Standing Committee on Policy and Strategic Priorities
May 6, 2026 · 10:30 am
Summary
- Child and Youth Mental Health Day proclamation (May 7) was read at the start of the meeting, with remarks from community organizations and youth advisory committee members.
- Non-enforcement resolution for slot machine operation at Hastings Park (2901 East Hastings): approved without debate.
- BIA data-sharing pilot (SmarterBid platform): $50,000 one-time grant to Vancouver BIA Partnership to expand a shared incident-reporting tool to up to nine additional BIAs; debated extensively over data ownership, privacy, and procurement process; passed with one opposed.
- Vancouver Music Fund reinstatement: Councillor Orr's motion to restore grant funding for musicians was struck and replaced by a Councillor Klassen amendment directing staff to address structural barriers (permitting, licensing, venues) and evaluate grant programs in the 2027 budget process; passed with one opposed.
- Community stewardship for eco-corridors: Councillor Fry's motion to create a new dedicated grant stream for ecological stewardship groups was amended to instead direct staff to review and revise eligibility criteria within existing grant programs; passed unanimously.
- Zero waste compact recycling options: Councillor Fry's motion for community recycling hubs and policy changes to improve access for apartment dwellers was amended to request a staff memo on existing programs rather than new pilots; passed with one opposed.
- Scaled-up small rapid shelter systems: Councillor Fry's motion to pilot small portable shelters for unhoused residents was defeated, with the majority citing preference for permanent supportive housing over temporary shelter solutions.
- Hastings Park skateboard facility renewal: motion to prioritize capital funding for resurfacing the 25-year-old facility, closed during FIFA, including community consultation with skaters and the Vancouver Skateboard Coalition; an amendment to keep the park open during FIFA was defeated; an amendment to include Park Board in consultations passed; overall motion carried unanimously.
- Robotic food delivery pilot: Councillor Klassen's motion for a six-month autonomous delivery robot pilot in downtown and Kitsilano; a referral to staff for disability/human rights analysis was defeated; a detailed regulatory amendment from Councillor Bligh was also defeated; Clauses A and B (staff direction and regulatory framework) passed; Clause C (provincial advocacy) passed separately.
- Proactively protecting residents from dangerous heat: Councillor Maloney's motion for extended cooling centre hours, cool kit funding, mobile cooling, and TransLink advocacy was heavily amended by Councillor Zhou to instead direct a public awareness campaign and a staff memo; a further amendment to contact the province about emergency funding passed narrowly; final amended motion passed with four opposed.
- Evaluating Vancouver's waste collection system: Councillor Maloney's motion for a staff overview of current waste collection challenges and improvement options; a Councillor Klassen strike-and-replace to route the work through VanStat failed; a Councillor Zhou amendment extending the reporting deadline to Q1 2027 and adding a study of weekly garbage collection passed unanimously; final motion carried unanimously.
Motions
Non-Enforcement Resolution Hastings Park Slot Machines
2901 East Hastings Street, Vancouver Carried Details
- Approved a non-enforcement resolution allowing slot machine operation at 2901 East Hastings Street (Hastings Park), related to horse racing operations.
- Staff confirmed this does not involve any extension or expansion of existing slot machines.
Supporting Vancouver's BIAs and Growing VANSTAT
Carried Details
- Councillor Orr's original motion sought to direct staff to develop a funding strategy to reinstate the Vancouver Music Fund in the 2027 budget, providing small grants ($2,000–$10,000) to musicians and producers.
- Speakers described the fund as a high-leverage investment that supports career development, recording, and retaining creative talent in Vancouver.
- Councillor Klassen's strike-and-replace amendment shifted focus to structural barriers: improving permitting and licensing for venues, supporting the nighttime economy, and reviewing grant options alongside any future fund consideration in the 2027 budget process.
- Critics of the amendment argued it deleted the core ask for direct artist funding; supporters said structural issues were the more fundamental problem identified by the industry.
- The amendment passed narrowly; four councillors voted against the amended motion but most ultimately supported it to keep the work moving.
Sound Investment: Re-instating Vancouver Music Fund
Carried Details
- Proposed a pilot of small rapid shelter units (Pallet-style portable shelters with locking doors) in response to a 12% increase in homelessness, with 40% of unhoused people sleeping outdoors.
- Pointed to new federal funding ($125 million Unsheltered Homeless and Encampments Initiative) as a potential funding source, and cited successful models in Victoria, Duncan, Seattle, and Portland's Dignity Village.
- Speakers with lived experience and outreach workers supported the motion, citing the transformative effect of a lockable door and private space on health and recovery outcomes.
- Opponents on council argued tiny shelters are not a substitute for supportive housing, are difficult to site, require significant ongoing operating support, and that limited resources should go toward permanent housing at scale.
- The motion was defeated with a majority in opposition and one abstention.
