HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-07-02 Workshop Agenda and Reports.pdfCity of Maple Ridge
COUNCIL WORKSHOP AGENDA
July 2, 2019
3:00 p.m.
Blaney Room, 1st Floor, City Hall
The purpose of the Council Workshop is to review and discuss policies and
other items of interest to Council. Although resolutions may be passed at
this meeting, the intent is to make a consensus decision to send an item to
Council for debate and vote or refer the item back to staff for more
information or clarification. The meeting is live streamed and recorded by
the City of Maple Ridge.
REMINDERS
July 2. 2019
Committee of the Whole Meeting
1.APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
2.ADOPTION OF MINUTES
3.PRESENTATIONS AT THE REQUEST OF COUNCIL
4.UNFINISHED AND NEW BUSINESS
4.1 Engineering Department Update
1:30 p.m.
Presentation by the General Manager of Engineering Services
4.2 Parks & Facilities Update
Presentation by the Manager of Parks Planning & Development
4.3 Community Safety Plan
Staff report dated July 2, 2019 recommending a Community Safety Steering
Committee be established and that Terms of Reference be developed and that
funding be provided from the Community Safety Initiative budget
Council Workshop Agenda July 2, 2019 Page 2 of 2 5. CORRESPONDENCE The following correspondence has been received and requires a response. Staff is seeking direction from Council on each item. Options that Council may consider include: a) Acknowledge receipt of correspondence and advise that no further action will be taken. b) Direct staff to prepare a report and recommendation regarding the subject matter. c) Forward the correspondence to a regular Council meeting for further discussion. d) Other. Once direction is given the appropriate response will be sent. 5.1 Upcoming Events General Community Events July 2, 2019 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm July 4, 2019 July 6, 2019 9:00 am to 2:00 pm July 6, 2019 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm July 7, 2019 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm Twilight Tuesdays, Memorial Peace Park, Maple Ridge Organizer: Maple Ridge Concert Band Thursday Music in the Park, Memorial Peace Park, Maple Ridge Organizer: Variete D'Arts Society Haney Farmers Market, Memorial Peace Park, Maple Ridge Organizer: Haney Farmers Market Movie in the Park -Bumble Bee, Memorial Peace Park, Maple Ridge Organizer: City of Maple Ridge Adstock Alternative Music Festival, Memorial Peace Park, Maple Ridge Organizer: Adstock Society 6. BRIEFING ON OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST/QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL 7. MATTERS DEEMED EXPEDIENT 8. ADJOURNMENT
I ' MAPLE RIDGE ---~--Bnt1sh Columbia City of Maple Ridge mapleridge.ca TO: His Worship Mayor Michael Morden MEETING DATE: July 2, 2019 and Members of Council FILE NO: 2244892 FROM: Chief Administrative Officer MEETING: Workshop SUBJECT: Community Safety Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: On February 12, 2019, Council endorsed a Community Safety Plan development process. To initiate the process staff have undertaken additional research, a regional comparison and initial stakeholder engagement. As a result of this work three broad categories of community safety have been identified: 1) Citizens feel safe and are engaged in the community 2) Citizens are protected 3) Citizen's well-being is supported In order to deliver on the identified goals, staff are recommending the creation of a steering committee. The work of the committee will be supported by a dedicated resource, for which funding is requested. Staff have also identified immediate opportunities to make progress within the categories identified above by augmenting and expanding current events and further resourcing existing volunteer, clean-up, visibility and security programs and improving radio communications. Staff are also seeking endorsement of funding to undertake these immediate actions. RECOMMENDATION: That staff be directed to establish a Community Safety Steering Committee and develop Terms of Reference; and That $100,000 be funded from the Community Safety Initiative budget for a dedicated resource to support the development of the Community Safety Plan; and further That $155,000 be funded from the Community Safety Initiative budget to fund immediate actions in support of Community Safety Plan goals. DISCUSSION: a) Background Context: Community Safety Plan Community safety has been identified by Council as a key priority. Specifically, Council has expressed a desire to consolidate community-wide efforts into a holistic and multi-sectoral Community Safety Plan. On February 12, 2019, Council endorsed a Community Safety Plan development process based on best-practice. 2244892 Page 1 of 8 4.3
