified around a number of key issues such as
priorities of use, community involvement, communications,
maintenance, special events and sevice planning. The
Oppenheimer Park Committee will be integrated as a
Park Board ParkPartners organization.
NEXT MEETING
The next regular meeting of the Park Board is at 7:00 pm on Monday, July 25th at Marpole-Oakridge Community Centre.
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