10/15/2022
Chamber of Commerce - Q&A
1. What is your reason for running for council?
- I've decided to run because we need a voice for the youth of our community and someone with a diverse background who isn’t afraid to voice their opinion.
If elected to office I would advocate for transparency of city council and prioritize the best interest of the residents while maintaining growth of the economy of Pitt Meadows.
2. Where do you stand on progressing with the building of a new RCMP facility in Pitt Meadows?
- I don't think we currently have the population to support spending 21.5 million on a separate RCMP detachment. The building and all furniture will be paid for by the residents of Pitt Meadows.
This detachment also doesn't mean the jurisdiction for these RCMP officers is strictly to Pitt Meadows. If officers are needed anywhere else, the federal government still has the right to decrease our staffed officers.
Having our own detachment building doesn’t prevent crime. Most criminal activity is committed by people in their early teens and young adults.
By providing community policing programs for young people to engage in we can create a safer community without taking 21.5 million dollars out of our city’s fund.
Port Coquitlam had looked into potentially doing this as well a couple years ago, they have 3 times the population we do yet they voted against it as it wasn't worth the financial pressure on their residents.
3. What do you think the greatest need is right now for businesses in Pitt Meadows and what would you do to help provide that need?
- There are several needs that businesses are struggling with:
*Jobs going unanswered
*Lack of funds for day to day operations
*Employment retention
*Maintaining payroll
*Finding a proper location
What we can do to help is deploy capital and help these organizations recover on solid footing.
For example:
Tax credit programs
Emergency capital investment
Paycheck protection program (to maintain existing payroll for current employees)
Promote them on our city web page
Endorse brand ambassadors
Set affordable rates
Increase speed of licensing and by laws
Increase locations for diverse businesses
Help with start-up campaigns
4. I would like to know how they would ensure that all people are being heard and represented in council, such as youth and marginalized communities?
- I think representation is everything. Having someone in council that is from a marginalized group helps that community feel represented and their voice felt heard leading to an increased positive community outcome.
I think it is extremely important to maintain a respectful relationship with all members of the community and to do so by actively listening and understanding where someone's concerns come from.
Not brushing them off, or publicly harassing them. We are all part of this great City and we all deserve the same respect, dignity, and acknowledgement.
5. How do you plan to implement extreme weather readiness?
- Since we are in a flood zone, we need to ensure our d***s are well maintained, all plumbing is up to code and ensuring all operational pumps are properly functioning.
The council also needs to take into account that a lot of homes will be lost if we have extreme flooding, therefore we need to work on better measures to ensure we are helping residents equipt for these conditions.
As a city we should keep a close eye on housing elevation to ensure we are above the floodplain for the next 50-100yrs as the water table is rising.
Ensuring that all residents receive education in order to be prepared to protect themselves and their property if and when a flood occurs.
6. What are your conservation interests/goals?
- Pitt Meadows is home to over 150 of the 260 endangered species in the lower mainland including the Great Blue Heron.
It is our responsibility to prevent extinction by maintaining our parklands.
It is also important to acknowledge that we live on the traditional territory of the q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie) First Nation, and in doing so, we need to also help maintain the history of the land and people of Pitt Meadows.
I would love to work with the members of the community to preserve the beauty of Pitt meadows.
7. Consultant reports confirm there is a health crisis in our community regarding noise and air quality related to CP operations. What specific actions do you plan to take to ensure the health of impacted residents is protected?
- The City conducted air quality health risk assessment of the current and predicted 2030 exhaust emissions from (CP) in November 2021 and a final report in July 2022.
The findings indicated that health effects due to railway emissions exceeded acceptable health thresholds. The health risks were predicted to increase in future scenarios based on 2030 rail operations.
Based on a review of this report, there are no enforceable standards governing the impacts on local air quality by train emissions.
That being said I don't plan on going down without a fight.
As your councilor I will advocate for better standards from CP Rail by questioning their current standards, ensuring there are proper follow-ups, quality checks, and compensation from CP Rail.
I will do everything in my power to ensure that the health, safety and wellbeing of the residents is a priority.
8. What do you think are the top 3 issues for our community and please explain your position and what you hope to accomplish regarding these issues.
