The addition of two new mayors changes the Tri-City landscape and means political officials will need to work extra hard to ensure cooperation and collaboration on shared issues.
This is possible if the mayors of Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody leave their egos at the door for the good of the region.
A number of important issues come to mind as we embark on a new four-year term in office for city councils; some are as yet unresolved, some are new, but all need a deft hand, good communication and a willingness of all three mayors to sit down and talk.
We would love to be a fly on the wall for what is sure to be an important working session if such an event is organized in the next fews weeks after the new mayors are sworn in.
We can expect to see Coquitlam’s Richard Stewart offer his experience in multi-city concerns to new mayors Brad West in PoCo and Rob Vagramov in PoMo, while the two new mayors can offer enthusiasm and fresh perspectives as well as their varying amounts of council experience.
Here are some of the issues that will need some collaboration in the coming months.
• Daycare: With provincial money on the table, the three cities and School District 43 are expected to work together in the coming months to find ways to get more daycares on city and school land.
• Traffic and growth: New development on Burke Mountain in Coquitlam, along St. Johns in Port Moody and in the Dominion Triangle area in Port Coquitlam will generate more traffic that will pass through each city, requiring cooperation to optimize roads, bus routes, car sharing and other options to keep gridlock to a minimum.
• Economy: The cities should work together on a joint economic framework to attract new businesses to the Tri-Cities rather than competing against one another or going it alone.
• Cannabis retail: In addition to consulting with residents, cities should consult with one another to make sure any cannabis stores are well spaced out and not clustered.
• Homelessness: Coquitlam’s task force on the 3030 Gordon Ave. homeless shelter produced a number of recommendations but what happens in the city also affects Port Coquitlam. The two communities should offer a united front to Fraser Health and other organizations seeking to provide opportunities to reduce homelessness and addiction.
These issues and many more unite the cities and with a new term comes an opportunity for fresh ideas and a fresh start. We look forward to seeing how the councils will work together now and in the coming months and years.
