MAYOR’S TASK FORCE ON COMMUNITY HOUSING MEETING

 

MINUTES

 

An Open meeting of the Mayor’s Task Force on Community Housing was held in Room 103, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, 6450 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby, B.C. on Wednesday, 2019 July 17 at 4:00 p.m. followed by a Closed meeting from which the public was excluded. 

 

1.

CALL TO ORDER

 

 

PRESENT:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ABSENT:

 

 

 

CIVIC

ENGAGEMENT:

Councillor Pietro Calendino, Chair

His Worship, Mayor Mike Hurley, Vice Chair

Councillor Sav Dhaliwal, Member (arrived at 4:21 p.m.)

Councillor Joe Keithley, Member

Councillor James Wang, Member

Mr. Thom Armstrong, Member

Mr. Mike Bosa, Member

Mr. Patrick Buchannon, Member

Ms. Lois Budd, Member

Mr. Beau Jarvis, Member

Mr. Brian McCauley, Member

Mr. Murray Martin, Member

Ms. Kari Michaels, Member

Ms. Claire Preston, Member

Mr. Daniel Tetrault, Member (arrived 4:05 p.m.)

 

Mr. Paul Holden, Member

Dr. Paul Kershaw, Member

Ms. Anne McMullin, Member

 

Ms. Shauna Sylvester, Centre for Dialogue, SFU

Ms. Michelle Bested, Centre for Dialogue, SFU

 

STAFF:

Mr. Lambert Chu, City Manager

Mr. Dipak Dattani, Director Corporate Services

Mr. Ed Kozak, Director Planning and Building

  Ms. Lily Ford, Planner  – Housing

  Mr. David Clutton, Long Range Planner

  Mr. Jim Wolf, Senior Long Range Planner

  Ms. Sarah Crawford, Long Range Planner

Ms. Margaret Eberle, Housing Consultant

Ms. Kate O’Connell, City Clerk

Ms. Eva Prior, Administrative Officer

 

1.

CALL TO ORDER

 

 

The Chair called the Open Task Force meeting to order at 4:04 p.m.

 

The Chair, Councillor Pietro Calendino recognized the ancestral and unceded homelands of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and traditional hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ speaking people, and extended appreciation for the opportunity to hold a meeting on this shared territory.

 

2.

MINUTES

 

 

a)

Minutes of the Mayor’s Task Force on Community Housing

Open meeting held on 2019 July 10

 

MOVED BY councillor joe keithley

Seconded by ms. claire preston

 

THAT the minutes of the Mayor’s Task Force on Community Housing Open meeting held on 2019 July 10 be adopted.

 

                                                                               CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

 

*Mr. Daniel Tetrault arrived at 4:05 p.m.*

 

3.

OPENING REMARKS

 

His Worship, Mayor Mike Hurley delivered the following opening remarks:

 

As this phase of work comes to a close, I want to thank you all again for what you have done.

 

You have heard me say this before, but it bears repeating – housing is the single most critical issue for our city and this region.  How we address our challenges will define us today, and in decades to come.

 

The recommendations this Task Force puts forward to Burnaby City Council represent more than six months work, 10 meetings, two public workshops, online and face-to-face public sentiment research.  The recommendations represent the way Burnaby is making decisions today, and it is a big departure from past approaches.

 

You were invited to join this Task Force because of the perspective you bring and because of your willingness to listen to other ideas and work towards innovative solutions that can work in this city.  We may have started this journey as individuals representing different interests, but through this valuable and effective process we have broadened our understanding of the roles each of us play in identifying solutions to the current housing crisis.

 

On July 29 when the Task Force recommendations and the staff report go before City Council, I would like you to be there. Council and the public will benefit from seeing who you are, and having the opportunity to recognize you for the work you’ve done.

 

You committed your time and intelligence to this Task Force willingly and fully.  My commitment to you is to respect the work you have done and to let you know what decisions are made by Council and what actions we take.

 

I have been so impressed by the group around the table and your ability to respect each other even when in disagreement.  I can’t thank you enough for the work you have done on this important issue.

 

Council will receive this report on July 29, and I expect there will be differences of opinion on how we proceed. I intend to keep the lines of communications between us open as the City moves forward to close the gap between the housing we need and the housing we have.

