Thread by @AnthonyFloyd

It's Episode 3 of the Park Board Meeting: Return of the Jed... Um, Return of the Bike Lane?

Tonight, it's Commissioner's motions:

1) Temporary bike lane
2) Defense of the QE View Cone
3) Low-impact turf maintenance

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And we're live!

I know because it says so.

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As we stare at what @gregeh calls the "reluctant family photo", I am left to wonder what's happening while we wait.

Filling of popcorn bowls, I'm sure.

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Reconvened!

Let's go.

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Oops. The GM report. We didn't do it last night, so that comes up first before the Commissioner's Motions.

We get to hear about Park Board happenings, like "East Park" a new waterfront park in the Olympic Village which barely has access to any parks at all.

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And a new public washroom in Cooper's Park on the seawall in Yaletown.

Hey @parkboard what happened to the public washroom near Charleson Park that was supposed to go in 2 years ago?

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I can't keep up. Suffice it to say that there's lots going on at the Park Board around the city. Parks AND recreation.

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No questions for the GM report!

First up, Commissioner Dumont introduces "Stanley Park Temporary Bike Lane 2021"

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Here's the text of the motion:

Commission Dumont is going over the reasons for the motion, recalling the Climate Emergency, our obligations to deal with that, as well the success of the temporary bike lane last year.

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@inner_cityfarms goes on to discuss the need to reduce the volume and speed of vehicles in the park, acknowledges the accessibility concerns, expresses confidence in the PB staff.

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And out of the gate, Commissioner Coupar moves to send the motion to committee out of a concern for public feedback.

Shocking.

Commissioner Barker seconds.

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I'm not going to go into all the reasons that this has already been the most discussed thing about Vancouver Parks, ever, even despite horrific conditions for those people camping in various parks due to the homelessness crisis.

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Commish Coupar frames it that if this doesn't go to committee, then the Park Board will demonstrate that it doesn't care about hearing the will of the people (I'm paraphrasing)

Going to committee would send it to the next cttee meeting (3 weeks' time) and many hours of speakers

Commish Barker talks about how the public *loves* the park, talks about the park, stops them on the street, and wants to hear all the stories from The People.

Mentions getting lots of email, but from last night we know that doesn't mean "hearing from the people".

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Commish Giesbrecht supports moving this to committee.

This will be a tight vote.

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Commish Irwin speaks against moving to committee, citing the temporary nature of the lane, going against his COPE colleague.

I'll predicting a 4/3 vote against sending it off.

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Commish Dumont notes the ongoing Traffic Study that will deal with long term changes, also mentions he's never had so much feedback on an item. He's against sending this to committee.

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Commish Mackinnon is against the deferral as well, noting that Commishes Barker and Coupar called a Special Meeting last year in which many people came and spoke about last year's temporary lane. 😈

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Commish Demers also is against sending it to committee, citing the big survey the Park Board did last year and to start from square 1 would be disrespectful of that process.

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The vote is called and defeated 4/3.

Not going to committee tonight, so there will be a vote.

Unless someone moves to table the motion, I guess.

On to questions for Commish Demers about the motion.

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Commish Coupar goes for the jugular asking about the lease btw the City of Vancouver and the Department of Defense. Cites "clause 4": "Main road shall be maintained and kept in order by CoV, provided use may be discontinued by Min DoD".

So DoD must be involved in road changes?

Commish Dumont notes staff legal team has not flagged this as an issue.

Commish Coupar looks like he has a long list of similar questions.

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Commish Barker now asks if the Senior's Advisory Cttee or Persons with Disabilities Cttee will be consulted before the temporary lane goes in.

Commish Dumont answers that staff will deal with this, and that the motion does have a timeline.

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Hints that this consultation would need to occur before the bike lane goes in.

Commish Barker talks about how the bike lane will harm seniors and people with disabilities. Essentially suggests giving them veto, requiring their approval first.

Note, they're both opposed.

Commish Giesbrecht notes staff has *already* sent a letter to those committees. PB Director of Planning and Park Development (Dave Hutch) acknowledges and indicates more conversations will occur.

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Commish Giesbrecht asks C. Dumont if, in the event of a national or international emergency, the bike lane couldn't be used by DoD if necessary.

🤣

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Commissioner Irwin notes recent letter from the Public Health Office in support of the bike lane, asking if Commish Dumont has seen the letter.

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And Commissioner Mackinnon asks if the motion is closing the whole road or just allocating one lane to two-wheel vehicles instead of 4-wheel vehicles.

