Minutes of the 4Th Meeting of District Facilities Management Committee (2016-17) Central

Minutes of the 4th Meeting of

District Facilities Management Committee (2016-17)

Central and Western District Council

Date: 2 June 2016 (Thursday)

Time: 2:30 p.m.

Venue: Conference Room, 14/F, Harbour Building

38 Pier Road, Central, Hong Kong

Present:

Chairlady:

Ms CHENG Lai-king*

Vice-chairman:

Mr NG Siu-hong*

Members:

Mr CHAN Chit-kwai, BBS, JP* / (2:47 p.m. – end of the meeting)
Mr CHAN Choi-hi, MH*
Mr CHAN Hok-fung, MH*
Mr CHEUNG Kwok-kwan, JP*
Mr HUI Chi-fung* / (2:57 p.m. – end of the meeting)
Mr KAM Nai-wai, MH*
Miss LO Yee-hang / (2:39 p.m. – end of the meeting)
Ms SIU Ka-yi*
Mr YEUNG Hoi-wing*
Mr YEUNG Hok-ming*
Mr YIP Wing-shing, BBS, JP*

Note: * Members who attended the whole meeting

( ) Time of attendance of members

Item 6:
Mr CHAIONG David, Stanley / Chief Leisure Manager (Hong Kong West),
Leisure and Cultural Services Department
Ms LIM Ting-ting, Sylvia / District Leisure Manager (Central and Western),
Leisure and Cultural Services Department
Ms CHOW Pui-shan, Cindy / Deputy District Leisure Manager (District Support) Central and Western,
Leisure and Cultural Services Department
Item 7:
Ms CHOW Pui-shan, Cindy / Deputy District Leisure Manager (District Support) Central and Western,
Leisure and Cultural Services Department
Mr MAN Chi-chiu, Eric / Executive Officer (District Management),
Central and Western District Office
In Attendance:
Mrs WONG HO Wing-sze, Susanne, JP / District Officer (Central and Western)
Miss LAM Bing-bing, Erica / Assistant District Officer (Central and Western)
Ms WONG Ming-wai / Senior Executive Officer (District Council),
Central and Western District Office
Miss YU Yan-yan, Rosanna / Senior Executive Officer (District Management),
Central and Western District Office
Mr MAN Chi-chiu, Eric / Executive Officer (District Management),
Central and Western District Office
Miss LEUNG Wai-chun, Karmen / Liaison Officer-in-chief (District Facilities and Community Involvement),
Central and Western District Office
Mr NGAN Suen-wa / Inspector of Works (Hong Kong) Works Section,
Home Affairs Department
Mr KO Kwok-keung / Assistant Inspector of Works (Central & Western) Works Section,
Home Affairs Department
Ms CHAN Shuk-hing, Daphne / Senior Librarian (Central and Western),
Leisure and Cultural Services Department
Ms CHOI Suk-kuen, Shirley / Senior Manager (Cultural Services) Hong Kong West,
Leisure and Cultural Services Department
Ms LAU Sin-yan, Irene / Assistant Manager (Hong Kong West) Marketing, Programme & District Activities,
Leisure and Cultural Services Department
Mr. TONG Pak Yu, Simon / Chief Estate Officer (District Lands Office, Hong Kong East, West and South),
Lands Department
Mr QIU Song-qing / Chairman, Chung Wan and Mid-levels Area Committee
Mr TONG Yeuk-fung / Vice-chairman, Sheung Wan and Sai Ying Pun Area Committee
Mr CHIU Shun-ming / Chairman, Kennedy Town and Shek Tong Tsui Area Committee
Secretary
Miss SUM Sze-yan, Cyan / Executive Officer (District Council) 4,
Central and Western District Office
Absent with Apologies:
Mr CHAN Ho-lim, Joseph
Mr LEE Chi-hang, Sidney
Opening remarks
The Chairlady welcomed all members and representatives of government departments to the third meeting of the District Facilities Management Committee (DFMC) (2016/2017), and especially welcomed three new Area Committee members Mr QIU Song-qing, Mr TONG Yeuk-fung and Mr CHIU Shun-ming to attend the DFMC meeting for the first time.
Item 1: Adoption of agenda
(2:36 p.m.)
2.  The Committee adopted the revised meeting agenda.
Item 2: Confirmation of the minutes of the Third DFMC Meeting held on 31 March 2016
(2:36 p.m.)
3.  The Committee confirmed the minutes of the third DFMC meeting.
Item 3: Action checklist on matters arising from the Third DFMC Meeting
(C&W DFMC Paper No. 16/2016)
(2:36 p.m.)
4.  The Chairlady said that there were no matters arising from the third DFMC meeting.
Item 4: Chairlady’s Report
(2:36 p.m. – 2:43 p.m.)
5.  The Chairlady said that papers on the District Free Entertainment Programmes and the Recreation and Sports Programmes, papers on historical reasons and district facilities would be submitted to the DFMC for review. However, since the papers were only about cultural, leisure and social activities, it was more thorough and appropriate to submit them to the Culture, Leisure & Social Affairs Committee (CLSAC) for discussion in terms of the overall provision of cultural, leisure and social activities. The Chairlady had an open mind on this, and asked whether members agreed that such papers should be submitted to the CLSAC for report and discussion in the future. The papers included the Report on the District Free Entertainment Programmes in the Central and Western District (C&W District) Organised by the LCSD, the Suggestions on the District Free Entertainment Programmes in the C&W District Proposed by the LCSD, the Report on the Organisation of Recreation and Sports Programmes in the C&W District Organised by the LCSD and the Plan for the Organisation of Recreation and Sports Programmes in the Central and Western District made by the LCSD.
