As Metro Vancouver seeks support this fall from member municipalities on its affordable housing strategy and food system action plan, the regional agency is also taking heat from Port Coquitlam city council for piling on the paperwork.
Last month, before backing the two documents, PoCo city council took aim at the organization before Mayor Greg Moore, who chairs the Metro board of directors.
"I'm concerned that Metro gets bigger and bigger and bigger, and never downsizes to be concise at delivery then move away," said Coun. Mike Forrest while speaking about the 2016 Regional Affordable Housing Strategy, which Metro adopted in May.
And Forrest said while Metro will soon be the largest housing provider in the region — surpassing BC Housing — it shouldn't be filling in the gap because the province isn't. "Just because you may do it better is not the reason for us to take it over," he said.
Coun. Darrell Penner said he, too, is frustrated with Metro becoming bloated. Though he didn't want to be seen as "dissing" the agency, "the machine can't keep getting bigger. By taking more and more of these projects, it just becomes a larger bureaucracy."
Coun. Glenn Pollock said PoCo council had advocated for a national affordable housing strategy when it last met with Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam Liberal MP Ron McKinnon.
Meanwhile, council also took another shot at Metro over the 2016 Regional Food System Action Plan. "The challenge is Metro is taking on too much," Forrest repeated, noting such a plan should have been handled by the Agricultural Land Commission.
"It's another download," Forrest said, "and I'm not in favour of us continuing."
Moore said the food plan opens the conversation about food security and production.
It's not the first time Moore has heard concerns from his council — or from other municipalities — about Metro's desire to take on causes outside of its mandate.
In the past, Coquitlam city council has also expressed its anger about Metro wading into deeper waters as well as its growing costs and lack of accountability.
jwarren@tricitynews.com
