NPA commissioner John Coupar warns of democratic deficit under park board controlled by Green party and COPE

This week, voters had a chance to observe how democracy works at the Vancouver park board.

Commissioners heard East Side residents on two consecutive nights, lasting for several hours, on a staff recommendation regarding a community garden in Burrard View Park.

But when the chair, Green commissioner Camil Dumont, brought forward a motion to set aside one lane of traffic for cyclists in Stanley Park, nobody from the public was permitted to speak.

The board voted 5-2 in favour of Dumont's motion. This directs staff to create a temporary separated bike lane on Park Drive until the end of October.

The board's refusal to allow public speakers on this issue irritated NPA commissioner John Coupar.

Coupar tried unsuccessfully to get Dumont's motion referred to a park board committee. Had this been approved, residents of Vancouver would have been allowed to speak to commissioners in advance of the decision.

"We had two days of speakers on the Burrard View Park community garden," Coupar told the Straight by phone. "There was a lot of people that wanted to talk about the location. They weren't happy. That was an example of the park board at its best, where we're listening to the community."

As a result, park board staff are going to try to find a new location for the community garden.

"It's kind of a win-win," Coupar said. "That's what you get by listening to the neighbourhood."

He contrasted that with the approach on the separated bike lane in Stanley Park.

It was approved even though a lawyer representing the Teahouse in Stanley Park restaurant has written a letter warning of possible legal consequences. A member of the city's persons with disability advisory committee has also expressed opposition.

Coupar explained that under the park board's rules, motions based on staff recommendations must be referred to a park board committee, which hears speakers from the public.

Motions on notice from commissioners, on the other hand, don't have to go to committees.

This is why Dumont's motion creating a separated bike lane on Park Drive sailed through without any residents speaking to the board, even though this issue affects far more people than the location of a community garden in Burrard View Park.

The board also approved Green commissioner Dave Demers's motion this week to direct staff to "defer and/or alter mowing regimes" on park board turf surfaces, depending on park typologies and usage intensity. There were no public comments to the board.

One of Coupar's motions also passed this week after being amended by Green and Coalition of Progressive Electors commissioners. It addressed protecting view corridors from Queen Elizabeth Park.

Coupar told the Straight that he would have preferred all three of the commissioners' motions, including his own, to be referred to committee meetings to allow for public discussion.

"I think that’s pretty fundamental," he said.

Board seeks Vancouver Charter amendment

That's not Coupar's only concern.

He's also troubled by the COPE and Green commissioners voting on March 8 in favour of a staff recommendation to undermine the authority of commissioners in the minority.

The motion calls on staff to seek an amendment to the Vancouver Charter to only allow special meetings to be called by a majority of the board.

Currently, a minority of two members on the seven-member board can request a special meeting.

Coupar pointed out that in his three terms on the park board, commissioners have only requested special meetings on three occasions.

"It's very rare," he said. "Commissioners take it really seriously. You don't do it unless you think it's important that the public be heard."

The staff report to the board justified requesting the change "since there are other mechanisms already in place to protect a minority voice, and public feedback can always be provided in writing". [There was no acknowledgement in the report of the large number of Vancouver residents for whom English is an additional language.]

The Vancouver Charter is a provincial law that can only be amended by the B.C. legislature. 

Coupar noted that several people spoke to the board in favour of preserving the minority commissioners' right to request a special meeting.

One of them was Phil Rankin, a Vancouver lawyer, former COPE school trustee, and son of long-time COPE councillor and left-wing firebrand Harry Rankin.

Coupar described Harry Rankin as the conscience on council on many occasions over more than two decades. Rankin was often the only member of his party on council and during his political career, COPE was never in the majority.

"Even though he was very left, he was great," Coupar said. "He was gutsy. He was kind of like a legend."