NORTH SHORE DEMOGRAPHICS Dundarave/Ambleside British Properties Norgate/Pemberton Heights Capilano/Delbrook Highlands Lower Lonsdule Central and Upper Lonsdale Lynn Valley Blueridge/Deep Cove TOTAL ... C wanis extra day Liamiahey Contributing Writer NORTH Vaacouver City staf¥ have asked council to consider allowing them to oper- ate within a compressed work week. An in-camera _ session between council and the com- pressed workweek committee —- headed by Larry Orr — gave city staff its opportunity to sway -council in its favour on sian. 11. ' Although no firm decision has been made yet, council did vote 5-2 in favour of reviewing the matter further. Coun. Barbara Perrault and Mayor Jack Loucks cast the opposing, votes. . City staff based their request for a compressed work Taxis lobby ag Liam Lahey Conivibucing Writer THE North Shore’s taxi drivers want city council to rescind Super Shuttle’s business —licence. In a show of force similar to that employed at North Vancouver District the previ- ous week, employces from both the Sunshine Cab Co. *-~and North Shore Taxi filled the NV City council chaniber on Jan. 11 while lawyer Paul Sabatino spoke on their behalf. Sabatine told council that the minibus service is operat- _ing. illegally on) the North Shore. +-—~er, “There is a process of licensing that encompasses a number of issues thar my clients were subjected to. ATTORNEY general Ujjal Dosanjh is reviewing provincial liquor laws and licensing classes. A consul- tant’s report is expected imminently but how far Dosanjh will jump in terins of liberation is anyone’s guess at present. As to be expected, the restaurant lobby has stepped up its efforts to get the present restrictions requiring food to be served with alcohol relaxed. Last week the B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association released a -ommissioned poll conducted by McIntyre and Mustel Associates. 72% of respondents supported a rather generic statement call- ing for liquor law review “for the reasons of modernizing regulations, improving, customer choices, cutting red tape and balancing the need for social responsibility.” However the Hospitality Industry Coalition (comprised of hotel, neighbourhood pub and cabarct owners) hold a different point of view and came up with their own survey conducted by MarkTrend. The coalition argues chat allowing restaurants to serve liquor without food will turn restaurant into bars and remove a community’s right to control drinking establishments. The MarkTrend poll showed 61% of B.C. respondents opposed unrestricted alcohol in restaurants. YES NO 31% 30% 29% 36% 35% - 33% 55% week on Whistler’s current staff labour agreement. Orr told council, “A com- pressed work weck (should) be introduced on 2 trial basis for one year. Such a trial should include clear criteria for evalua- tion and the opportunity to identify different options for a compressed work week if issues are identified.” Orr also toid council behind closed doors that, “... we (the compressed work week com- mittee) heard repeatedly from staff that their jobs are becom- ing more complex and demanding, yet they receive lit- tle in the way of additional compensation ... it would therefore behoove us to con- duct a proper and thorough analysis to detertnine its feasi- bility and to consider potential optional arrangements. “We feel the only way this These issues were not encoun- tered by the focal minibus ser- vice,” Sabatino said. “It doesn’t make for a level playing field ... the minibus is operating illegally and in con- travention of their business licence and the Motor Carrier Act. I further suggest to you that should there be a scrious accident involving a minibus, ICBC may not in fact cover it, what will the city do then?” Sabatino also told council that as long as the minibus is able to cross over from the city into North Vancouver District without the endorsement of the Motor Carrier Commission (MCC), they are breaking a city bylaw and should be charged. “We want you (council) to rescind their business licence and let the MCC complete its review of the taxi industry in NO DON’T OPINION KNOW Russ Wagner North Vancouver 1 wouldn’r want ro do it outright but more establish- ments would mean more people could walk to where they drink. Where the pubs are now is Catherine Lane North Vancouver No. I think the pubs are set up for that type of establish- ment. Restaurants are for sitting down and cating. A drink with a meal maybe, bit it’s more of a family setting. useless. You have to drive. Greg Miller North Vancouver Yes, I think they should. We’ve got so many restric- tions on alcohol it’s ridicu- lous. The whole system should be free enterprise anyway. We don’t need any of the gov- eramental restrictions. We should privatize the whele system just like Alberta. What we necd are more off- licences like they have in Britain. E-mail your comments or question ideas to: martin@nsnews.com can be done is through a trial period.” A wial period, if approved by council, would see staff work nine days instead of 10 on a rotating basis within a two- week period. City hall’s hours of operation would be extend- ed by 45 minutes each day as a result. “I have a number of con- cerns with the very principle of a compressed work week,” Perrault said after council chose to publicly discuss the issue fur- ther. “If we de this trial period with the entire North Vancouver city staff for onc year with the possibility that we may not accept it, it only raises false hope ... it’s a faint hope clause (the trial period), we need closure, we need to be clear with our staff.” However, management is singing a different tune. Management suggested that a compressed work week could not be implemented in a major- ity of the city’s departments withour additional _ staffing resources, costs, and a degreda- tion of service to the public. But said Coun. Darrell Mussatto, “This city prides itself on its staff. We've got a great group of people here and we necd to help build their morale.” However, Coun. Bob Fearnley warned council that if it opted to allow a trial period, the ramifications could be regrettable. “Once you put a trial period in place, it’s very hard to get rid of it,” Fearnlev said. Council directed staff to provide an in-depth evaluation of a compressed work week before a final decision is made. ainst minibus this province,” he said, adding the MCC’s review is expected to be completed in the spring. Sabatino also informed council that the minibus is cur- rently not subjected to the same mechanical requirements that taxis are. Taxis must be inspected at 1 Motor Carrier Branch on a bi-annual basis while the minibus vehicles are not. While council didn’: dis- agree with Sabatino’s argu- ments, they chose not to endorse them cither. Coun. Darrell Mussatto advised his colleagues to ask the RCMP and the city’s bylaw enforcement officers to enforce the law where applicable. “The MCC is in a pickle there's no doubt, they’re a bit behind the times,” Mussatto said. “Tixeir reforms are long overdue, che industry as a whole needs to be re-evaluat- ed. I’m sympathetic to the taxi industry and | vote that staff and the RCMP be ticketing HandyDart (Super Shuttle) if and when they are violating the law.” Coun. Stella jo Dean, who has expressed her support repeatedly for the minibus ser- vice as an affordable means of transportation for seniors, also cautioned against cancelling Super Shurtie’s —_ business ficence. “Ir’s up to the RCMP to watch for violations of the law,” Dean said. “For the time being, let the minibus operate as itis, they help a lot of senior citizens. If the taxis make an application (for their own minibus service) and are suc- cessful, the minibus won’: be able to compete anyway and theyil go.” . 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