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GREATER VANCOUVER REGIONAL DISTRICT ENVIRONMENT AND PARKS COMMITTEE

Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) Environment and Parks Committee held at 9:05 a.m. on Thursday, October 2, 2014 in the 2nd Floor Boardroom, 4330 Kingsway, Burnaby, British Columbia.

PRESENT: Chair, Director Heather Deal, Vancouver Vice Chair, Director Gayle Martin, Langley City (arrived at 9:08 a.m.) Director Bruce Banman, Abbotsford Director Sav Dhaliwal, Burnaby Councillor Craig Hodge, Coquitlam (departed at 10:03 a.m.) Councillor Mike Little, North Vancouver District Councillor Bob Long, Langley Township Councillor Darrell Penner, Port Coquitlam Director Harold Steves, Richmond Director Andrew Stone, Bowen Island Director Deb Walters, Pitt Meadows

ABSENT: Councillor AI Hogarth, Maple Ridge Director Barbara Steele, Surrey

STAFF: Allan Neilson, General Manager, Planning, Policy and Environment Carol Mason, Commissioner/Chief Administrative Officer Janis Knaupp, Assistant to Regional Committees, Board and Information Services,

Legal and Legislative Services

1. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA

1.1 October 2, 2014 Regular Meeting Agenda

It was MOVED and SECONDED That the Environment and Parks Committee adopt the revised agenda for its regular meeting scheduled for October 2, 2014, as circulated.

CARRIED

Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the GVRD Environment and Parks Committee held on Thursday, October 2, 2014 of 8

2. ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES

2.1 July 10, 2014, Special Joint Meeting Minutes

It was MOVED and SECONDED That the Environment and Parks Committee adopt the minutes of the Environment and Parks and Intergovernmental and Administration Committee special joint meeting held July, 10, 2014, as circulated.

CARRIED

2.2 September 9, 2014, Regular Meeting Minutes

It was MOVED and SECONDED That the Environment and Parks Committee adopt the minutes of its regular meeting held September 9, 2014, as circulated.

CARRIED

3. DELEGATIONS No items presented.

4. INVITED PRESENTATIONS

4.1 Julie Wray, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University Members were provided a presentation about Simon Fraser University's research on regional wild pollinators highlighting relevance to Metro Vancouver's Ecological Health Action Plan, importance of bees (to food supply, wild birds, and mammals), consequences of declines in bee populations, bee biodiversity, habitat loss and degradation, impact of invasive plants on native bee populations, habitat restoration influence, and research results.

9:08a.m. Director Martin arrived at the meeting.

In response to questions, members were informed about: • Annual variability among bee populations - difficulty in capturing species

stability over a single season and in specific areas • Research conducted and pollinator data on local blueberry fields • Efforts to identify edge enhancement opportunities along agricultural land

to enhance crop pollination • Pesticides affecting pollinator behaviour and reducing foraging efficiency • Agricultural efforts to reduce impacts to pollinators from mites and parasites • Genetically modified organisms not being part of the research scope

Comments were offered about connecting with municipal parks staff to encourage local government use of native plants in parks.


Request of Staff Staff was requested to: a) obtain a corrected version of the presentation on Simon Fraser University's

research on regional wild pollinators, received at the October 2, 2014 Environment and Parks Committee meeting,

b) post the presentation to the Metro Vancouver website; and c) distribute the presentation to all member municipalities.

Comments were offered about consideration being given to: • How local backyard beekeeping policies may impact wild bee populations • Developing a regional parks native plant policy • Promoting urban beekeeping as part of developing greenways and corridors • Identifying specific native plant species which support pollinators for local

and regional restoration projects • Developing messaging related to impacts to pollinators from invasive plant

species removal and share with local governments • Communicating to local nurseries the need to increase native plant stock

In response to questions, members were informed that research did not indicate urban beekeeping policies significantly impacting agricultural pollinators and that the focus is on pollinator community and fine diversity versus a mix of pollinator species, mainly due to species productivity differing year-to-year and varying species size affecting pollinator efficiency on different plant species.

