Vancouver Charter Amendment Proposals

Meeting Date: January 20, 2009 -- Vancouver City Council
SUBJECT: 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games:

DISCUSSION
The proposed amendments deal, among other things, with classifying streets either temporarily or permanently for a variety of purposes including the provision of security for the Games; regulating advertising and signage on streets and in parks; relaxing the regulation of advertising and signage on streets and in parks to allow such things as Olympic celebratory and wayfinding signage; regulating street performing and vending; closing streets temporarily; authorizing city officials designated by Council, in addition to the Mayor, to allow for noise control relaxation but only in exceptional cases; removing graffiti and illegal signage from private property with limited notice; and relaxing zoning and building requirements for special events.

The request to be able to remove graffiti and illegal signage from private property are new powers that are necessitated by the short duration and high exposure of the Games. Current regulatory powers with respect to these two items would not facilitate timely removal of graffiti or illegal signage. Therefore, new powers are required to provide a sufficient deterrent to prevent the installation of illegal signage or graffiti during the Games.

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CONCLUSION
The proposed Vancouver Charter amendments will help to ensure a successful Games, and ensure that the City meet its obligations as a Host City. The proposed amendments also support future special event by-laws.
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6. Resolution of conflict between “regulation” and “prohibition” – section 31(e)
The section provides for regulating the distribution of advertising-matter on any street, and for prohibiting persons from distributing if likely to be thrown or left on a street. Delete the prohibition because “regulation” includes prohibition.

11. Removal of graffiti from property – section 323(m)
Provide that the city, at its cost, may remove graffiti from real property without notice.

12. Increase in maximum fine and maximum daily fine – section 333
Stipulate that the maximum fine for an offence is $10,000, and the maximum daily fine is $10,000.

16. Removal of illegal signs from property – section 571A(4)
Provide that, despite section 324A(1) and (2), the city may remove illegal signs from real property with limited notice, and may charge the owner for the cost of such removal.