City council's majority party made public safety and housing key 2022 platform planks
Vancouver’s A Better City party made plenty of promises that helped the party sweep to power one year ago, winning the mayor’s office and each of the seven council positions for which it ran candidates. Mayor Ken Sim said during his campaign that his top priorities were improving public safety and making housing more affordable.
“We’re definitely bucking the trends of many other police services across North America and our numbers are looking really good.” Council in February approved a grant of up to $2.8 million to Vancouver Coastal Health to hire nurses for expanded mental-health responses. “We went to the provincial government and VCH and said, ‘We’re willing to put money on the table to help establish and expand these programs that haven’t worked very well in the past.’ I think now we’re waiting for them to come back with their hiring and their headcount.”
“People underestimate how important a vibrant city is, and that it supports your economy,” said Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung. “It also creates a really great energy, and a great place to live. We can’t underestimate the power of positivity there.” Marquis Wine Cellars owner John Clerides, who has had his Davie Street wine store vandalized multiple times, told BIV he has seen little improvement in the state of the city. “Taxes haven’t gone down,” he said. “It’s not safe for my customers. It’s not well lit. The permitting process is a nightmare. Licensing is a nightmare. I could just stick my hand in a mousetrap.”
“I haven’t really seen any change,” Barzelai Building principal Avi Barzelai told BIV. “It takes basically the same amount of time to get approved, whether it is a renovation or a single-family house.” James said he is optimistic there might be some improvement following Theresa O’Donnell abruptly leaving her job as Vancouver’s chief planner in September – a departure widely seen as a dismissal.Green Party of Vancouver Coun. Pete Fry, however, told BIV he is disappointed that O’Donnell left because she did everything council asked her to do.
Fry suggested that the city use artificial intelligence and other digital tools where effective to speed processing.ABC takes steps on housing Vancouver city council in September unanimously passed a motion to allow builders to put up to eight homes on single-family lots in lower-density neighbourhoods.
Those city staff calculations include parks and recreation workers and fire-rescue services workers, but do not include police or library workers.
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