Board of Parks and Recreation
Regular Board Meeting
Monday, October 6, 2003 at 7:00 pm
AGENDA (REVISED)
A recording of the Agenda is available at 604-257-8507.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
- Minutes of the regular meeting of the Board held on September
22, 2003 .
CHAIR'S REPORT
Item 2 - Bright Nights - Renewal of Agreement with BC Firefighter's Burn
Fund and CUPE Local 1004
Representatives from the Firefighter's Burn Fund unit requested to
speak to the Board.
Item
3 - Eburne Lands Subdivision
The following delegations requested to speak to the Board:
- Glen McRae, Port Authority
- Maureen Jones, Port Authority
- Terry Fleck
- Dick Stace-Smith, Fraser River Coalition
- Wendy Turner
- June Binkert, Save Our Parkland Association
- Bert Brink, Save Our Parkland Association
- West Southlands Rate Payers Association
- Helen Spiegelman, SPEC
Item
4 - Vancouver's Waterfront Promenade - Waterfront Centre's Excellence
on the Waterfront Award
Eleanor Hadley requested to speak to the Board.
DELEGATIONS
STAFF REPORTS
- Bright Nights - Renewal of Agreement with BC Firefighter's Burn Fund and CUPE
Local 1004
Staff report dated September 25, 2003 recommending that the Board approve recommendations
A to D.
- Eburne Lands Subdivision
Staff report dated September 25, 2003 recommending that the Board
recommend to Council acceptance of payment in lieu of park dedication
at the proposed
subdivision of the Eburne Lands, subject to legal arrangements to the satisfaction
of the General Manager Park Board and the Director of Legal Services, for
the possible acquisition of Richmond Island for park purposes
at a later date as
described in the report and that the Board recommend to the Approving Officer
the establishment of public right-of-ways along the water with the matter
of physical access to be resolved through any development permits.
- Vancouver's Waterfront Promenade - Waterfront Centre's Excellence
on the Waterfront Award
Staff report dated September 22, 2003 recommending that the Board
receive the report for information.
- Stanley Park Commemorative Integrity Statement
Staff report dated September 23, 2003 recommending that the Board
adopt the Stanley Park Commemorative Integrity Statement as an
acknowledgment of the
Park's status as a National Historic Site and as a reference
for future decision-making.
Appendix A [1.35Mb] - Stanley Park Commemorative Integrity
Statement dated November 2002
- Establishment of the Child and Youth Advocate
Staff report dated September 23, 2003 recommending that the Board
receive the report for information.
ENQUIRIES, OTHER MATTERS AND NEW BUSINESS
MOTIONS
- The following motions were referred from the meeting of the Board
held on Monday, September 22, 2003:
WHEREAS:
- The City of Vancouver has established a Commission on
Electoral Reform to implement the ward system in time for the
next general civic
election;
- The Vancouver Park Board has been included in the terms
of reference of the Commission;
- The Vancouver Park Board
has never been consulted nor has it ever expressed an opinion
as to whether it wishes
to be included in this process;
- No consultation with
the citizens of Vancouver has taken place as to whether the
Park Board should be elected by
a ward system;
- The Park Board is committed to public
consultation;
- The Commission on Electoral Reform is only to examine
how we implement wards, not whether we should have
wards, so that no discussion as
to the benefits of
each system will be relevant;
- Vancouver is consistently rated as one of the most livable
cities in the world;
- The Park Board has been elected at large since 1890;
- No ward city has an elected Park Board; and
- An elected Park Board is unlikely to survive a ward
system.
Therefore be it Resolved:
- The Vancouver Park Board recommends
that no changes be made to the method of election of the
Park Board without public
consultation and
a referendum
put to the voters; and
- The Vancouver Park Board requests
that the City not purport to make
changes in regard
to the election
of
the Park Board
without consulting
the Park Board.
- The following motions were put forward by Commissioner Romaniuk,
WHEREAS the City of Vancouver has established a Commission on
Electoral Reform to receive submissions and report to Council
on the method of electing municipal
representatives; and
WHEREAS Thomas Berger has been appointed as the Commissioner and has been
charged to recommend a public process to Council by mid-November 2003, with
the final
report to be submitted in April 2004; and
WHEREAS the terms of reference for the Electoral Reform Commission include
the method of electing Park Board Commissioners; and
WHEREAS the mandate of this commission is to specifically include a ward
system, but is not intended to exclude other methods of electing councillors
and commissioners.
Therefore Be It Resolved:
That the Vancouver Park Board supports the Commission
on Electoral Reform in establishing a public process which
will examine the merits of a ward
system,
as well as other electoral systems including the current
at-large system;
And Therefore Be It Further Resolved:
That the Vancouver Park Board requests that City
Council not make changes to the method of electing parks commissioners
without consulting the Park
Board,
and to this end the Board will participate in the
public
process as conducted by the Commission on Electoral
Reform.
- The following motions were put forward by Commissioner
Romaniuk,
WHEREAS the Community Visions Choices Survey, which included
questions on the aging house at 2317 McGill Street, was distributed
June 2003 in the Hastings-Sunrise
community, and 1850 surveys were returned; and
WHEREAS the survey indicated an overwhelming interest in creating more indoor
recreation space in the community for youth and seniors programs, and involving
the public in these initiatives; and
WHEREAS Kiwassa Neighbourhood House is bursting at the seams with community
programs and looking for opportunities to expand their services;
Therefore Be It Resolved:
That the Vancouver Park Board rescind the demolition order for the
unoccupied house at 2317 McGill Street in order that public consultation
take place
in the Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood, involving stakeholders such
as the Burrardview
Residence Association and Kiwassa Neighbourhood House, on the future
of the site at 2317 McGill Street, which could include either renovation
of
the
unoccupied house for a use benefiting the community, or conversion
to green space, and
that the deadline for this consultation result in a recommendation
to Park Board no later than February 29, 2004.
- The following motions were put forward by Commissioner Anton,
WHEREAS:
- Persons in Strathcona Park are living in the park and are
erecting tents and other structures and are thereby in
breach of the Parks Control By-law;
- Public access to Strathcona Park is limited by the presence
of those persons and the tents and other structures;
- Community groups in the area have informed the Park
Board that residents are intimidated by those persons
and do not
now use the park;
It is Resolved That:
- This Board take such action as is necessary including
legal action to effect the earliest possible removal from Strathcona
Park of tents and other structures erected in the Park in breach of the Parks
Control By-law;
- This Board request the assistance of the City of Vancouver Housing Centre in
finding housing for those persons living in Strathcona Park needing housing.
WHEREAS:
- Persons in the area known as Creekside Park are living in the park
and are erecting tents and other structures and are impeding public use of that area;
and
- Creekside Park is maintained by the Park Board but is
within the jurisdiction of the City of Vancouver;
It is Resolved That:
This Board request the City of Vancouver to take such action as is necessary
including legal action to effect the removal of tents and other structures from Creekside Park at
the earliest possible time.
NEXT MEETING: Monday, October 20 at 7:00 pm