The following materials are retained with the October 2, 2014 Environment and Parks Committee agenda: • On-table document titled "Restoring Habitat for Metro Vancouver's Wild

Pollinators" • Presentation material titled "Impact of habitat restorations on pollinators in

Metro Vancouver Parks"

5. REPORTS FROM COMMITTEE OR STAFF

PARKS

5.1 2015 Business Plan and Budget- Regional Parks Report dated September 12, 2014 from Mitch Sokalski, Director, Regional Parks, Planning, Policy and Environment, presenting the 2015 Regional Parks Business Plan and Budget for consideration by the Environment and Parks Committee.

In response to questions, members were informed about consideration given to the ongoing parks review as part of the budget process.


It was MOVED and SECONDED That the Environment and Parks Committee endorse the 2015 Regional Parks Business Plan and Budget as presented in the report titled 2015 Business Plan and Budget - Regional Parks dated September 12, 2014, and forward them to the Board Budget Workshop on October 16, 2014 for consideration.

CARRIED

5.2 Regional Parks - Naming and Dedications Policy Report dated September 12, 2014 from Bonnie Blue, Senior Planner, Policy, Planning and Environment, seeking GVRD Board approval of a policy for naming and dedications in Regional Parks that provides recognition opportunities for exceptional contributions to the Regional Parks service.

Comments were offered about developing a naming and dedication policy around corporate sponsorships and defining what is a significant contributor.

Request of Staff Staff was requested to report back to the Environment and Parks Committee with a draft naming and dedication policy for corporate sponsorship in regional parks, including recommendations for opportunities within the regional park system.

10:03 a.m. Councillor Hodge departed the meeting:

It was MOVED and SECONDED That the GVRD Board approve the Regional Parks - Naming and Dedications Policy as presented in the report dated September 12, 2014, titled Regional Parks - Naming and Dedications Policy.

CARRIED

Procedural Note: Item 5.3 was withdrawn as part of the revised agenda.

5.4 Manager's Report- Parks

Report dated September 15, 2014 from Allan Neilson, General Manager, Planning, Policy and Environment, updating the Environment and Parks Committee on the Committee's 2014 Work Plan for Parks, Music In the Park Event, Brunette Fraser Greenway Project (trail connection and bank works, and Sapperton Pump Station and Cumberland Point), Metro Vancouver Regional Park Municipal Advisory Group, Regional Parks EcoBiitz, Trans Canada Trail and Metro Vancouver welcome their Royal Highness the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Campbell Valley Regional Park Country Celebration, and Western Painted Turtle conservation in Regional Parks.

In response to questions, members were informed about policy related to use of native plant materials in regional parks and efforts to engage local park


associations on the possibility of re-establishing the Colony Farm Regional Park pedestrian-only trail.

Request of Staff Staff were requested to report back to the Environment and Parks Committee on the status of actions to date related to engage local park associations on the possibility of re-establishing the Colony Farm Regional Park pedestrian-only trail.

It was MOVED and SECONDED That the Environment and Parks Committee receive for information the report dated September 15, 2014, titled Manager's Report- Parks.

CARRIED

ENVIRONMENT

5.5 2015 Business Plan and Budget- Air Quality Report dated September 24, 2014 from Roger Quan, Director, Air Quality and Environment, Planning, Policy and Environment, presenting the 2015 Air Quality Business Plan and Budget for consideration by the Environment and Parks Committee.

In response to questions, members were informed about the definition of enforcement and revenues from fines versus cost of enforcement.

It was MOVED and SECONDED That the Environment and Parks Committee endorse the 2015 Air Quality Business Plan and Budget, as presented in the report titled 2015 Business Plan and Budget- Air Quality, dated September 24, 2014, and forward them to the Board Budget Workshop on October 16, 2014 for consideration.

