There are two people running for the mayoral position on Port Moody city council from the 2022 municipal election — set for Oct. 15.
Meghan Lahti
- Age: Did not answer
- Years as a Port Moody resident: 34
- Occupation: City councillor, small business owner
- Most recent civic/volunteer work? Member of city council 1996-2011 and 2014-present
- Website: meghan4mayor.ca
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 778-288-9874
- Facebook: @councillormeghanlahti
Port Moody’s got a lot on its plate for the next four years, from the redevelopment of its transit-oriented neighbourhood around the Moody Centre SkyTrain station, to finding space for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles to move around the city safely and efficiently.
But for mayoralty candidate Meghan Lahti, none of those issues will be resolved unless members of council can work together, all rowing the civic boat toward a brighter future.
A veteran councillor of 19 years, Lahti said that hasn’t been happening since the current group of municipal representatives was elected in 2018.
“It all boils down to making people feel valued and included in the decision making process,” she said. “Every one of us has contributed in a negative way.”
The dysfunction has manifested as marathon meetings in which little is resolved, conflict and even — on occasion — tears.
The community has noticed.
Survey
In the recently completed 2022 citizen survey, respondents’ satisfaction with the way Port Moody’s municipal government is running the city is down 25 points from 2018, and only 52 percent of respondents said they’re happy with council.
Lahti said she has the experience and leadership ability to turn those results around. Fences need to be mended, and bridges have to be built — on council, with city staff, neighbouring communities, regional partners and even the provincial government. But mostly with Port Moody’s residents.
“Good governance is about being inclusive,” she said. “It’s about being respectful and staying true to the original strategic plan that we have.”
Lahti said good governance starts with transparency; if elected mayor, she wants to bring back a weekly report of everything she’s been up to.
Being open
“That kind of willingness to be open and not to hide something from council is really important,” she said.
From a foundation of trust and respect, Lahti said council will finally be able to move forward on some of the issues that will reshape the city over the next several years, like:
• the redevelopment of Moody Centre
• addressing the housing needs of a diverse population
• realizing the potential of the old firehall site at the corner of Ioco Road and Murray Street that’s been fallow for several years
• enhancing the quality of life for residents with amenities like park space, as well as recreation and community facilities that aren’t stretched to capacity or falling apart.
Many of those issues are intertwined, she added.
High-density development where it makes sense — like immediately adjacent to transit — will bring amenities like shopping, restaurants, perhaps a “new kind” of rec centre.
Infill development, like townhomes and six-storey residential development a little further afield will help address the “missing middle” and bring more opportunities for affordable living.
Public land
Public land, like the old firehall site or the former landfill site on Barnet Highway can be leveraged for needed facilities like seniors housing, a new library and more park space.
“We need to make sure that whatever happens is reflective of Port Moody,” Lahti said.
“It’s not about giving developers whatever they want. It’s about making sure that things are done on our terms.”
Steve Milani
- Age: 57
- Years as a Port Moody resident: 24
- Occupation: Designer goldsmith and music industry professional
- Most recent civic/volunteer work? City councillor
- Website: stevemilani.ca
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook/Instagram: @stevemilaniformayor
Steve Milani says it’s time for Port Moody council to stop sniping at each other and start listening to the city’s residents.
What they’ll hear, he adds, is a community that’s hungry for more family-friendly and seniors housing, as well as a city that’s environmentally and financially sustainable.
It was Milani’s willingness to listen to the concerns residents expressed to him on their doorsteps that first got him elected as a city councillor four years ago. And it’s that gum-shoe work ethic he hopes will elevate him to the mayor’s seat on Oct. 15.
“I think people came here to be closer to nature, and live in that small, well-balanced community,” Milani said. “I would like to be the mayor that provides the leadership to get us there.”
For the journey to bear fruit, though, the tensions and acrimony of the past have to stay in the past, he said. Council — and the city — has to move forward.
“There’s no point for personal attacks, or going off topic. Let’s be professional at work.”
Keeping ears open to the desires of the community and cultivating a spirit of collaboration will be key to determining the direction the city takes over the next four years, Milani said.
“I think if you’re representing the views of the residents, there shouldn’t be as much tension and as much conflict on council,” he said, adding Port Moody is at a crossroads and it has only one chance to take the right turn.
Milani said in the next four years, council has to focus on finding partners who will provide more opportunities to attain affordable housing.
Co-ops and non-profit provider would be goods choices, he said. “This should be an inclusive society.”
The city also needs to rebuild its economic engine to make up ground lost when major industrial employers — and tax generators — like the Burrard Thermal plant and Flavelle sawmill closed.
Miliani said the Moody Centre neighbourhood around the SkyTrain and West Coast Express station presents the city with a golden opportunity to do just that, Milani said.
“Right now we’re using SkyTrain and West Coast Express to bring everyone out of town,” he said. “We should maybe be using it to bring people into town so that they can work and rebuild our daytime economy.”
Milani said, “The next council will be determining the direction of the city,” pointing to its review and update of Port Moody’s official community plan that’s already underway and will be completed by the next council.
Other pressures being felt include a need to update and expand civic facilities like the Kyle Community Centre and provide more amenities like park space and seniors housing.
Those things take money, though, something that’s dear in Port Moody, admitted Milani.
“It’s not easy financially,” he said. “We have to tighten up and find a way to finance these things.”
But none of those ambitions will be realized if council doesn’t have an open mind and ear to residents’ desires and if members can’t work collaboratively for the greater good, Milani said.
“People have to know that they can approach you and talk to you openly about their concerns and that you’ll listen and respond with the caring attitude. If you’re in tune with what the residents want, you’re going to vote that way.”
