Council approved the 933 Douglas Street variance permit and patio fee update through the consent agenda, then directed staff to expand research for the market-rental tax exemption pilot. The added research will examine whether tax-paying, non-market affordable-housing providers could qualify; the change passed unanimously. Council also adopted the housing agreement for 1933 Davie Street, though the transcript appears to record a councillor voting against it before the chair called the result unanimous. Council then voted to move into a closed meeting; the transcript does not include the closed-session discussion.
Generated from the recording's captions and the official minutes.
Council approved the 933 Douglas Street development variance permit and the patio bylaw fee update on consent. The market-rental tax exemption pilot update was removed for separate discussion.
Agreement
The two remaining consent items were approved unanimously.
As a package, approve the Douglas Street sign variance, subject to the stated conditions and deadlines, and direct staff to update patio fees so the 2027 base rate stays at the 2026 level plus inflation rather than increasing according to future staggered rates.
Official wording: That the following Consent Agenda items be approved:
F.1.a.a 933 Douglas Street: Development Variance Permit No.00298 (Downtown)
That Council, after giving notice, consider the following motion:
1. "That Council authorize the issuance of Development Variance Permit No. 00298 for 933 Douglas Street, in accordance with plans submitted to the Planning and Development department on April 29, 2026, subject to:
a. Proposed development meeting all City Sign Bylaw requirements, except for the following variances:
i. increase the cumulative sign allowance on the Broughton Street frontage from 9.24m2 to 20.6m2
ii. increase the cumulative sign allowance on the Douglas Street frontage from 3.75m2 to 14.6m2
2. That:
a. The Development Variance Permit lapses two years from the date of this resolution if construction is not substantially started within this timeframe; and
b. The approval of this Development Variance Permit lapses two years from the date of this resolution if the Development Variance Permit is not issued within this timeframe."
F.1.a.c Patio Bylaw Fee Update
That Council direct staff to:
1. Bring forward amendments to the Patio Regulation Bylaw (#23-052) to:
a. Update the Area Rate Table in the Bylaw to remove future staggered rate increases, maintaining the 2027 base rate at 2026 levels plus a CPI increase.
Council added a request for staff to examine whether non-government, non-market affordable-housing providers that pay property taxes could be included in the tax-exemption pilot. The examples discussed included community housing providers; the analysis will consider feasibility rather than automatically making them eligible. Staff said they had no concern and would include the topic in their report back.
Agreement
Council agreed unanimously to add non-market affordable-housing providers that pay property taxes to the staff analysis.
Staff confirmed the added research could be included in the report back.
Amend the rental-building tax relief pilot to allow up to five buildings in the greenhouse-gas-reduction stream while keeping the seismic stream capped at two and the overall pilot capped at five. Remove the six-storey maximum, requiring participating rental buildings to be at least three storeys. Review the pilot in 2027, consider expanding it to more buildings, stratified and commercial buildings, and NGO non-market affordable housing, and explore support for owners of electrified buildings who want to install heat pumps or other cooling systems for extreme heat.
Official wording: That Council direct staff to:
1. Bring back amendments to the Market Rental Building Revitalization Tax Exemption Bylaw for Council’s consideration to adjust participation criteria as follows:
a. Increase the availability of the GHG emissions stream to five rental buildings (up from three) while maintaining a maximum of two in the seismic upgrade stream (program remains available to a maximum of five buildings total, on a first-come, first serve basis);
b. Rental buildings must be three storeys or more (remove the six-storey maximum height limit).
2. Report back in 2027 with a full pilot program review and recommended next steps.
That Council direct staff to report back on options to expand the program to potentially include some or all of the following:
• More buildings per year;
• Stratified buildings;
• Commercial buildings;
• NGO non-market affordable housing
And explore a new stream of the RTE, or another funding mechanism, to address electrified buildings facing extreme heat and in which the property owners seek to install heat pumps or other such cooling technologies.
Direct staff to bring forward the amended pilot changes, including adding NGO non-market affordable housing to the list of possible program expansions, and report back on the pilot and cooling-support options as described.
Official wording: That Council direct staff to:
1. Bring back amendments to the Market Rental Building Revitalization Tax Exemption Bylaw for Council’s consideration to adjust participation criteria as follows:
a. Increase the availability of the GHG emissions stream to five rental buildings (up from three) while maintaining a maximum of two in the seismic upgrade stream (program remains available to a maximum of five buildings total, on a first-come, first serve basis);
b. Rental buildings must be three storeys or more (remove the six-storey maximum height limit).
2. Report back in 2027 with a full pilot program review and recommended next steps.
That Council direct staff to report back on options to expand the program to potentially include some or all of the following:
• More buildings per year;
• Stratified buildings;
• Commercial buildings;
• NGO non-market affordable housing
And explore a new stream of the RTE, or another funding mechanism, to address electrified buildings facing extreme heat and in which the property owners seek to install heat pumps or other such cooling technologies.
Council adopted the housing-agreement bylaw for the rental housing at 1933 Davie Street. The transcript records a councillor indicating opposition, but the chair then describes the result as unanimous, so the recorded vote is unclear.
Disagreement
A councillor appeared to oppose adoption; the transcript does not clearly reconcile that vote with the chair's statement that the result was unanimous.
Council voted to exclude the public for matters including land, law enforcement, privileged legal advice, and confidential intergovernmental negotiations. The chair noted that the closed-session discussion would follow; it is not in this transcript.
Hold a closed meeting, excluding the public, to discuss land matters, law enforcement, privileged legal advice, and confidential government negotiations.
Official wording: That Council convene a closed meeting that excludes the public under Section 90 of the Community Charter for the reason that the following agenda items deal with matters specified in Sections 90(1) and/or (2) of the Community Charter, namely:
Section 90(1)(e) the acquisition, disposition or expropriation of land or improvements, if the council considers that disclosure could reasonably be expected to harm the interests of the municipality;
Section 90(1)(f) law enforcement, if the council considers that disclosure could reasonably be expected to harm the conduct of an investigation under or enforcement of an enactment;
Section 90(1)(i) the receipt of advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose;
Section 90(2)(b) the consideration of information received and held in confidence relating to negotiations between the municipality and a provincial government or the federal government or both, or between a provincial government or the federal government or both and a third party.