CARRIED

5.6 Response to the draft Regional Invasive Species Management Strategy for Metro Vancouver Report dated September 10, 2014 from Alison Evely, Natural Resource Management Specialist, and Erin Embley, Regional Planner, Planning, Policy and Environment, seeking the Environment and Parks Committee direction to review and make recommendations on the draft Invasive Species Management Strategy for Metro Vancouver, as a follow up to the Invasive Species Council of Metro Vancouver's presentation at the July 3, 2014 Environment and Parks Committee meeting.

Comments were offered about: • Involving the Regional Municipal Parks Advisory Committee in the review • The importance of developing a standardized mapping database • Including emergency response policy to address significant concerns and

identifying roles and responsibilities of all parties


• The need to address invasive species on private property

Request of Staff Staff was requested to report back to Environment and Parks Committee on potential implications of consideration of a bylaw to address impacts of invasive species on private property.

It was MOVED and SECONDED That the Environment and Parks Committee: a) receive the draft Invasive Species Management Strategy for Metro

Vancouver, as presented in the September 10, 2014 report titled Response to the draft Regional Invasive Species Management Strategy for Metro Vancouver, for information; and

b) direct staff to report back to the Committee, after completing a detailed review of the suggested actions, their feasibility, and implications, including discussion with municipalities and the Provincial government, to clarify roles and responsibilities.

CARRIED

5. 7 Metro Vancouver Membership in Electric Mobility Canada Report dated September 12, 2014 from Eve Hou, Air Quality Planner, Planning, Policy and Environment, reporting back to the Environment and Parks Committee with recommendations, in response to the September 9, 2014 delegation presentation from Electric Mobility Canada (EMC), requesting the GVRD Board to consider re-joining EMC as an organizational member.

It was MOVED and SECONDED That the GVRD Board authorize staff to renew Metro Vancouver's membership with Electric Mobility Canada (EMC).

CARRIED 5.8 Manager's Report- Environment

Report dated September 15, 2014 from Allan Neilson, General Manager, Planning, Policy and Environment, updating the Environment and Parks Committee on the Committee's 2014 Work Plan for Environment, the new air quality monitoring station in Mission, and the Fraser Surrey Docks coal facility.

In response to questions, members were informed about the status of mobile air monitoring along Low level Road in North Vancouver and the process for validation of mobile air quality data and portable air quality monitoring technologies which supplement MAMU.

Concerns were expressed about the redistribution of fine particulates whenever a coal pile is disturbed, and the need for a monitoring approach for coal dust from barge transport.


It was MOVED and SECONDED

That the Environment and Parks Committee receive for information the report dated September 15, 2014, titled Manager's Report- Environment.

CARRIED 6. INFORMATION ITEMS

It was MOVED and SECONDED That the Environment and Parks Committee receive for information the following Information Item: 6.1 Regional Parks Summary of Events October 2014

CARRIED 7. OTHER BUSINESS

The Chair recognized the passing of Denise Coutts, Director, Pacific Parklands Foundation, and her many contributions to regional parks.

Members were also informed about motions at the 2014 Union of British Columbia Municipalities Convention related to the Committee's work plan and purview.

8. BUSINESS ARISING FROM DELEGATIONS No items presented.

9. RESOLUTION TO CLOSE MEETING

It was MOVED and SECONDED That the Environment and Parks Committee close its regular meeting scheduled for October 2, 2014, pursuant to the Community Charter provisions, Section 90 (1) (e) and (i) as follows: 90 (1) A part of a meeting may be closed to the public if the subject matter being

considered relates to or is one or more of the following: (e) the acquisition, disposition or expropriation of land or improvements, if the

board or committee considers that disclosure could reasonably be expected to harm the interests of the regional district; and

(i) the receipt of advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose.

CARRIED


10. ADJOURNMENT /CONCLUSION

It was MOVED and SECONDED That the Environment and Parks Committee adjourn its regular meeting of October 2, 2014.

10289335 FINAL

CARRIED (Time: 11:04 a.m.)


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