Board Highlights
june 25, 2007

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 - June 25, 2007

CHAIR'S REPORT

The Chair reported on a number of community events attended by Commissioners in the last two weeks including Dog Day afternoon at Trout Lake, Riley Park's annual festival, Nat Bailey Stadium's home opener game and MoreSports Soccer Jam. The Park Board's 2006 Annual Report was published and widely distributed.

GENERAL MANAGER'S REPORT

Park Board related items on Council agenda this week include Southeast False Creek design approval and Capital Plan priorities.

STAFF REPORTS

Parks Control By-Law Amendment regarding Cetaceans
The Board implemented an amendment to the Park Control By-Law section 9 e) (iv) which allows for the importation of stranded or wounded whales and dolphins with or without the intention of releasing them back in to the wild. The By-law was enacted.

Financial Reports as of April 30, 2007
An information report was received on the 2007 Operating Statement. Overall, revenues and expenditures are comparable to last year. Financials were presented around the Stanley Park Restoration. Out of the budget of $9 million, $475,000 has been spent on the project. For the first four months of the year, a total of $173,121 has been received for the Donations/Fundraising program.

Administrative Report - Position Changes
The Board approved several staffing changes, including a change in hours for 3 part-time CUPE 15 positions (Swimming Instructors and Head Cashier), the creation of 1 full-time CUPE 15 position (Facility Development Coordinator), and the deletion of 1 regular full-time Exempt position (Food Services Supervisor) and creation of 1 regular full-time Exempt position (Manager of Business Development). The Board requested that the new Business Development Manager position not be filled until the General Manager has identified the priorities of this job and reports back to the Board.

Southeast False Creek Design Approval
The design for the new Southeast False Creek Community and Boating Centre was approved. The LEED Platinum facility is being built on the site of the Olympic Village and will include a typical community centre program over two floors, along with a childcare space and restaurant. Designed as a prominent waterfront feature, the new centre will offer services and facilities for non-motorized boating activities. Construction will start late this year and be complete in Fall 2009; VANOC will use the building until Spring 2010.

Council Report - 2006/2007 Capital Plan Priorities
Recommendations in a Council report were endorsed proposing funding strategies for developing the Trillium park site in East Vancouver and for the Expo Decks replacement in Creekside Park. Two artificial fields will be built at Trillium funded by Development Cost Levies of $4.5 million. Part of the park site at 400 Industrial Avenue at the south edge of the False Creek Flats will be used as the new home of the City Animal Shelter, with remaining land to be used as greenspace. Consultants will be engaged to look at costs and options for securing access to the Expo Decks adjacent to Science World in False Creek as well as a park concept plan on the structure.

Aquatic Program Review
The Aquatic Program Review Task Force Report was accepted and staff was instructed to implement the various program, financial and operational changes in the report. The review, designed to guide the operation and programming of indoor pools, is a companion piece to the 2002 Aquatics Services Review. The recommendations, developed with extensive input from partners and stakeholders, will help ensure programs and facilities are operated in an equitable, cost-effective and fiscally sustainable manner. The Board also approved a Pool Allocation Priority for Use Policy giving first priority to public swim sessions and instructional programs. Staff were directed to report back to the Board on the impacts of the allocation policy on a yearly basis.

Vancouver Technical School Artificial Turf - Construction Project Award
Wilco Landscape Contractors were awarded the $1.436 million contract to build the new artificial turf field at Vancouver Technical Secondary School, to be used by both community groups and students. The field is expected to be ready for January 2008.

Oak and 37th Park Site - Contract Award
C.A.P. Ventures were awarded a contract for $696,050 for the construction of the Oak and 37th Avenue park site. Funding is available from the Park Board's Capital Plan and from the Conseil Scolaire Francophone Secondary School.

Stanley Park Restoration Forestry Services - Contract Award
Bryan Peterson Contracting was awarded a contract at a price not to exceed $500,000 for recovery operations in the Stanley Park forest. Activities will include modification and removal of danger trees, removal of an appropriate amount of fallen trees, and the removal of fine woody debris. Work will start immediately and is expected to be completed in approximately three months.

Oppenheimer Park and Field House Upgrade - Consultant Contract
The Board awarded a consultant contract to Space2place for $179,300 to work with the Downtown East Side community re: upgrades to Oppenheimer Park and field house. They will outline a design program, develop concept options, refine a concept plan and take the plan through to the construction phase.

Stanley Park Restoration - Contract Awards for Forest Prescriptions, Fire Preparedness and Ecological Monitoring
Three contracts were awarded as part of the Restoration Plan for Stanley Park. B.A. Blackwell & Associates will continue their work to prepare detailed forest clean-up and regeneration prescriptions specific to each blowdown area, and develop a fire preparedness plan for the 2007 fire season. Ecologic Consulting will continue to assist with monitoring by on-site biologists and conducting bird surveys during recovery operations.

MOTION

A Motion was put forward that Park Board special event staff inform each event applicant they have permission to offer bike valet services in our parks, with the incentive of a higher probability of approval for their event. The Motion carried.

NEXT MEETING

The next regular meeting of the Park Board will be held at 7 pm on Monday, July 9th at 2099 Beach Avenue.

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