 

Communities are strongest and most resilient when they make room for everyone regardless of income, age, family status or abilities.  We need to continue to be a diverse, vibrant city. Protecting Burnaby residents is the reason I ran for office.

 

I believe that the ideas and recommendations arising from the work of this task force and from the thousands of people who submitted ideas and shared their thoughts will make us a better city. We will have a safer city, a city that is home to the people who live here now, and that welcomes the many, many people who are eager to move here.

 

4.

CONTEXT SETTING

 

Councillor Calendino provided the following remarks to the Task Force:

 

We are finally nearing the end of this phase of work – a couple more hours or so.

 

When we started out at our first meeting in February, we gave you a few things to encourage you along the way.  Those trinkets and treats must have done their job, because here we are, 10 meetings later and everyone is still engaged in the process.

Your commitment has been very much appreciated and I don’t need to tell you that you are making history through your involvement. Never before has Burnaby approached a public policy issue in this way, not with this level of transparency or opportunity for every member of the public to participate.

 

At every step we have publicized the results of the deliberations, we have shared public opinion and the ideas and recommendations generated at workshops, and we reported out on our progress.

 

There were disagreements along the way, and some of you stuck to your guns more than others, but all along we were all respectful and open to other points of view.  As a diverse group of individuals, each with a different background and responsibility toward our constituencies, I believe we have all managed to be as objective as possible in reaching these recommendations which will form the basis for a historical and unique, made in Burnaby Housing Strategy: - one that will respond to the general goal of the Task Force: Which is to increase the supply, diversity and affordability of housing in Burnaby So as to meet the needs of all residents.

 

That is a very tall order, but I and the other members of Council on this Task Force are committed to working with the Mayor and other members of City Council to meet our city’s housing needs.

 

I sincerely hope you will attend the July 29 Council meeting when these recommendations and the staff report are presented. 

 

To sum up, we have come a very long way in a short period of time and I look forward to the discussions ahead.

 

I want to echo the Mayor’s words in thanking all City Staff dedicated to the Task Force for their extraordinary work; Shauna Sylvester for the masterful facilitation of all our meetings and for keeping us on track; Robin & Michelle for the exemplary job in consulting the public and reporting to us and to Council.

 

All of you have made this Task Force an enormous success. So, please accept my deepest gratitude on behalf of Council and of the Citizens of Burnaby.

 

In closing, allow me to say that it has been a very enriching experience to have served on this committee with all of you and that it has been an honour to have chaired this Task Force.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.

CLOSED

 

MOVED BY MS. KARI MICHAELS

SECOUNDED BY COUNCILLOR JOE KEITHLEY

 

THAT the Committee, in accordance with Sections 90 and 92 of the Community Charter, do now resolve itself into a Closed meeting from which the public is excluded to consider matters concerning negotiations and related discussions respecting the proposed provision of a municipal service that are at their preliminary stages and that, in view of the Council, could reasonably be expected to harm the interests of the municipality if they were held in public; and the consideration of information received and held in confidence relating to negotiations between the municipality and a provincial government or federal government or both, or between a provincial government or the federal government or both and a third party.

 

                                                                                    CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

 

The Chair requested members of the Public leave the room to allow the Task Force to proceed with the Closed portion of the Task Force Meeting.

 

 

MOVED BY MAYOR MIKE HURLEY

SECOUNDED BY MS. KARI MICHAELS

 

           

            That the Open Task Force meeting do now recess.

                                                                           CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

 

            The Open Task Force meeting recessed at 4:13 p.m.

 

 

MOVED BY MR. brian MCCAULEY

SECOUNDED BY MR. PATRICK BUCHANNON

 

           

            That the Open Task Force meeting do now reconvene.

 

                                                                                                            CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

 

            The Open Task Force meeting reconvened at 7:50 p.m.

 

6.

ADJOURNMENT

 

MOVED BY MS. KARI MICHAELS

Seconded by COUNCILLOR JOE KEITHLEY

 

THAT this Open Committee meeting do now adjourn.

 

                                                                             CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

 

 

The Open Committee meeting adjourned at 7:51 p.m.

 

 

 

________________________

________________________

Councillor Pietro Calendino

CHAIR

Kate O’Connell

City Clerk

 

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