Standing Committee on Policy and Strategic Priorities
November 22, 2022 · 03:00 pm
Summary
- Cultural grants: $1,055,010 distributed across 46 organizations covering cultural equity, Indigenous arts, individual artists, affordable spaces, and small grants for cultural spaces.
- Supportive housing integration grants: $84,000 approved to eight organizations supporting community events and projects that connect supportive housing residents with their broader neighbourhoods.
- Civic Theatres rental rates: Fee increases of 4% for commercial users and 3% for not-for-profit users approved for the 2023–2024 performing arts season.
- Civic Theatres Activating Spaces Grant: Up to $200,000 authorized for 2023 to subsidize not-for-profit arts and cultural organizations using non-commercial Vancouver Civic Theatres spaces.
- Community sport hosting grants: 16 grants totalling $89,050 approved for fall 2022 sporting events; program also supports recognition of Indigenous sport champions from Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
- SRA demolition permits: Two permits approved to allow demolition of 20 single-room-accommodation units at 172 East Cordova and 307 Main Street, enabling construction of an 11-storey, 118-unit social housing building at 315 Main Street.
- South Kinross Park construction: Contract awarded to Cedar Crest Lands (BC) Ltd. for $2,098,900 to build a 0.90-acre park in the East Fraser Lands community in southeast Vancouver.
- Security services contract: Multi-year contracts awarded to Paladin Security Group (city facilities, ~$30M over five years) and Securiguard Services (Vancouver Public Library, ~$6.7M over five years).
Motions
2022 Cultural Grants Approval
Carried Details
- Approved $1,055,010 in grants to 46 cultural organizations through four streams: Cultural Equity ($316,000 to 13 groups), Cultural Indigenous ($280,000 to 9 groups), Individual Artists ($60,000 to Art Starts in Schools Society for the Creative Spark Vancouver program), Affordable Spaces ($74,010 to 5 groups), and Small Grants for Cultural Spaces ($325,000 to 18 groups).
- Grants align with the City's Culture|Shift 10-year culture plan, its UNDRIP Strategy, and its Equity Framework.
- Funding draws from both the 2022 Cultural Grants Operating Budget and the 2022 Cultural Spaces Capital Budget.
2022 Supportive Housing Integration Grants
- Approved $84,000 in grants to eight non-profit organizations to support projects and events fostering connections between supportive housing residents, operators, and surrounding communities.
- Program goals include reducing stigma around supportive housing, elevating residents' voices, and building understanding of supportive housing's role in the city.
- A formal call for proposals received 14 applications requesting $184,868; eight were selected through a panel adjudication process.
Vancouver Civic Theatres Rental Rates 2023-2024
- Approved a 4% rental rate increase for commercial users and a 3% increase for not-for-profit organizations, Theatre Rental Grant recipients, and VCT Grant recipients at Vancouver Civic Theatres for the September 2023 to August 2024 performing arts season.
- Rate increases reflect inflationary cost pressures and are benchmarked against comparable facilities locally, nationally, and internationally.
- Revenue from higher commercial rates at large venues (Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Orpheum) helps subsidize lower rates at smaller community venues (Annex, Vancouver Playhouse).
- Estimated additional rental revenue from the increases: approximately $184,210 for the season.
Vancouver Civic Theatres Activating Spaces Grant 2023
- Renewed the Activating Spaces Grant program (formerly the VCT Grant) for 2023, authorizing up to $200,000 in in-kind grants to not-for-profit arts and cultural organizations using non-commercial Vancouver Civic Theatres spaces.
- Grants cover rental subsidies and a portion of technical and front-of-house labour costs, supporting performances, workshops, rehearsals, festivals, and conferences.
- Program supports organizations across all artistic disciplines, from first-time users to large-scale year-round presenters, in alignment with the Culture|Shift plan.
Vancouver Community Sport Hosting Grants Fall 2022
- Approved 16 Community Sport Event Grants totalling $89,050 to local not-for-profit organizations for sporting events held in Vancouver.