- Responsible development:
We can do this by maintaining viable agricultural land and only developing on land that is truly not viable for farming needs. We need to ensure that we have enough housing for low-income families and care homes for our aging population.
- Upgrade transportation:
We need to work with Translink to expand services in our community to ensure adequate access and mobility for all residents.
- Reduce congestion:
We need to update our roads and infrastructure to maintain road safety and keep up with the added traffic from more trains running through the city.
9. Do you support the City of Pitt Meadows taking action to limit the effect of climate change?
- Yes, I do support Pitt Meadows taking action to limit the effect of climate change
Through various means of:
going green initiatives
Sustainability resources
Invasive species
Climate action
Zero waste campaign
I think that we need to introduce a “Plastic Bags and Single-Use Items” bylaw.
This bylaw would ban plastic checkout bags, Styrofoam cups, take-out containers, plates and bowls which currently leads to 1.1 billion single-use items being dumped in Metro Vancouver each year.
This small change can make a significant impact on our environment and oceans. Doing so will assist in preserving conservation in the oceans and help to preserve the natural beauty of Pitt Meadows.
10. What is in store for this city in the near future?
- What I would like to see for our City is better budgeting and a council that understands the financial hardships and issues the residents are facing.
A council that is transparent and open to hearing opposing voices all while working to ensure a healthy, safe and prosperous future for the residents of Pitt Meadows.
I would like our residents to feel like they are being heard and respected, that their voices matter.
11. What is your plan for services in South Pitt Meadows? such as: - a Library Branch - extended Public Transit for evening events at Spirit Square - festivals at Osprey Village - traffic calming on Airport Way
- Unfortunately, I have not heard much about issues surrounding South Pitt Meadows, as the CP rail issue has become the primary source of concern with most residents.
I fully support the presence of a public library and understand the importance it serves. The library’s resources such as access to computers, literature, printing, and Wi-Fi are essential as not all residents have access to these things.
I fully support having extended hours for public transit on event days to help mittage traffic and parking issues.
I would like to hear more from the residents in South Pitt Meadows on what their needs and their concerns are.
This is our city and we will make it great together.
12. What do you hope to accomplish during your term?
- Make sure residents feel supported, respected, and that their being heard
Inspire future youth to get involved in city programs and initiatives.
A community where agriculture is the dominant land use and farmland is protected for food production.
A community where the environment and natural areas are conserved and enhanced so they enrich the quality of life for all residents
A community where the economy is vibrant and diverse, and local businesses are flourishing.
A walkable and compact community that offers easy access to nature and amenities, and has a range of housing options to suit all needs and through all stages of life.
A community where arts, culture and heritage help define Pitt Meadows unique identity
where parks, recreation and public spaces contribute significantly to community character and quality of life.
A connected community that is easy to get around by all modes of transportation
13. How do you plan to support small businesses?
- By implementing programs, policies and services that support economic development in our community.
- tax exemptions, rebates and tax breaks for businesses with less than 50 employees.
-Establish a local service area in which business and light industry property owners can join together to finance marketing, promotional and revitalization programs through a municipal grant and local service property tax plan.
14. What are your plans regarding CP rails?
I have seen a lot of talk about “state-of-the-art visual and sound buffers” being added to help diminish the impact of the CP rail, but currently CP doesn't plan to do this.
The current plan only shows some areas getting a wall while others get a chain-link fence. The lack of continuation of the wall defeats the purpose of sound buffering.
The planned walls currently don't meet the standard for proper buffering in height.
This level of disregard for the residents is expected from a multi million dollar corporation but not from the city council of a close-knit community.
I have heard people in this community say “well you bought next to a train, what did you expect?” This is not the right response.
CP rail is using this attitude to divide our residents to further expand and pollute our city. They have already started to set a new base-line by running more trains.
We already know about a 3rd track and soon there will be talks of a 4th.
We need CP Rail to be accountable to our city.
If they are going to do business here they need to contribute to the heath, safety, prosperity, and standards of our community.
I hope I was able to provide a new insight and perspective.
I would like to have the honor to be your voice, to be your family's voice.
Allow me to use my skills, my passion, and my honesty to represent this city.
Allow me to work for you.
I want you to feel safe and respected, when you come to council.
I have planted my roots here in pitt meadows for generations to come, and I would like to look back in 40 years and still be proud to call this city my home.