Since that time, Council has endorsed its Strategic Plan which articulates a vision for community safety as well as highlighting specific community issues. Concurrently, staff have undertaken a comprehensive literature review, regional comparison, and initial stakeholder engagement with the intent of identifying short-term opportunities and gaining greater context for community safety in Maple Ridge. Attachments A and B note specific content, communities and representatives included in the background formation process. As a result of both pieces of work, it has become evident that efforts pertaining to community safety align with three broad goals: 1) Citizens feel safe and are engaged in the community 2) Citizens are protected 3) Citizen's well-being is supported Achieving the goals by leveraging a multi-sectoral team whHe honouring input from the public is achieved through the prioritization of four overarching elements of success: community engagement, communications strategy, data analysis and metrics, and roles and responsibilities. The four elements interact in synergy with stakeholder engagement fostered by an effective communications strategy that supports the development of an evidence-based plan driven by analytical data provided by partners with clearly defined roles related to community safety. The goal statements and elements of success provide a high-level framework that captures the mandate and work of many organizations, including: the City, senior levels of government, and service agencies. Therefore, it is critical to engage these partners in a more substantive role during the development of a multi-sectoral community safety plan that relies on the efforts of both the City and these agencies for successful implementation. Organizational representatives who sit on the committee will have authority over programs and services held by their institution and connected with the safety and well-being of our citizens. A list of proposed Committee member organizations is provided for consideration in Attachment C. The initial work of the Steering Committee will be to establish, in partnership with City staff and support from Council, Terms of Reference which will govern the group, information and data sharing agreements, as well as the identification and engagement of key partners. Independent of this process, yet occurring simultaneously, the City will begin engagement with the public regarding the elements of safety that fall under the broad categories relating to community safety. Subsequently, the Committee will identify existing issues and determine priorities based on the information and data obtained from community consultation and meetings with partner agencies. Outcomes from this step will inform the development of an implementation plan. Given the resource demand of coordinating the Committee and engagement processes, staff recommend a dedicated City resource for facilitating the process moving forward in a timely manner. The staff member will coordinate meetings, organize engagement activities, and be a primary point of contact for committee members and the City with regard to tracking and reporting on the development of the Plan. Staff are requesting a funding allocation from the Community Safety Initiative reserve for seconding a current staff member to this role. 2244892 Page 2 of 8
The result of following the previously detailed methodology is a community safety plan developed by the community and key stakeholders who are fully engaged in the actions that will be necessary to make progress on identified priorities. Immediate Action Those engaged while conducting background research for the Community Safety Plan development have identified issues that require immediate action. Many of these items are already being addressed by various City departments in conjunction with service partners and senior levels of government. However, there remain additional opportunities to make progress on the high-level Community Safety Plan goals by expanding the current calendar of events and further resourcing existing volunteer programs, early morning clean-up, visibility and enforcement programs. Vibrant Downtown The intent of this program is to attract additional positive activity to the downtown area by supplementing and expanding current programming while extending the footprint for enhanced programming to vulnerable areas. Staff have conducted a gap analysis of the events calendar and determined that the greatest opportunity to engage citizens with additional programming is between Thursdays and Saturdays from July through the beginning of September. Additional expansion of programming for youth has also been identified. An example of events that will be supported by this initiative include expanding the footprint of Bard on the Bandstand by leveraging actors to activate the corridor between the Greg Moore Youth Centre and Haney Place Mall. While new programming may include a beach party in Memorial Gardens. Supplemented Volunteer Programs Through the information gathering stage staff we were made aware of several volunteer programs, operated by partners, whose intent is to engage the general public and business community in positive and informative interactions. Additional funding for these resources offers an opportunity to increase the number of volunteer shifts resulting in more touchpoints with the downtown community on a daily basis Additional Bylaw Officers Staff propose the addition of two time-durated Bylaws Officers, dedicated to patrol the downtown area and surrounding parks. Their responsibilities include making referrals to service providers, liaising with local community organizations and businesses, engaging citizens in positive interactions, and facilitating the safe and enjoyable experience of the area. This resource will also enforce parks bylaws with regards to overnight camping and misuse of park space. Enhanced Early Morning Clean-up Local businesses have identified the prevalence of refuse and sharps as an influential factor that impacts their customer's feelings of safety. In order to mitigate this issue, staff propose further resourcing the City's efforts in preserving the cleanliness of the downtown during pre-business hours through the downtown enhanced maintenance program. Expanded Communications Network Currently each partner in downtown security operates on a separate communications network which poses challenges for collaboration and requesting support. Expansion of the City's proprietary radio network provides an opportunity to bring service partners together through 2244892 Page 3 of 8
