Tell Vancouver City Council NOT to cut our parks, our trees, our services!

Date:	Thursday, 03 December 2009
Time:	18:00 - 21:00
Location:	Vancouver City Hall, 12th and Cambie

Description

Public Hearing/Press Conference

- closing the Bloedel Conservatory at Queen Elizabeth Park.
- slashing Vancouver's tree program so severely that the city will be 400 trees 'less green' by 2011.
- reduced operating hours at our Vancouver Library branches, and cutting back on staffing and collections.
- across the board service reductions in community centres, fitness centres, pools and rinks.
- slashing 55 parks board staff positions, many in front-line service positions at our community centres.
- reduced garbage pick-up and street cleaning.
- AND MORE!

Did we vote for this?

Is this helping make Vancouver a better, greener, city?

Let's tell them they're on the wrong track. Join this event. If you can, come to the press conference. Speak at the public hearing and have your concerns heard.

Want to speak at the public hearing? Register by 5 pm on Thursday, December 3 or at the door before the meeting between 7 and 7:30 pm. To register to speak, call the city at 604.871.6399 or e-mail teresita.burke@vancouver.ca

More details will be posted here closer to the day.

Shutdown of Bloedel Conservatory, Stanley Park petting zoo divides park board

By Matthew Burrow straight.com

Vancouver Trolley Company owner Jim Storey called it “a sad day for the city”.

Storey was referring to the 4-3 vote by the Vancouver park board on November 25 to close down the Bloedel Floral Conservatory and the Stanley Park petting zoo to help deal with a $2.8-million anticipated budget shortfall.

“We don’t have enough attractions in the city now and to lose a few is very sad,” Storey said by phone. “I wish there could have been alternatives found.”

Vision Vancouver park board commissioner Aaron Jasper, a former long-time Gray Line tour bus driver and guide, said the closures were unavoidable in light of Vision’s decision not to bring in more than a two-percent tax increase in the next city budget.

Jasper, along with fellow Vision commissioners Constance Barnes, Sarah Blyth, and board chair Raj Hundal, voted in favour of the shutdowns.

COPE commissioner Loretta Woodcock, NPA commissioner Ian Robertson, and Green commissioner Stuart Mackinnon were opposed.

“COPE’s position, obviously, is that we should increase the taxes, right?” Jasper fired back to the Straight regarding the cuts. “Fine, I respect that she [Woodcock] has taken that position, that is different to Vision Vancouver’s. Stuart just thinks we should just say no, and doesn’t propose any solutions.”

Jasper claimed that, when comparing park board cuts to those facing other city departments, the park board has “the lowest percentages”.

“The kind of choices that we were facing: close down a community centre or close down the Bloedel Conservatory,” Jasper said. “Well, the choice is pretty clear.”

Mackinnon told the Straight he has “already written to city council to ask them to reconsider their [planned] two-percent tax increase”.

“The city has what they consider a global inflationary increase of four percent,” Mackinnon said by phone. “That includes regular inflation and increased costs and everything, plus wages. Two percent is what they are proposing as a tax hike, even though there’s a four-percent inflationary rise. So there is a two-percent gap there.”

Mackinnon said a four-percent tax hike would still result in a shortfall, but he said he has calculated that it would be half what it is under Vision’s scenario.

“Aaron and I had some sharp words last night, and I don’t suppose I am his best friend at the moment,” Mackinnon added.

According to Mackinnon, the park board is also the cart being placed before city council’s horse, in that council has based estimated cuts on a two-percent increase, but does not know what the final numbers will be.

For that reason, Mackinnon has not given up hope on the conservatory and the petting zoo yet.

“I’m advising everyone who calls me and e-mails me to get on to mayor and council and phone,” he said. “Do whatever you can to let council know—especially if you’re willing to pay a higher tax bill. If you’re not willing to pay a higher tax bill, then you have to live with these cuts. But if you’re willing to pay a little bit more in order to have libraries, parks, and community centres, then get on to city council and let them know.”

Tourism Vancouver spokesperson Walt Judas told the Straight his group is understanding “when tough budget decisions are made”.

“But obviously when it affects an attraction like the conservatory or the petting zoo, that’s unfortunate, because it impacts both residents and visitors alike.”

The park-board budget will go to city council for approval December 3.

One of the many letters I have received from someone I have never met.

Over the last two weeks I have received more correspondence than in the entire previous year. Not all of it necessarily favourable, but nonetheless it is a sign about how passionate Vancouverites are about their parks. The following is one I received after last night's vote on the 2010 budget allocations. I wanted to share it because it sums up so succinctly my own view of our beautiful city:


Stuart,

Thank you very very much for voting no. The city I love is the one with tree-lined streets, parks in every neighbourhood, quaint fish and chips stands on the beaches, a train in Stanley Park, and a magnificent dome at the top of the city to give us all a glimpse of precious plants and birds we all need to cherish.

Best of luck,
Drew Meikle

Here is a portion of my reply:

I still have a little bit of hope left in me that a ground swell of citizen support can change things, and barring that, that a private benefactor will come forward to offer some support for the conservatory. Maybe I am a misty-eyed idealist, but I still have some optimism left in me (perhaps rare for some one in politics)--maybe that's why I am a Green.

Thank you Drew.