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Second round of questions.

Commish Coupar returns to his line of questioning related to DoD and HMCS Discovery on Deadman's Island.

Dave Hutch is brought back to recall prior correspondence with DoD.

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Commish Barker:

"Are you thinking of allowing bikes on the seawall and *GIVING THEM A LANE ON PARK DRIVE*?"

(emphasis mine)

She then pushes the COVID distancing concern.

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"Giving them a lane"

#VanParkBoard #Othering

Commish Barker takes a swing at last year's survey, says it didn't allow "people who want to come to the park" a voice.

Fact check: It was an online survey for everyone.

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I'm falling behind here. Commish Irwin recalls the survey asked a lot of people a lot of things. Commish Giesbrecht weighs in, asking if people's trends of changing access to the park affected this motion.

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Commish Dumont: lots of recreational cycling, less commuting cycling, fewer people driving (only 40% Vancouverites have registered a car). This has helped put the motion together.

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Commish Mackinnon: This motion doesn't prohibit motor vehicles in Stanley Park does it?!?

Commish Dumont: Shockingly no, the motion doesn't intend to limit access by motor vehicles.

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("Shockingly" was my word, not his)

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Round 3, Commish Coupar digs into finances, blames drop in parking revenue on last year's bike lane. Also, loss in revenue for business partners.

Conveniently overlooks the loss of ALL TOURISTS last year.

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Anyway his question is: how much will this temporary bike lane cost the Park Board? How will this affect the Park Board's ability to offer services across the system.

I see. The bike lane will bring down the whole Parks and Recreation system.

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Commish Coupar: Prospect Point restaurant revenue drops $380k to $91k last year. Entirely the fault of last year's "Complete repurposing of their parking lot."

Fact check: The parking lot was both not completely repurposed, or full. See parking study.

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Commish Barker: Did you read the letter from the Persons with Disabilities Committee? No real direction here.

Follow-up: Does this mean closing parking lots?

Dumont: That's a staff decision.

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Note the comment about the restaurant revenue: not sure if that was restaurant revenue, or Park Board revenue from the restaurant. I suspect the latter.

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Commish Irwin points to cost of climate change and eventually asks if Commish Dumont knows the cost of the recent closures of the seawall.

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Now Commish Giesbrecht asks if this motion was founded on financial reasons or ... benefits to people in the park (again, paraphrasing)

Side note: these softball questions are typical of PhD exams too (typically by your advisor, to point you in the right directio)

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We're on to ROUND 4!

(of questions).

Commish Barker: If this is due to climate change ... what do you say to people with cars (I drive my car ALL DAY LONG) ... like seniors ... how will they get into the park?

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Her question was: Is climate change more important than park access by seniors?

This is an interesting question, inappropriate for this motion.

Fact check: The park will still be open to cars, even if seniors are driving.

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Editorializing: Yes, climate change is extremely important. It's a false equivalence to have to choose between fighting climate change and seniors. But of course seniors may the least affected by the effects of climate change. #ScrewTheKids

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Commish Barker:

No one has ever talked about this: Seniors have incontinence. If we slow down the cars, then seniors could have bathroom issues.

Wait, what does this have to do with a temporary bike lane?

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Questions are done! Now for "discussion".

Also known as "grandstanding".

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Commish Coupar: We have no data on how many people come in vehicles in the park.

Wait, also undermines the survey, calling it biased.

Now cites 1996 traffic study.

1996.

25 years ago.

#StuckInThePast #VanParkBoard

I'm not sure where this is going. The 1996 study says that if you limit traffic to the park, partner revenues will drop.

Also, CoV is supporting restaurants. Why are we undermining the partners (his words: "kick them in the teeth") with this motion?

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Oh, now he says: traffic is down so why do we need to protect a lane?

13M people visit the park in normal years. The number of cyclists don't come close to this! How will we get people to the restaurants?

He's rambling.

Evens --> all gone.

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The chair cuts him off.

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Commish Dumont is now telling a story about a family and a child (on the spectrum) for whom this safe lane works much better than the options. Also seniors who have talked to him who want the lane and they haven't had a voice.

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Also mentions people with non-standard bikes, including people with disabilities, for whom the seawall is impassible due to the cattle gates.

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Commish Giesbrecht notes Commish Coupar's bringing up of history. Stanley Park opened 1888, first car dealership in Vancouver was 1906. The park wasn't intended for cars originally.

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Commish Giesbrecht indicates she'll support the motion.

