A Coquitlam city councillor is considering her legal options after she said she was the subject of “character attacks” during a committee meeting Monday.
While Coun. Bonita Zarrillo did not name names, she told The Tri-City News that her personal lawyer will be reviewing comments she said are “slander” from at least two council members.
“I believe that some of the things that were said on Monday were borderlining on character attacks,” she said. “It deserves a proper review.”
The incident stems from comments Zarrillo first made on social media criticizing the gender makeup of several of the city’s economic advisory groups, including the Strategic Investment Advisory Panel (SIAP). She also noted in a Facebook post that as a city councillor, she is not allowed to attend SIAP meetings because she’s been told “if I attended, the committee members would not be comfortable speaking their minds.”
Coun. Mae Reid, who is the council representative on the panel along with Mayor Richard Stewart, who chairs the SIAP meetings, took exception to Zarrillo’s online comments.
She said suggestions that the panel has a “hidden agenda” are inaccurate and that members — most of whom work in the development and real estate industries — are specifically chosen to ensure they do not have business before the city that could put them in conflict (see sidebar).
Reid called the group a “think tank” and said it has been a valuable source of information that can benefit city decision making.
“People are taking offence,” she said, commenting on Zarrillo’s Facebook during Monday’s committee meeting. “I am very upset about this… It is very hurtful and I don’t want to see us lose this group.”
She told The Tri-City News Tuesday that “posts on Facebook that are absolute lies are disruptive. It has got to stop.”
Zarrillo said that posts on her personal Facebook page are not city business and do not need to be discussed at the council table.
“I didn’t want to engage in that,” she said, later adding: “As elected officials, we need to understand clearly what is personal and personal experiences and what is city business and the two do not need to meet.”
Stewart noted that council, including Zarrillo, voted unanimously to approve the committee makeups and mandates last fall, and she should have made her concerns known at that time. “It is unfortunate,” he said. “Her colleagues take issue with her voting in favour of a plan that she intends to then denounce.”
Stewart also defended the work of the SIAP. He said the panel has provided high-level input on everything from urban land economics and business development to industrial architecture and land investments associated with the Evergreen Line.
“Some of them are world-renowned,” Stewart said. “I am just ecstatic that they are willing to sit with their colleagues on a panel to give us ideas on how to make Coquitlam as good as it can be.”
WHO'S ON STRATEGIC COMMITTEE IN COQUITLAM?
According to the city website, SIAP has nine members in addition to Mayor Richard Stewart and Coun. Mae Reid, including:
• Michael Geller, an architect, planner, real estate consultant and columnist;
• Ann McAfee, a former co-director of planning at the city of Vancouver and adjunct professor at UBC’s School of Community and Regional Planning;
• Malcolm Earle, senior vice-president at Colliers International;
• Michael Ferreira, the managing principal at Urban Analytics;
• Bernie Magnan, economist and manager director at Bernard Magnan and Associates;
• Jeff Rank of Bentall Kennedy;
• Geoff Nagle, director of development, Western Canada at Morguard Investments;
• Bob Rennie, a Vancouver-based real estate marketer;
• and Iain Black, a former Tri-Cities BC Liberal MLA and current president of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade.
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