This Week at Vancouver City Council: Libraries, Washrooms, and Advisory Committees

Written By Stephanie Oey

This is our first Watch Council Alert since the recent federal election and by-election (read our reaction blog post here). Vancouver City Council is back in full swing, now with two fresh faces around the table.

Here are some important items the City of Vancouver is considering next week and how to take action on them.

 

Want To Skip Straight To Action?

What's On At Council

Agenda Item: "Increasing Funding for Vital Community Libraries"

What's Happening: 

In April, several Vancouver Public Library branches were forced to reduce their hours and close on Mondays due to funding cuts. This motion seeks to identify funding to reinstate those hours so that libraries can provide a free, safe, and welcoming place every day of the week.

Important Dates: 

  • The speaker registration deadline is Tuesday, May 20th at 5:00 pm.

  • Council will vote on the motion on Wednesday, May 21st, likely in the afternoon.

Good to Know:

Approximately 60% of library users are women, and half are seniors. The majority of library workers are women. Libraries are one of the only free spaces that lower-income people can access. They provide referrals to social services, a place for connection, a refuge during extreme weather and domestic violence, and so much more.

Agenda Item: "Places to Be Places to Go"

What's Happening:

Council will consider a motion to increase the number of accessible daytime drop-in shelter spaces and public washrooms.

The motion asks staff to look for potential drop-in spaces in underutilized buildings, especially spaces with seating, charging stations, and access to information and services through community organizations.

It also asks staff to prioritize washrooms close to transit that are accessible for people with disabilities and are regularly cleaned and maintained.

Important Dates: 

  • The speaker registration deadline is Tuesday, May 20th at 5:00 pm.

  • Council will vote on the motion on Wednesday, May 21st, likely in the afternoon.

Good to Know:

All elected councillors committed to our Hot Pink Paper Campaign pledge to ensure accessible, free, and clean washrooms are available across the city.

Washrooms and drop-in centres are essential social and public health infrastructure that particularly benefit people who are women or gender-diverse, are pregnant or have young children, have disabilities, are shift workers, low-income, or are underhoused.

Agenda Item: "Report Back – Review of City of Vancouver Committee Structures and Systems"

What's Happening:

Last October, we sounded the alarm that council might nix resident-led advisory committees. Bodies such as the Women's Advisory Committee, the 2SLGBTQ+ Advisory Committee, and the Older Persons and Elders Advisory Committee help council hear perspectives they might otherwise be unaware of and consider how their decisions could impact marginalized communities.

Thanks to our community's advocacy, two amendments were introduced that softened the language of the original motion.

Now, staff are reporting back on their review of advisory committees. The twist? Their report is presented to council to "receive for information," which is the Robert's Rules way of saying "FYI," and means that staff haven't put forward any recommendations for council to vote on. That's a good sign that our advocacy worked.

But before you breathe a sigh of relief, remember that this council has tried to make major policy shifts on the fly when receiving reports for information before (remember when they tried to reverse Vancouver's biggest climate policy through an amendment to a staff update?).

If advisory committees are important to you, it's a good idea to remind council that they should keep these bodies intact before the vote on Tuesday.

Important Dates: 

  • Council will receive the report on Tuesday, May 20th, likely before noon. Because the report is "for information," there's no opportunity for community members to speak to this agenda item.

Take Action:

What Else Is Happening?

Engagement Opportunity: Proposed Changes to Downtown Eastside Housing Policy

What’s Happening:

In response to the "Uplifting the Downtown Eastside" motion, city staff are conducting engagement on proposed policy changes to the mix of housing allowed in the Downtown Eastside, including changes that will impact people living in Single Room Occupancy buildings (SROs).

A six-question Shape Your City survey is one of the ways you can provide feedback on these policy changes.

Important Dates:

  • The deadline to fill out the survey is Monday, May 19th, by the end of the day. If you miss this deadline, you can send feedback to HousingPolicy@vancouver.ca.

Join A Watch Council Drop-In Session

Let's chat about these important decisions at our upcoming Watch Council Drop-In Session on Monday, May 19th at 12:00pm.

Drop-in sessions are an opportunity to connect virtually with the WTC team for informal conversations and personalized support on local government advocacy, organizing, and engagement. Common topics discussed include:

  • How to speak or write to council.

  • Understanding how a policy decision may impact you and your community.

  • Strategizing on the best ways to influence a given motion or decision, including which councillors to approach.

  • Navigating local government systems and jurisdiction.

  • Tips on organizing and campaigning.

  • If you can't make the drop-in session but have questions on engaging with city council, feel free to email or post in our members' Slack channel. We'll be posting live updates about the meeting in Slack too, so be sure to follow along.

Thank you for taking action for a more equitable city! Navigating local government systems and influencing city hall can be challenging, but the WTC community is here for support.

Stephanie Oey
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