Events, decisions, and reports at City Council this week
Vancouver City Council met electronically this week to hear and discuss a variety of topics during Council and Standing Committee on City Finance and Services meetings.
Tuesday, November 24, 2020
Council approved several reports and referral reports:
- 2020 Cultural Grants - Cultural Impact Critical Assistance (CICA) COVID-19 Recovery Investment Grants PDF file (285 KB)
- Theatre Rental Grant Allocations – Spring 2021 PDF file (111 KB)
- New Licence Agreement for Saa-ust (“Lift Up”) Centre, 44 East Cordova PDF file (186 KB) – approved with amendments
- 2021 Land Assessment Averaging: Notice to BC Assessment Authority PDF file (54 KB)
- Enforcement of Street Vending By-law No. 10868 – Amending the Ticket Offences By-law No. 9360 PDF file (71 KB)
- Contract Award for Consulting Services for Marpole-Oakridge Community Centre PDF file (51 KB)
- Funding Application to Infrastructure Canada (Clean BC Communities Fund) – Queen Elizabeth Theatre Energy Retrofit PDF file (95 KB)
- Employment Lands and Economy Review Quick Start Actions: Zoning and Development By-law Amendments to Remove Barriers to New Work-only Artist Studios in Industrial Areas PDF file (313 KB)
- Employment Lands and Economy Review Quick Start Actions: Mount Pleasant I 1 Amendment and New I-1C District Schedule PDF file (6 MB)
- Employment Lands and Economy Review Quick Start Actions: Downtown-Eastside/Oppenheimer District Official Development Plan Text Amendment – Retail Continuity Policy Review for Flexibility of Ground Floor Uses (418 KB)
- Employment Lands and Economy Review Quick Start Actions: Initial Zoning and Development By-law Amendments to Support Neighbourhood Grocery Stores PDF file (649 KB)
- Zoning and Development By-Law Amendments for Mass Timber Construction PDF file (80 KB)
Staff gave a presentation PDF file (855 KB) to Council on Criteria for 100% Secured Rental and Below-Market Housing as an Alternative to Inclusionary Social Housing in the Burrard Corridor of the West End Community Plan PDF file (346 KB). After asking questions of staff, hearing from one speaker and Council debate, this was approved with amendments.
By-laws 1 to 23 PDF file (10 MB) were approved, except for By-law 6 which failed.
Council also approved the following administrative motions:
- Approval of Form of Development - 420 Hawks Avenue PDF file (16 KB)
- Approval of Form of Development - 6137 Cambie Street PDF file (16 KB)
- Approval of Form of Development - 8636-8656 Oak Street PDF file (15 KB)
- Approval of Form of Development - 1805 Larch Street PDF file (15 KB) – after receiving a staff presentation
The motion Protecting Tenants from Real Estate Investment Trusts PDF file (44 KB) was withdrawn.
The following motions were referred to Wednesday’s Standing Committee on City Finance and Services meeting, in order to hear from speakers:
- Petition for the Removal of the Alma Street Building Line PDF file (46 KB)
- Sustaining Vancouver’s Chinatown PDF file (29 KB)
- Working with Senior Governments to Address the Overdose Crisis PDF file (21 KB)
Wednesday, November 25, 2020
The Standing Committee on City Finance and Services began by approving:
- Coal Harbour School, Childcare, and Affordable Housing Project PDF file (552 KB)
- Annual Financial Authorities - 2021 PDF file (46 KB)
- Report Back on Empty Homes Tax 2021 Tax Rate Increase PDF file (127 KB)
The meeting then dealt with motions referred from Tuesday’s Council meeting.
After hearing from three speakers for Petition for the Removal of the Alma Street Building Line PDF file (46 KB) and one speaker for Sustaining Vancouver’s Chinatown PDF file (29 KB), these were approved.
The meeting also heard from 27 speakers for Working with Senior Governments to Address the Overdose Crisis PDF file (21 KB) and approved this with amendments.
By-law 1 PDF file (56 KB) was approved.
The next Special Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 1, at 9:30am.
Quotes
Councillor Jean Swanson
Regarding Report Back on Empty Homes Tax 2021 Tax Rate Increase and Working with Senior Governments to Address the Overdose Crisis
“Two good things happened at Council this week. We upped the Empty Homes Tax to three per cent, and we will ask the feds to decriminalize possession of small amounts of drugs. There’s lots more work to do to stop poison drugs from killing people, but this is one step. And hopefully we’ll get more money from the Empty Homes Tax to put into housing people who are on the street.”