The new year brings new roles for Coquitlam’s newly elected council.
On Monday (March 6), city council named the politicians who will be heading up advisory committees, and taking part on statutory boards and external bodies (in alphabetical order):
- Mayor Richard Stewart: Joint Policing
- Coun. Brent Asmundson: Multiculturalism (chairperson); Sustainability and Environmental (chairperson);
- Coun. Matt Djonlic: Sports and Recreation; Universal Access-Ability; Coquitlam library board; Parcel Tax Roll Review Panel (chairperson); Tri-Cities Homelessness and Housing Task Group
- Coun. Craig Hodge: Community Safety (chairperson); Culture Services
- Coun. Steve Kim: Culture Services (chairperson); Economic Development; Coquitlam Foundation
- Coun. Trish Mandewo: Economic Development (chairperson); Coquitlam River Watershed Roundtable
- Coun. Dennis Marsden: Sports and Recreation (chairperson); Fraser Health Municipal Government Advisory Council; Tri-Cities Healthier Communities Partnership
- Coun. Robert Mazzarolo: Multiculturalism; Sustainability and Environmental; Parcel Tax Roll Review Panel; Tri-Cities Food Security Table
- Coun. Teri Towner: Community Safety; Universal Access-Ability (chairperson); Parcel Tax Roll Review Panel; SD43 Mental Health Task Force
Council also ratified the citizen appointments on committees; the municipality received 120 applications — a higher-than-usual number, city staff said.
Mayor Richard Stewart praised the candidates who sought a seat at the table, saying the city has a “deep appreciation for those who step up.”
This year, the city updated the Terms of Reference for the Community Safety and Universal Access-Ability committees, adding four citizen reps to the former and bringing the latter in line with the provincial act.
Still, Coun. Dennis Marsden said he would like to see more input from neighbourhood associations — like the Maillardville Residents Association — on Community Safety, saying they are the ears and eyes on the ground.
Last December, city council OK’d Hodge and Towner as the city’s representatives on the Metro Vancouver board of directors after Mayor Stewart stepped down from his regional roles for the next term.
Asmundson will assume Stewart’s role on the TransLink Mayors’ Council.
