The city of Port Coquitlam will pay close to $14,000 to the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce this year for fees associated with the non-profit's economic development services.
During Monday's finance and intergovernmental committee councillors voted unanimously in favour of renewing its arrangement for 2012, saying the organization has made strides in tourism and business networking in the community.
The chamber advocates for more than 840 members and is the primary contact for businesses looking to move into the Tri-Cities, said a staff report.
But while the city supports the chamber, Coun. Brad West said PoCo also needs to have its own economic development initiatives.
Coun. Mike Forrest concurred, adding that the city should be doing more to facilitate business opportunities in the municipality.
"This is not a checkoff," he said. "We need to do a lot whole lot better."
Coun. Michael Wright said he also supports the chamber and that in recent years the organization had done more to focus its efforts in Port Coquitlam.
The Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce is a business networking organization that also promotes tourism activities in the area.
It also works as an advocacy group for local entrepreneurs at the provincial and federal levels.