6.  Mr KAM Nai-wai asked whether the Report on the Management of Facilities in the C&W District by the LCSD had been submitted to the DFMC for report and discussion.
7.  The Chairplady said the papers concerned would be submitted to the DFMC for report and discussion. In addition, as the person who submitted the LCSD’s entertainment programmes was not representative from the government sitting at the DFMC meeting, he could not contribute to the discussion.
8.  Mr CHAN Choi-hi said that if some members were interested in the item or required follow-up actions, the Committee could invite those who were not representatives of government departments to attend the meeting, or give a written reply after the meeting.
9.  After discussion, the Committee agreed the LCSD to submit the aforesaid papers to the CLSAC.
Item 5: Installation of streetside tourist map boards in Central & Western District
(C&W DFMC Paper No. 15/2016)
(2:43 p.m. – 2:57 p.m.)
10.  Mr KAM Nai-wai said that a street trader in Sheung Wan pointed out that tourists often asked him for directions, and recommended the installation of tourist map boards. Secondly, the tourist figures showed that there were quite a lot of independent travellers. Thirdly, the MTR line had been extended to the Kennedy Town, and visitors would travel to the three new MTR stations. While in almost every crossing of London, the tourist map boards containing drawings about one foot and a half to two feet wide were erected on the pavements or the sites concerned. Mr KAM Nai-wai recommended the installation of tourist map boards at relatively spacious and suitable locations, such as the new MTR station exits, Bonham Road, Forbes Street and so on. The Central and Western District Council (C&W DC) should be responsible for this issue or requested the Tourism Commission (TC) to follow up the open discussion. Mr KAM Nai-wai was also disappointed at the response from the TC saying that only 30 tourist map boards in Hong Kong were enough.
11.  The Chairlady said that every time when he walked by the Conduit Road of Mid-Levels, visitors always asked him whether the site was the Peak, the Fool’s Pavilion. When they knew the Mid-Levels Escalator could not reach the Peak, and could only reach the Conduit Road, they would return with disappointment. He used to submit a paper to the C&W DC requesting to install map boards indicating that the Conduit Road was not the Fool’s Pavilion, but found that the project was unfeasible after a field inspection. In addition, the Secretariat had sent out a letter to invite the representatives of the TC to attend the meeting. However, as the department pointed out that their response to the proposal had been specified in the written reply, they would not send staff to attend the meeting.
12.  Mr KAM Nai-wai advised the DFMC to consult 15 (all) members of the C&W DC, and let those members suggest suitable locations for the installation of tourist map boards. If members agreed, this issue should be carried by the C&W DC.
13.  Mr CHAN Choi-hi proposed to use new technologies such as mobile phone application (App), the quick response code (QR Code), etc.
14.  Mr YIP Wing-shing said that tourism affairs were very important because the C&W District and Hong Kong were both the hearts of tourism, and felt pity that the TC did not send their staff to attend the meeting. However, the installation of tourist map boards and other matters were not only the responsibilities of the C&W DC, and it was unlikely to improve the tourist map boards only depending on the views of 15 members of the C&W DC. Mr YIP Wing-shing hoped to cooperate with the TC to discuss and listen to the professional advices of the department, because the department had considerable technical support and more far-sighted vision. Cooperation could enable them to utilise resources more efficiently than just using the resources of the C&W DC to install the tourist map boards. He proposed to follow up the issue with the Chairlady, the Home Department and the TD after the meeting.
15.  Mr CHAN Chit-kwai asked whether the terms of reference of the DFMC covered the contents of the paper.
16.  The Chairlady said that one of the reasons why he invited the representatives of the TC to attend the meeting was to clarify which location could be available for the installation of the tourist map boards. The first item of the terms of reference of the DFMC was “Central and Western District Council are involved in the management of district facilities, to ensure that the relevant facilities to better meet the needs and aspirations of people in the region.” For that matter, the contents of the papers concerned should not conflict with the terms of reference of the Committee. Certainly, the district facilities referred to the locations managed by the C&W DC and the Central and Western District Office (the District Office).