reliable, barrier-free communication. Requested funding will support hardware costs and staff time for setting up the network and on-boarding partners. b) Desired Outcome: That Council endorse the development of the Community Safety Steering Committee for the development of the Community Safety Plan, approve the funding allocation for a dedicated resource to support the development process, and approve immediate action items to be funded and implemented. c) Strategic Alignment: Council has identified community safety and, more specifically, the development of a holistic and multi-sectoral community safety plan as a key priority. Collaborating with partners and stakeholders across the community supports the City's efforts in strengthening partner relationships and in the overall success of the Plan. Furthermore, improving citizen's feeling of safety and increasing thelr engagement in the community promotes a sense of community pride and spirit. d) Citizen/Customer Implications: A community safety plan built by the public and key stakeholders increases ownership for the implementation of actions that will make a tangible difference to safety in the community. e) Interdepartmental Implications: Developing a community safety plan will require support from departments across the City. However, the immediate actions identified in the report have more pressing departmental implications. Staff within each of the program areas relating to the immediate actions have been engaged and are committed to supporting the implementation of the proposed activities over the course of the summer. f) Business Plan/Financial Implications: Council has allocated a portion of funding for Community Safety Initiatives. Staff recommend that $100,000 be allocated from this fund for a dedicated resource to support the development of the Community Safety Plan. Additionally, that $155,000 be allocated for the programs listed in Table 1: Proposed Activity Budget Vibrant Downtown $40,000 Supplemented Volunteer Programs $5,000 Additional Bylaw Officers (2) $60,000 Enhanced Early Morning Clean-up $10,000 Expanded Communications Network $40,000 Total $155,000 Table 1-Proposed Activity Costs g) Alternatives: Council has the flexibility to select any combination of proposed programs for implementation this summer. 2244892 Page 4of 8
CONCLUSION: Community safety, and specifically the development of a multi-sectoral community safety plan, has been identified as one of Council's priorities for its mandate. Implementing a steering committee and funding a dedicated resource to oversee the development process will support the delivery of a plan that reflects the community's priority needs. Furthermore, taking immediate action on work items that align with broad Community Safety Plan objectives addresses imminent pressures and opportunities as the Plan develops. Prepared by: Olivieri Corporate Support Coordinator Reviewed by: Christina Crabtree hief Information Officer c,v.~( Approved by: avid Boag // ',,,,, \\ Acting Genera If an ager of. P .. a·· ~.r.J Recreation & Culture 1/C\\ul ~u // Concurrence: , Kelly Swift; MBA w, Acting Chief Administrative Officer Attachments: (A) Consulted Agencies (8) Research References (C) Proposed Steering Committee Members 2244892 Page 5 of 8
Attachment A-Consulted Agencies Social Service Agencies Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation RainCity Housing and Support Society Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Community Services BC Housing School District No. 42 Fraser Health Authority, Heathy Communities Partnership Fraser Health Authority, Clinical Programs -Mental Health and Substance Abuse Fraser Health Authority, Ridge Meadows Hospital Family Education Centre Community Groups ~---~ Downtown Maple Ridge Business Improvement Association & its members Seniors Network Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows-Katzie Community Network and its members Cultural Network Board Ridge Meadows Seniors Society Maple Ridge Pitt Meadow Community Services l· -_. ~ -- -~---. ---:--... -------, ' ,ff/I' ; AcJ.di~01yal ~es_qprces ____ -_ _ _ _ __ Province of BC -Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Office of Crime Reduction & Gang Outreach Province of Ontario -Ministry of Solicitor General, Public Safety Division 2244892 Page 7 of9
Attachment B-Research References Regional Context City of Abbotsford Crime Reduction and Community Safety Strategy City of Surrey Public Safety Strategy City of Burnaby Community Safety Planning Process Best-Practice Research Province of Ontario 1) Crime Prevention in Ontario 2) Community Safety & Well-being Planning Framework Community Safety & Community Safety & Well-Being Report Knowledge Alliance City of North Battleford Community Safety Strategy Canadian Municipal Making Cities Safer: Canadian Cities and Practices Network on Crime Prevention City of Red Deer Community Safety Strategy City of Brantford Safe Brantford Plan 2244892 Page a of 9
Attachment C-Proposed Steering Committee Members ~~·~~~,,~~ --~--==a ; ~ . .' :1~-·. L_:__i _1• __ ,J.:tl_; __ j_ :.:..:~~,.__I '--'-1 J.l .. ) .. ~j.~:t; .. ~ ·-~ ... _ -· -'~ BC Housing City of Maple Ridge Fire Department Fraser Health Authority Justice MRPM Community Services Ministries: -Children & Family Development -Social Development & Poverty Reduction -Mental Health RCMP School District No. 42 2244892 Page 9 of 9