Port Moody council is endorsing a call by one of its members for B.C. to establish an ethics commissioner who would be able to independently investigate issues of legality, conflicts of interest, bullying and code of conduct violations at municipal halls.
The unanimous approval of the motion, presented by Coun. Haven Lurbiecki at Tuesday’s council meeting, Oct. 24, comes just weeks after a member of the public alleged four councillors had attended an "illegal meeting" with the proponent of the city's largest redevelopment project in its history.
The accusation was made during a public hearing Oct. 3 for a rezoning application by Vancouver-based developer Wesgroup properties that would allow its plan to transform the 14.8-acre Coronation Park neighbourhood at the corner of Ioco Road and the Barnet Highway into a dense, mixed-use urban community with 2,587 new homes, an office building and commercial spaces to proceed.
After Port Moody Mayor Meghan Lahti refuted the allegation, characterizing the gathering as more of an informational tour of another Wesgroup development to which all councillors had been invited, Lurbiecki walked out of the subsequent council meeting where the company's rezoning application received unanimous support from the remaining councillors.
In presenting her motion Tuesday, Lurbiecki said councils can't be neutral when investigating their own affairs.
"At times, the very people that are facing an accusation or concern could oversee how it's handled," she said. "As well-intentioned as councillors may be, true neutrality can only be achieved outside the body."
Coun. Kyla Knowles concurred, saying, "the need for oversight is long overdue."
In fact, added Coun. Diana Dilworth, entreaties to the province to implement some sort of independent oversight of municipal governments have been occurring almost annually since 2016, when a resolution from Kelowna city council calling for the establishment of local integrity commissioners was referred to the executive of the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) at its annual convention.
"This is not a new concept," Dilworth said. "There are local elected councils struggling with issues that could have been helped by a neutral third party."
Coun. Samantha Agtarap said some sort of neutral oversight would only enhance the public's trust in local institutions.
"I would hope this position would set guidelines and help limit unfounded accusations."
Lurbiecki said while Port Moody became the first municipality in B.C. to adopt a code of conduct bylaw for city councillors back in 2018, there are occasions where such rules aren't enough.
"As long as councils oversee application of their own codes of conduct, bias will be there."
Along with a letter to the provincial government's Minister of Municipal Affairs, Lurbiecki's motion will also be bolstered by resolutions to the UBCM and Lower Mainland Local Government Association conventions.