Supporting Community Stewardship Eco-Corridors Greenspaces
Carried Details
- Directed staff to prioritize capital renewal of the Hastings Park skateboard facility in the next capital plan, and to engage the Vancouver Skateboard Coalition, youth, and high-performance athletes in design.
- The facility, 25 years old, is ranked high priority for renewal in the 2022 Skateboard Amenities Strategy; the only comparable bowl facility in Western Canada.
- Speakers, including a national team athlete and a 12-year-old skater, described the facility as irreplaceable for training and community use, noting athletes must travel to the US for comparable training during the FIFA closure.
- Closure during peak skating season (May to July) prompted the motion; no FIFA financial compensation was provided to the skateboarding community.
Encouraging Compact Options Boost Zero Waste
Carried Details
- Councillor Bligh's amendment proposed adding specific operational parameters to the pilot, including capping robot numbers well below the proponent's proposed 75 (50 downtown, 25 Kitsilano), requiring routes to be assessed for sidewalk width and curb cuts, mandating field agent response within 10 minutes, requiring pre-launch engagement with disability organizations, and monthly incident reporting.
- Research cited from Toronto, San Francisco, Chicago, and Pittsburgh pilots informed the proposed restrictions.
- Critics of the amendment argued it over-prescribed operational details before the pilot could generate evidence.
- The amendment was defeated by the council majority.
Scaled Up Small Rapid Shelter Systems
Defeated Details
- Directed staff to work with engineering, provincial regulators, and the Vancouver Robotics/delivery industry to develop a framework for a six-month autonomous sidewalk delivery robot pilot in downtown Vancouver and Kitsilano.
- Proponent CERV Robotics cited Canadian roots (Vancouver founder, UBC graduate), hundreds of thousands of deliveries in 20+ US cities, and commitments on accessibility, data sharing, and field agent response.
- Supporters pointed to benefits for local restaurants, reduced vehicle trips, and Vancouver's tech hub reputation; critics raised concerns about sidewalk congestion, displacement of delivery workers, privacy of camera data, financial viability of the sector, and Toronto's ban.
- Bill 23 (BC, 2023) enables municipal pilots but provincial regulations remain pending; the motion also signals to the province to advance those regulations.
- Clauses A and B passed; two councillors abstained, two opposed.
Keeping Session Rolling: Hastings Park Skateboard Facility
Hastings Park Skateboard Facility Carried Details
- Councillor Zhou's second amendment to the heat motion directed staff to contact the province to discuss enabling emergency funding so the city could proactively purchase and distribute cooling kits ahead of declared heat events.
- Staff could not confirm the dollar amount of the discontinued cooling kit program during debate; it was subsequently identified as approximately $100,000.
- Critics noted the amendment lacked urgency or a timeline and that provincial funding discussions would likely not resolve before summer.
- Four councillors voted against.
Robotic Food Delivery Pilot – Clauses A and B
Carried Details
- Clauses A and B of the robotic food delivery motion directed staff to develop a regulatory framework and pilot implementation plan for autonomous sidewalk delivery in downtown and Kitsilano, in collaboration with engineering, provincial regulators, and the proponent.
- Passed with two opposed and two abstentions.
Robotic Food Delivery Pilot – Clause C
Carried Details
- Clause C directed staff to formally advocate to the province to confirm and advance the regulatory framework under Bill 23 enabling delivery robot pilots.
- Passed with one opposed and one abstention.
Agenda documents (11)
REPORTS
1. Non-Enforcement Resolution Regarding the Operation of Horse Racing to Enable Slot Machines at 2901 East Hastings Street, Vancouver
COUNCIL MEMBERS’ MOTIONS
1. Supporting Vancouver’s BIAs and Growing VANSTAT
2. Sound Investment: Re-instating the Vancouver Music Fund
3. Supporting Community Stewardship for Eco-Corridors and Neighbourhood Greenspaces
4. Encouraging Compact Community-Serving Options to Boost Zero Waste
5. Scaled Up Response with Small Rapid Shelter Systems
6. Keeping the Session Rolling: Renewal of the Hastings Park Skateboard Facility
7. Implementing a Robotic Food Delivery Pilot in the City of Vancouver
8. Proactively Protecting Residents from Dangerous Heat
9. Evaluating Vancouver’s Waste Collection System’s Potential to Adapt as Our City Grows
URGENT BUSINESS
Vote matrix
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Meiszner🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | Y | |||
| Ken Sim🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | |
| Rebecca Bligh🥜 | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | A | Y | Y | Y | A | Y | A | Y | ||
| Lisa Dominato🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | ||
| Pete Fry🥜 | Y | A | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | A | Y | |
| Sarah Kirby-Yung🥜 | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y |
| Mike Klassen🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y |
| Lucy Maloney🥜 | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | A | N | N |
| Brian Montague🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | |
| Sean Orr🥜 | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | A |
| Lenny Zhou🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y |
| Adriane Carr🥜 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Christine Boyle🥜 |