We Have Issues -- Port Moody Mayor Rob Vagramov

With COVID 19, the City of Port Moody had been conducting all meetings on line and City Hall was shut down to the public. Now, as we enter phase three of opening back up, City Council has returned to holding public meetings at City Hall.

As things are beginning to return to our "new normal" hosts Brad Nickason and Nancy Furness sit down with Port Moody Mayor, Rob Vagramov to discuss issues of concern. With regards to the public's response to COVID 19, Mayor Vagromov encourages the use of masks in public as a means of showing support for each other and is concerned that we don't let down our guard in advance of a potential second wave that has historically taken a greater toll on the community.

While in British Columbia pretty much everyone is taking their lead from Dr. Bonnie Henry, it's still good to hear from our civic leaders and to know that they are on the same page as all other levels of government.

There are lots of issues to deal with, but with this program we generally start with our hosts primary concern, the environment. In 2019 the City of Port Moody was among the first in Metro Vancouver to declare a climate emergency. According to the city's recently released Climate Action Plan, which has been in the works since 2018 ; " Port Moody residents, businesses and even the city’s own government need to be fully committed to combating climate change if they’re to avoid the consequences of rising sea levels, a decreasing supply of fresh water, more extreme storms and hotter, drier summers that increase the risk of wildfires and respiratory ailments caused by their smoke. "

Port Moody is also leading the charge against single use plastics. Unfortunately, with the greater need for some of these products during the COVID 19 pandemic, some of these initiatives have been put on hold.

Also discussed is councils efforts to save Bert Flinn Park. A contentious issue in the city that wound up being a major point of discussion before the last civic election. While there is a desire to density rather than add to urban sprawl, the question seems to be how to do this in a way that still allows for green space and a "walk-able community".