Bloedel Conservatory and Stanley Park Children’s Farmyard to close

Park board facing $2.8 million budget shortfall

Evan Kelly/Sheila Scott VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) 2009-11-26 06:30

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - The Vancouver Park Board has voted 4-3 in favour of closing two well known Vancouver attractions. The Bloedel Conservatory in Queen Elizabeth Park and the Stanley Park’s Children’s Farmyard will both be closed.

The cuts come in light of a $2.8 million dollar funding shortfall. Dozens of speakers, both for and against the closure, gave emotional pleas to the park board commissioners.

Commissioner Stuart Mackinnon is among those unhappy with the decision, "The economy is on a downturn, we need these services more than ever, we need community centers, we need parks, we need libraries, city council has to listen to the people."

But Commissioner Aaron Jasper says the board did what it had to in light of the shortfall, "The city has to live within its means. We aren't a provincial government, we can't run a deficit, so we all have to do our part."

Many people who argued against the closures felt their voices weren’t heard during the meeting.

Some park commissioners are entertaining some hope of a third party running the Conservatory. The park board must submit its budget to city council by December 1st.

Press Release

Here is a copy of the press release I sent out yesterday. It garnered a lot of coverage from CKNW radio to the Vancouver Sun newspaper

23 November 2009 Green Park Board Commissioner to Oppose Budget Initiative - "Save Vancouver's Trees"

At this Wednesday’s Park Board meeting Stuart Mackinnon, Green Party of Vancouver Park Board Commissioner, will oppose the 20009 budget initiative to reduce the Trees on the Street program.

"We need to save Vancouver's trees" said Mackinnon. "How can we be the greenest city while reducing the number of trees in the city? This is the most basic form of being green. From a birds eye view Vancouver would in fact be less green if these budget cuts go through".

One of the budget proposals coming to the Park Board this coming Wednesday is the reduction by 1/3 of re-planting of street trees. Approximately 1200 trees are taken down each year by the Park Board due to death, disease or danger, and these are replaced. A reduction in the trees on the street program funding would mean that only 800 of these trees will be replaced.

"Over time this will result in significant loss of trees for the city if we don’t stay on top of at least maintaining the existing number of trees. It also begs the question of which neighbourhoods will lose trees and which neighbourhoods will not, and who and how those decisions will be made." said Mackinnon.

Vancouver City Council recently released their Greenest City Action Plan which calls for the planting of 150,000 new trees by 2020.

“Most troubling to me is direction the Park Board would be going if this budget initiative is adopted” said Mackinnon. “While the city is advocating for the planting of an additional 150,000 tree over the next 10 years, the Park Board would actually be planting 4000 fewer! Not only would we not be on board with Greenest City Action Plan, we would be actively working against it”.

-30-

For more information contact Commissioner Stuart Mackinnon at 778-389-1956

City tree-planting program facing the axe

A great article about the Trees on the Street program budget cut in today's Sun. If you think trees on the street are important I encourage you to contact the Park Board (pbcomment@vancouver.ca) and tell them.

Trees on the Street

One of the budget proposals coming to the Board on Wednesday is the reduction by 1/3 of re-planting of street trees. The current situation is that approximately 1200 trees are taken down each year due to death, disease or danger, and these are replaced. A reduction of 400 trees means that only 800 will be replaced. While 400 fewer trees may not seem to be a lot, over time this will result in significant loss of trees for the city. It also begs the question of which neighbourhoods will lose tree and which neighbourhoods will not, and who and how those decisions will be made.

Most troubling to me is direction the Park Board would be going if this budget initiative is adopted. Recently the city released its Greenest City Action Plan. In the section entitled “Greener Communities” objective 6 reads:

Easy Access To Nature: Provide incomparable access to green spaces,
including the world’s most spectacular urban forest

2020 Targets: Every person lives within a five-minute walk of a park,
beach, greenway, or other natural space; plant 150,000 additional
trees in the city

While the city is advocating for the planting of an additional 150,000 tree over the next 10 years, the Park Board would actually be planting 4000 less! Not only would we not be on board with Greenest City Action Plan, we would be actually working against it.

This budget option I cannot accept. Our mandate is not to be removing green space but to be adding and enhancing green space.

When enough is enough

I wasn't elected to oversee the dismantling of the Park Board or the degradation of our parks and recreation system. Yet for the second year in a row I am being asked to approve a budget that contains another cut for the Park Board. Granted every department in the city is faced with budget cuts, but no other department has an elected board whose mandate is to 'provide, preserve and advocate...to benefit people, communities and the environment'. I would be remiss in my duties if I were to simply accept the estimated budget allocation without advocating for our parks and community centres, our programs and our gardens.

Park Board management has prepared a document that outlines the cuts they recommend and will be asking the elected board to approve these cuts on Wednesday (November 25 at 7 pm) at a special meeting of the Park Board. I have been inundated with pleas from citizens to protect areas that are on the chopping bloc. Whether it is the Bloedel Floral Conservatory, the Sunset Nursery, the Trees on the Street program, the Children's Farmyard or any of the other cuts, people have consistently said they would rather pay higher taxes than lose the precious services the Park Board offers.

So I am asking you to write/call/e-mail Vancouver City Council and tell them if you are willing to accept higher taxes to support your parks and recreation services. Nothing is free. Without cuts our taxes will increase more than the projected 2%. It is your choice. Without more dollars in our estimated budget, services and programming will be reduced