A Coquitlam councillor isn’t upset about not chairing any of the city’s committees in 2019 but does think the process to determine the appointments should not be done behind closed doors.
Coun. Bonita Zarrillo was chair of the universal access-ability advisory committee and the parcel tax review panel in 2018 as well as being council’s appointment to the library. But when the appointments for 2019 were confirmed at the Dec. 10 council meeting, her only responsibility will be to serve as vice-chair of the sports committee.
“It was definitely an equitable and fair process,” said Zarrillo in an interview with The Tri-City News, “I’m very happy to be on the sports committee. Unfortunately you don’t see the process you see the outcome.
“It should be more transparent. There was a whole process behind the scenes on how these were calculated.”
Zarrillo noted she’s been on the Federation of Canadian Municipalities board of directors for three years and has applied to continue in that role. She has also been on Metro Vancouver’s aboriginal relations committee for four years and anticipates continuing in that position as well.
In contrast, Coun. Teri Towner will chair three city committees in 2019. Towner will head up the Riverview lands and the multiculturalism advisory committees as well as takeover from Zarrillo as chair of the tax review panel
In 2018, Towner was chair of the culture services advisory committee, vice-chair of the sports committee and a member of the tax review panel.
Coun. Trish Mandewo, a newcomer to council following the Oct. 20 election, has also not been appointed as chair to any committees, but will be vice-chair of the multicultural and access-ability committees and the tax panel. Coun. Steve Kim, another rookie on council, was appointed chair of the culture committee and will be vice-chair of the Riverview lands committee and a member of the tax review panel.
After chairing both the sports advisory committee and the Riverview lands committee in 2018, Coun. Craig Hodge will chair the sustainability and environment advisory committee and be vice-chair of the culture committee.
Mayor Richard Stewart chaired the strategic advisory panel in 2018 but it has been disbanded. However, Stewart and Hodge are Coquitlam’s representatives on the Metro Vancouver regional district. On Dec. 7, Hodge was acclaimed as Metro Van’s appointment to the Union of B.C. Municipalities executive.
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Coquitlam city council 2019 appointments for its advisory committees (2018 appointments in parentheses):
Culture services — chair: Steve Kim; vice-chair: Craig Hodge (Towner/Terry O’Neill*)
Economic development — chair: Brent Asmundson; vice-chair: Chris Wilson (Marsden/Asmundson)
Multiculturalism — chair: Teri Towner; vice-chair: Trish Mandewo (Asmundson/O’Neill)
Riverview lands — chair: Towner; vice-chair Kim (Hodge/Wilson)
Sports — chair: Dennis Marsden; vice-chair: Bonita Zarrillo (Hodge/Towner)
Sustainability and environmental — chair: Hodge; vice-chair: Asmundson (O'Neill/Wilson)
Universal access-ability — chair: Wilson; vice-chair: Mandewo (Zarrillo/Mae Reid*)
* No longer on council
Statutory committee appointments:
Library board — Wilson (Zarrillo)
Parcel tax review panel — chair: Towner; vice-chair: Mandewo; member: Kim (Zarrillo/Marsden/Towner)
Other appointments
Coquitlam River watershed roundtable — council rep: Kim; alternate: Wilson (Wilson)
Fraser Health municipal government advisory council — rep: Zarrillo; alternate: Marsden (Marsden)
School district 43 child care task force — rep: Wilson; alternate: Mandewo (Reid/Wilson/Stewart)
Tri-Cities early childhood development committee — rep: Mandewo; alternate: Zarrillo (Wilson)
Tri-Cities healthier communities partnership — rep: Marsden; alternate: Kim (Marsden)
Tri-Cities homelessness and housing task group — rep: Towner; alternate: Mandewo (Towner)