Look, this motion is going to pass, and it'll be 5/2.

These ongoing statements (limited to 5 mins) are just politics.

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Commish Barker: Since public can't speak, I'm going to speak for them.

She's reading comments from People with Disabilities Committee, and the Senior's Advisory Committee.

As I noted before, they're both against this.

Climate emergency < people's accessibility rights

Fact check: Again, I'll note that this is a temporary closure of 1 of 2 lanes. Park access is not being limited. Last year parking wasn't fully used, ever, over the summer with the 2020 temporary lane.

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I don't get why she's permitted to read this into the record. It's giving official voice to some and not all.

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Wait: "This may be some people's last year. Why are we prevent them from accessing the park?"

"It's not just access, it's *easy* access. It's not just parking, it's *easy* parking."

Tell me again how people on bikes are entitled?

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Commish Barker finishes on time at 5 minutes. It's now Commish Irwin's turn.

Commissioner Irwin goes over all the support he's heard/read cites a different number of supportive emails (235) than the PB staff had, cites the survey.

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Commissioner Irwin finishes his speech well short of his allotted 5 minutes, indicating support.

👏👏👏

Now to Commish Mackinnon who starts off: Who's talking about banning cars? This isn't this motion!

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Commish Mackinnon also asks: Report from 1996? 25 years ago? A generation ago? Our thinking and our society is very different. The ongoing traffic study will tell us what this generation thinks and needs.

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Commish Mackinnon ends before his time is up. He's in support.

Now Commish Demers. Talks about COVID, pandemic, and blaming a bike lane for all the park board's financial woes is silly.

Ok, silly is my word, but I think he would have said it if it was parliamentary.

And now they vote!

It passes 5:2.

Stanley Park is getting a temporary bike lane!

The next question is ... when?

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And now, a 10 minute comfort break.

Note, estimating time is historically hard for the board.

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Hahaha. Maybe I misheard. They're returning from their comfort break after 5 minutes.

Next up is Commissioner Coupar's motion to tell CoV that the Park Board opposes modifications to Queen Elizabeth Park's view cone, threatened by the ongoing Broadway Plan.

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Commissioner Coupar doesn't want to hold back the growth of the City of Vancouver but ...

Wait, actually he's moving to refer his own motion to committee.

Chair Dumont needs to consult RR's (ok, staff, but I bet they're looking at Robert's)

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They were.

Commissioners Irwin and Giesbrecht express their concern that it's premature because nothing about the Broadway Plan currently threatens the view cone.

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Sorry, had to help a kid with homework and missed most of the questions on the motion to refer. They're commenting on the referral.

It ... sounds like it won't pass to committee.

And it doesn't.

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This bodes poorly for the main motion.

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There are q's, and I'm working with my kid again on homework so I'm missing a lot of it. They're talking about economic development in Vancouver and how view cones should affect economics.

It's an interesting philosophical discussion but I have a feeling this motion is doomed.

But WAIT! Commissioner Demers moves an amendment, watering down the motion. Commissioner Coupar seconds.

This changes the likelihood of it passing considerably.

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The amendment passes 6:1, with Commish Mackinnon opposing.

I think the watering down of the motion means the final vote will be the same.

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And the motion passes: 5:2 with Commissioners Mackinnon and Irwin opposing.

They're sending a sternly worded letter.

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Lastly, the motion about low-intensity turf maintenance.

Commish Demers wants to mow the parks less, and let them revert to a more wild state.

This was piloted last year as part of the COVID measures. It's better for the environment, and good for the pocketbook.

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Aaaaaand Commish Coupar moves to refer THIS one to committee.

Third verse, same as the second verse, same as the first verse.

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Interesting: longer grass discourages people from picnicking in QE park according to Coupar.

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The motion to refer to committee is, sadly, defeated 5:2.

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We're on "discussion" for the main motion right now, which are up to 5 minute statements by the Commissioners.

Commish Mackinnon notes parks were originally intended to bring a bit of nature into the city and this motion brings nature back in balance.

See the butterflies!

Commish Dumont reminisces about his days as a machine operator in QE park, mowing the lawns, hours on end.

It seems like it's going to pass.

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And this motion is carried!

You'll never guess the votes.

(5:2)

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There are a few housekeeping issues but Commissioner Coupar slips in a request to staff to tell him why Park Drive between Second Beach and Ceperley Meadows is closed, and at whose direction.

With that, the marathon 3 day meeting comes to an end.

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