Council News in Brief

For the week of May 14, 2012

Evergreen a Reality

It’s all green lights for the Evergreen line in Coquitlam. City Council Monday evening heard the first of what will be a series of progress reports from staff focusing on the design and construction of the raised rail system.

Drawings showed a plan that includes many visual enhancements that will improve functionality and be esthetically pleasing to both users and neighbours. Lighting, plantings and wide multi-purpose pathways are all on the drawing boards as every effort is being made to make the legacy projects functional and livable. While the design work continues, the construction is moving along with the installation of power lines in the west end of Coquitlam near the border with Burnaby.

Taking it to the Streets

Drivers take note... City Council is being asked to consider investing more money. Council heard Monday night that the city owns and services 482 kilometers of roads. Managing those miles of blacktop include replacement and repairs, and staff reported that task is taking on even greater financial impact as the city grows. The asset is valued at over $200 million dollars. Every effort is being made to identify best practices in road maintenance for maximum lifespan, while still recognizing the need for more new roads and replacements.

How to best fund this critical infrastructure will be discussed during budget deliberations in the fall. In the past Coquitlam had instituted a 1% increase in the base tax aimed directly at road improvements. At the same time $2 million per year in Casino funding was used to fix roads in poor condition. $18 million was also spent to re-pave the Lougheed-Barnett Highway corridor funded in part by the Federal Infrastructure Stimulus Fund. That expenditure resulted in almost $35 million in upgraded roadways.

Dining Options

Coquitlam’s many eateries will now have something new on their menu ... where you can eat your meal. City Council has approved a new sidewalk café policy that will see patio tables, umbrellas and chairs start appearing on sidewalks. There are costs associated with the new feature. Annual levy’s range from $125 to $375 depending on the number of tables and chairs.

Shark Fin Ban

And what some restaurants may want to serve was also on Monday night’s agenda. Council joined several other communities across Canada in a ban on the possession, trade, sale and distribution of shark fins. Council will also advise all national political parties of their decision in a letter that will be sent to Ottawa.

In making its decision, Council called the culling of sharks for their fins barbaric and an attack on nature. The action by Coquitlam will also be reported to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

For more information on these items, contact:
Dan McDonald
Manager Corporate Communications
604-927-3019

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