Richmond's first city council meeting for 2018 is scheduled for the evening of Monday, Jan. 15 and on its agenda are issues ranging from cannabis regulation to affordable housing. Here's a preview of some of the significant topics up for discussion.
Update on cannabis regulation
On Jan. 11, at the city's general purposes committee meeting, council agreed to recommend to federal and provincial governments that marijuana be grown on Richmond's industrially-zoned land, not its farmland. At Monday night's council meeting, there will be an update on cannabis regulation that includes this recommendation, as well as a request that staff report back with information on required programs and infrastructure for producing or selling cannabis.
The city also plans to request that the provincial and federal governments share at least 50 cents of taxes per gram of marijuana sold with the municipal government. These taxes would help with the costs of enforcing regulations and dealing with cannabis-related issues.
Cultural harmony plan
In 2016, city council approved the development of a cultural harmony plan, recognizing that changing demographics in Richmond affect the city's social cohesion. Now, city staff have put forward some guiding principles that, if approved by council, will help advise the development of this plan.
Developing the plan has been broken down into three phases: researching best practices for cultural harmony, analyzing existing programs and recommending actions for the cultural harmony plan. According to city staff, this plan will help to "showcase Richmond's cultural diversity and facilitate intercultural dialogue."
Affordable housing
Two items on Monday night's agenda are centred on affordable housing in the city. First, the city hopes to acquire three affordable housing units, two on No. 3 Road near Granville Avenue and another close by on Anderson Road.
Second, a draft affordable housing strategy is being put forward in the hopes that it can move to public consultation. The 10-year housing strategy for 2017-2027 outlines three priorities including non-market subsidized rental housing, low-end market rental and entry-level home ownership. To focus on these priorities, the housing strategy currently suggests securing low-end market rental units throughout the city, using city-owned land for affordable housing, facilitating non-profit housing development and collecting $1.5 million in cash contributions to support affordable housing projects.
Richmond's city council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 15 in council chambers at 6911 No. 3 Rd. The public is welcome to attend or watch an online broadcast of the meeting.
