1.Sustainability seems to be a common word these days, but its use is often ambiguous. How do you define the word “sustainability”, and how does it relate to the job of a City Councillor or Mayor?
Sustain/ability to me means to use all possible avenues to maintain and/or improve the good of “something.” As to how it relates to doing a good job as a Mayor or member of Council it means that you need to maintain a good line of communication and openness to a whole variety of issues that concern and affect the citizens and the community as a whole.
2.Still on the subject of sustainability, what do you see as the major successes in New Westminster during the last council term, and what were the missed opportunities?
Major successes of our last Council were development in general, improved waste management and the building of the youth centre. I believe the most obvious failure of our current council was a lack of desire to keep “The Burr” Theatre alive. Mayor and Council should have offered some sound advice, resources and mentoring to the Burr Board on fund raising. The city should have advised the Board of their concerns and given them a definitive deadline of 1 to 2 years to prove they could raise the required funding.
3.What do you see as the major opportunities and challenges for the upcoming Council term in regards to sustainability?
I see two obvious opportunities/challenges for the next council term. As New Westminster has proven we are not a “Mall” city which has been evident for several years another vision is more probable. Both of our malls while somewhat improved have not proven to be significant successes. Rather we should concentrate on becoming a “boutique” city. I consider our proliferation of wedding shops to be just a starting point. Another major challenge is to connect Queensborough (foot/bicycle/disabled) to downtown New Westminster. This is a possible project that will require much thought and input from businesses and citizens it will affect. Not to mention funding.
4.The City will be developing a Master Transportation Plan within the next term, what would you like to see included in that plan?
Regarding developing a workable Master Transportation Plan you have asked a difficult question. The most obvious challenge to me is the re-routing of commercial trucks/vehicles, improved traffic control, improved inner city transit and to create incentives to encourage more foot and bicycle use. A lot of people find it easy to go downhill but not so easy to go uphill.
5.Translink continues to mull a replacement for the Pattullo Bridge. Would you rather see the bridge repaired, replaced with a 4-lane structure, or replaced with a larger structure? Would you support tolling the bridge to pay for its replacement? If you don’t support replacement, would you support tolling the existing bridge?
Considering the Pattullo Bridge was opened in 1939 (I believe), the considerable amount of money already spent on maintenance/repair and most importantly the many vehicular deaths caused primarily by design and congestion, I would prefer to see it replaced with a well designed 4 lane bridge and tolled. I cannot honestly comment on tolling the existing bridge unless it is to build funds for the new bridge but I fear it may take too long to accomplish that goal.
6.Do you support a Tree Bylaw to regulate the removal of nuisance trees on private property?
Yes.
7.Now that Metro Vancouver’s Solid Waste Management Plan is approved, would you support the location of a Waste-to-Energy plant in New Westminster?
While the Metro Vancouver Solid Waste Management Plan seems to contain somewhat achievable goals such as 70pct of waste kept out of disposal by 2015 and 80pct by 2020, although desirable, may be a bit lofty. Nonetheless I would personally be concerned with 2 items; they are increased truck traffic (emissions/congestion) and emissions from the site itself.
I can see some possible benefits such as employment opportunities and increased funding to the city. I would need to be convincedthat it would not bring harm to our citizens and our city. This is not NIMBYISM but concerns that are genuine on my part.