17.  Mr CHAN Choi-hi approved the 15 members to give their advices, and discuss together with the Chairlady and the TC.
18.  Mrs WONG HO Wing-sze, District Officer, said that she had the same view with Mr YIP Wing-shing and Mr CHAN Choi-hi that improving travel information was correct, and opined that this issue could be discussed with the Commissioner for Tourism on how to strengthen the information service in cooperation with the District Council. Mrs WONG HO Wing-sze thought that this project was an important issue, and if the Chairlady agreed, she would follow up members’ views on the installation of the tourist map boards for the TC, and reflect that the C&W DC attached importance to this project. The department would study how to strengthen the combination of various plans in this area with the TC so as to improve the utilisation of public resources, and respond to members’ suggestions. In addition, the department also mentioned the improvement of information boards on the Sun Yat-sen Historical Trail in this year’s budget. Mr CHAN Choi-hi and previous members had mentioned the use of more technologies, such as QR Code, and the department was considering from this perspective. At that time, the QR Code and information of the new information boards, to a certain extent, not only would include the Sun Yat-sen Historical Trail, but also could connect to the tourism information of the C&W District as a whole. The District Council might proceed from the Sun Yat-sen Historical Trail, and would report the matters concerned to the District Council within a short time, and the department could follow up the deficiencies so as to make good use of the resources. Although the original terms of reference of the DFMC was the district facilities managed by the District Office, members could also submit proposals through the Working Group on District Minor Works. Mrs WONG HO Wing-sze proposed to identify the areas for improvement in cooperation with the TC, after the TC and the departments concerned reported the master plan for the Sun Yat-Sen Historical Trail in a few months. If the District Council and the TC respectively managed a batch of information boards, the practice would be inappropriate and could easily cause confusion in the absence consistent designs and information. The government also hoped to improve the tourist information service.
19.  After discussion, the Chairlady said that letters should be sent to all members of the C&W DC for comments, such as the locations suitable for the installation of the information boards, and then transferred those advices to the TC for follow-up actions.
Item 6: Funding application for district minor works projects – “Provision of arbours and installation of wall-mounted lights in West End Park”
(C&W DFMC Paper No. 29/2016)
(2:57 p.m. – 3:01 p.m.)
20.  Ms CHOW Pui-shan, Deputy District Leisure Manager (District Support) Central and Western of the LCSD, introduced the paper to the Committee.
21.  Mr CHAN Chit-kwai voiced his support for the works concerned.
22.  Mr CHAN Choi-hi hoped the department could use energy saving lamps, such as LED lights (light emitting diodes).
23.  After discussion, the Committee allocated $223,000 to the LCSD to implement the above-mentioned scheme.
Item 7: New proposals on district minor works projects 2016-2017
(C&W DFMC Paper No. 27/2016)
(3:01 p.m. – 3:24 p.m.)
24.  Mr CHAN Choi-hi, Chairman of the Working Group on District Minor Works, introduced the contents of the new proposals on district minor works projects to members.
25.  For the first project “Installation of rain canopies for outdoor seating in the parks and sitting-out areas in Central and Western District”, Mr YEUNG Hok-ming said that, in addition to this project, the seats in Clarence Terrace Children's Playground were also often found bird droppings without rain canopies. Mr YEUNG Hok-ming said that he knew that there were too many trees at this location, while the channel was narrow. Thus, it was difficult to install the canopies there, but he still hoped that the department could follow up.
26.  For the second project “Addition of message signs to St. Stephen Lane”, Mr CHAN Chit-kwai said that the resident concern groups of St. Stephen Lane and its vicinity hoped to install message signs, but recently he was informed that there were some objections. Therefore, he would conduct regional consultation again, and finally implement or shelve the project depending on the response. Mr CHAN Chit-kwai said that if the installation of message signs was unfeasible, he hoped that it was able to display the tree names, attributes, and so on.