- Program aims to support recovery of community sport events following COVID-19 disruptions by offsetting additional pandemic-related costs.
- Separate recognition grants are also available to honour Indigenous Sport Champions from Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations and the Urban Native Youth Association; recipients were being identified at the time of the report.
SRA Demolition Permits 172 E Cordova and 307 Main
172 East Cordova Street; 307 Main Street- Approved two Single Room Accommodation (SRA) demolition permits for buildings at 172 East Cordova (11 SRA rooms, the Kyé7e) and 307 Main Street (9 SRA rooms, the Vets Rooms), both owned by Happy Harvest Incorporated.
- Demolition enables construction of an 11-storey mixed-use building at 315 Main Street with 118 social housing units, including 40 units renting at the shelter rate of income assistance (currently $375/month).
- The Development Permit Board conditionally approved the redevelopment in September 2022; SRA permit approval was a prerequisite for issuing building permits.
- The new building will also include a community theatre space, office space, educational space, retail, and over 10,000 sq. ft. of residential amenity areas.
Contract Award South Kinross Park Construction
- Awarded a construction contract to Cedar Crest Lands (BC) Ltd. for South Kinross Park (0.90 acres) in the East Fraser Lands community in southeast Vancouver, at a cost of $2,098,900 plus GST, funded from the 2019–2022 Capital Plan.
- Cedar Crest submitted the lowest of five compliant bids; construction is expected to begin in early 2023.
- South Kinross Park is part of a broader plan to deliver 25 acres of parks to East Fraser Lands, a community planned to eventually house up to 15,000 people.
- Council also designated the park lands as Permanent Public Park under the Vancouver Charter, placing them under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation.
Contract Award Security Services
- Awarded a five-year security guard and security systems contract to Paladin Security Group Limited for city facilities at an estimated cost of $29,950,493 plus taxes, with two optional two-year extensions.
- Awarded a separate five-year security guard contract to Securiguard Services Limited for Vancouver Public Library locations at an estimated cost of $6,724,092 plus taxes, also with two optional two-year extensions.
- Thirteen firms submitted proposals; evaluation teams from City Protective Services, Vancouver Public Library, and Vancouver Civic Theatres assessed responses for overall value, both quantitative and qualitative.
- Separate contracts below the $2 million Council-approval threshold were also awarded for Vancouver Civic Theatres event security and locksmith services by the Bid Committee under delegated authority.
Agenda documents (13)
AGENDA ITEMS
1. 2022 Cultural Grants (Equity, Indigenous, Artists, Spaces)
2. 2022 Supportive Housing Integration Grants
3. Vancouver Civic Theatres Rental Rates 2023-2024
4. Vancouver Civic Theatres Activating Spaces Grant 2023
5. Vancouver Community Sport Hosting Grant – Fall 2022 Intake
6. Single Room Accommodation (SRA) Demolition Permit for 172 East Cordova and 307 Main Street
7. Contract Award for the South Kinross Park Construction
8. Contract Award for Security Services
REFERRED ITEMS
9. Adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism (Member’s Motion B.2)
10. Urgent Measures to Uplift Vancouver’s Chinatown (Member’s Motion B.3)
11. Enabling the Requisitioning and Hiring of 100 New Police Officers and 100 Mental Health Nurses (Member’s Motion B.5)
12. Transport Pricing – “Stopping the Road Tax” (Member’ Motion B.6)
REPORTS OF COMMITTEES
1. Standing Committee of Council on Policy and Strategic Priorities Wednesday, November 16, 2022
Vote matrix
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Meiszner🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Christine Boyle🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Adriane Carr🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Sarah Kirby-Yung🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Mike Klassen🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Brian Montague🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Lenny Zhou🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Ken Sim🥜 | |||||||||
| Rebecca Bligh🥜 | |||||||||
| Lisa Dominato🥜 | |||||||||
| Pete Fry🥜 |