Building Code Alignment Amendment (Maloney)
Motion 28 · Standing Committee of Council on City Finance and Services, May 20, 2026
Summary
- Amendment by Councillor Maloney to the building code alignment motion, proposing to retain the Energize Vancouver program and focus any review on housing-specific affordability evidence; defeated.
- Argued that Energize Vancouver applies to commercial buildings and stratas, not homes, and that pausing it would not help housing affordability.
- Cited Green Energy Canada modelling showing heat pump water heaters save households money compared to gas.
Vote
Public comments
Read all 1 statements
Transcript
16 segments
Okay, one quick follow up is whether or not staff would be, I recognize it's asking council to simply approve an increase. I struggled to do that without a report back from staff in terms of filling in some of the gaps that have been highlighted from this debate. It was a significant decision to implement an infrastructure levy of 1%, doubling that I think needs, clear pathway to success that we don't have an an amendment that's moved from the floor very well intentioned um but uh lacking in detail so is this something staff would report back to us on uh and again apologies if this was covered but in the capital update in july
So, yes, staff will continue to provide information on capital plan funding to council in advance of the actual plan in July. And then, based on this direction from council, we would develop a plan based on those assumptions. The final plan does get approved by council, so council can, in July, when the report comes forward, make amendments to the draft plan.
But we can't reverse this because this is a decision that's happening now. If there was a better pathway to increasing our infrastructure funding that would be recommended by staff, this can't be reversed necessarily in that process is how I understand it.
And that's the time. Yeah, sorry, Councillor Blair, that's the time.
I'd really love an answer if anybody... That's okay.
I'm on the queue next. I'm on the queue next. Okay. Yeah, so I'll see the chair to the vice chair, Dominado, so I can ask some questions. Yeah, please go ahead, Colleen. I want to hear the answer as well. Councillor Blighthe's question.
JUST TO ADDRESS THE QUESTION OF I THINK WHAT I HEARD WAS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF COUNCIL PROVIDES THIS DIRECTION, DOES THAT REMOVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE CAPITAL PLAN WHEN IT'S BROUGHT FORWARD? AND I THINK TO CLARIFY, COUNCIL CAN MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE CAPITAL PLAN. when the capital plan comes forward. Also to point out that capital projects in themselves also come back to council through the annual budget. So before money is deployed or committed to projects, it will come back to council through the budget. So there are opportunities where council can make adjustments based on the information. This direction would provide staff with some clarity around approach for assumptions to inform the development of the draft plan.
Thanks, Colleen. So my question is, also a print of information through you, Vice Chair, to the other staff. So when we currently do the upgrade of city-owned building right now, so do we consider any accessibility plan?
I understand the question. It was with regards to accessibility and if we have existing plans that we could implement right away. The answer is yes, we have quite a lot of details with regards to the buildings and the accessibility gaps that we have identified and we would be able to implement many of those if we had additional funding.
Okay, so just to confirm, we do consider accessibility when we upgrade city-owned building right now?
We do, yes.
Okay, thank you. Yeah, so I would like to support this amendment because really, I think the last further is redundant, but I'm not going to call point of order because I saw a very good amendment from Councillor Kirby. Thanks. So I'll take the chair back from Vice Chair Domenato and Councillor Orr.
Thanks. Yeah, question to the chair, I guess, to staff. We've known about these deficiencies for years, especially around fire halls, community centers, and pools. What are the biggest reasons the city allowed the deferred maintenance to grow to $1.5 billion?
Yeah, I think to build on previous answers, this is something that has accumulated over many, many years. And I think it's a combination of decisions that have been made previously around what to prioritize, noting that, again, the council's direction on the 1%... has helped improve the situation, but cost escalation and other factors that have been noted also present challenges that can increase that number.
So then going to 2% will speed that up, essentially, is the recommendation of the report. The presentation talks about right-sizing the portfolio. and consolidation. Can staff clarify whether that would mean closures or privatization or reduced access to community facilities?
It may, simply put. We have a lot of standalone older facilities. One of the things that we have discussed is when we're going into looking at facilities that we want to renew, looking at them from the perspective of can we expand them? Can we actually make them a larger footprint that we can then co-locate? Similar to Oak Ridge, for instance, or Hillcrest, where we have larger facilities. When you walk into Hillcrest and you see that there are many programs that are being offered there, you see the children on the ice. learning how to skate. You see the children learning how to swim. You see them playing lacrosse. You see the exercise stationary bikes. You see many programs in this larger facility, and it, from an operational standpoint, costs less to actually run and look after. I have embedded staff in many of the larger facilities. And there are efficiencies that are there. And so I think as we go forward in the future, I think that's really a direction that I would suggest is a positive one.
Statement Watch
All right, is anyone else cold in here? Because I definitely am. But good morning, everyone. Good morning, council members and our mayor. My name is Samaya Adam. I am a black Muslim woman, and I'm grateful to be here with you all today. I'm a community builder. However, I am here on behalf of Foundation for a Path Forward. So on foundation, I serve as their board member. And, you know, sometimes you got to do dutiful, do the full things and come and support your community. So that's why I'm here today. However, the foundation's work is really focused on strengthening communities and advancing anti-racism work across local, national, and global contexts. It is in partnership with Resilience BC under the Attorney General's office. Our work is really grounded in collaboration and practical community-led solutions to build stronger, safer, and healthier communities. And so with that, we are here today for a proclamation recognizing Eid al-Hadha. Eid al-Hadha, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, which you also graciously shared, it is one of the most significant holidays and celebrations in the Muslim faith. It is rooted in generosity and sacrifice, and it is deeply connected to the values our community cares. So our community really values community care. It is rooted in service. and support. And so when we think about sacrifice, there has to be this willingness to do that. And so at the same time, we cannot ignore the sober context of next month. So this June actually marks five years since the devastating attacks on the Afzal family in London, Ontario, where three generations of Muslim families were taken from us in an act of Islamophobic violence. Even today, we continue to see that rise in Islamophobia. However, moments like today should remind us that while Muslim communities are celebrating, many of us are also navigating anxiety and grief from our day-to-day experiences. So while today is a very symbolic day and a recognition that is so needed, it is an opportunity to deepen our understanding of one another, as well as to build solidarity. And so, thank you for... convening us today because the importance of coming together across differences is what really builds healthier, stronger communities. And so I'm really grateful for the city of Vancouver for creating the space for its residents, opening seats at the table, and really instilling a sense of dignity, shared responsibility through power, shifts, dynamics, all of that. And so this is a place we all call home. And so again, I'm just going to say thank you for giving us the space.
All right. Thanks, everyone. Thanks for... Alright, so this is the plan for the day. We're going to break at noon for lunch and return at 1pm to continue to deal with the remainder of the agenda. If needed, we need to recess at 5pm for a dinner break and reconvene at 6pm to complete the agenda. Okay, so now the committee member will consider the matter adopted on consent. We have report number one on the consent agenda for the committee's consideration. We will hold report two and three to hear from the speakers.