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?
Sustainability is a measure we use to ask – how will this affect the city in one year? 5years? Twenty? We use it to measure the real cost of a new project, item or system such as our fleet. I will vote to go ahead with a project if I am satisfied it will do no harm and may even reduce our carbon footprint.
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?
Cleaning up the pier park area is a big plus. New parks in Queensborough, street trees, requiring all new city buildings to be LEEDS Gold, separation of sewer lines, bike lanes and walkways, refusing the UBE, Missed opportunities? Can’t think of any.
3.What do you see as the major opportunities and challenges for the upcoming Council term in regards to sustainability?
We have a chance to have our new civic centre as a sustainable structure. The degelder project, when complete, will foster less vehicle traffic and I will welcome the ten new theatres and do not have to drive to Coquitlam to see a movie. Challenges? Front Street, the Parkade, and access to the pier park are going to be the new challenges. Traffic is the bane of our existence and we have to constantly work with Metro Vancouver to establish a reasonable flow of vehicles – especially the heavy trucks. Waste-to-Energy will come up again and again as Metro Vancouver seems bent on incineration. I think we really have to push for waste reduction.
4.The City will be developing a Master Transportation Plan within the next term, what would you like to see included in that plan?
A reasonable truck route plan, exploration of the Storemont interchange.
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?
If tolls go up on the Port Mann then they have to go p on the Pattullo. I don’t know enough about bridges to know if it should be replaced or repaired or expanded.
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?
Depends on the technology. I toured the one in Burnaby and was shocked by the types of garbage in there. We must first reduce the garbage and only use incineration as a LAST resort.
