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the richmond
New citizens to be sworn in at Salmon Festival B10
REVIEW RICHMONDREVIEW.COM
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 2014
Council tables demands for new bridge
48 PAGES
Moo and a-woo
Mayor says province’s tunnel replacement project is ‘first and foremost a shipping project’ by Matthew Hoekstra Staff Reporter Agriculture, architecture and the need for rapid transit are among city council’s concerns with a provincial project to replace the George Massey Tunnel. Civic politicians decided Monday to urge Ministry of Transportation officials to consider a made-in-Richmond list of objectives for a planned bridge. The new South Arm span has yet to be designed, but could be a 10-lane cable-stayed structure modelled after the Alex Fraser Bridge. Key among council’s concerns is the potential impact to farmland. The bridge option being pursued is said to have the least impact on farmland on both sides of the river, but the full extent of land requirements is not yet known. Council’s wish is a “net zero” loss—or even a gain—of farmland. Council is also pushing for the inclusion of rapid transit on a bridge it says should be “iconic.” “If they are going to give us a bridge, I think it’s important that we ask them that it be an iconic bridge, frankly,” said Coun. Evelina Halsey-Brandt. “Architecturally it can be designed so that it is a visual gateway into Richmond.” Construction on the new bridge is scheduled to begin in 2017. Each direction of the 10-lane bridge could include three general purpose lanes, a transit/HOV lane and a lane for trucks or future rapid transit. There’s been no decision on tolls, but they’re likely, staff say. Richmond council’s list of objectives also urges the province to reduce congestion, not simply move it elsewhere, and ultimately get more people out of their cars. Last year just 27 per cent of the region’s trips were completed by a method other than a private vehicle, according to a staff report. TransLink has a goal to increase that to over 50 per cent. For local politicians, achieving that means the bridge should give priority to transit and high-occupancy vehicles, while also offering improvements for cyclists and pedestrians. See Page 4
Clare Scott photo A coyote visited Harold and Kathy Steves’ belted Galloway cows on the West Dyke.
Salaries reach new heights at city hall Expenses continue to level off by Matthew Hoekstra Staff Reporter Richmond City Hall’s payroll has grown by $15 million in five years, while expenses continue to fall from Olympic heights, according to financial statements released this week. Salaries for 1,980 city employees totalled $108.2 million last year, and expenses rang in at $516,823.
In five years, 134 more workers have been added to the payroll, which has grown 16.25 per cent. Annual expenses, however, have dropped by more than half. The city’s top earner is chief administrative officer George Duncan, who made $291,250 last year. Department heads also scored high on the pay scale, as five of six general managers topped the $200,000 mark. Richmond’s annual statement of financial information—required under B.C. law—details all wage earners over $75,000. In 2013, 593 employees reached that salary mark, up from 478 the year before. See Page 5
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