We’ve Got Issues co-host Nancy Furness speaks with Port Moody City Council candidate Johann Contreras. Johann was born in Winnipeg and spent part of his childhood in Germany before arriving in Port Coquitlam. These moves gave him a good background in meeting new people and the importance of community. Johann now resides in Port Moody and has been following City Council for the past four years. He was inspired to run when he heard that current Council had to go to a ‘good governance’ conference to work things out. Johann’s job as a lawyer is to find ways to work with people in respectful ways. Besides ensuring a respectful workplace, Johann’s priorities include well thought out, strategic development and infrastructure. Port Moody has good foundational infrastructure but Johann would like to see support of businesses as infrastructure and upcoming development to help shoulder the tax burden. He says it’s important to listen to other Councillors, staff, experts, and citizens. A lot of good work on Heritage and Culture has been done in Port Moody. Johann would like to see open conversations with citizens involved in Heritage and preservation of Heritage homes and areas. He feels there is a good balance between development and heritage. The Arts community has reached out to Johann to explore ways that the arts can be supported. He would like to see more public ‘functional’ art, as well as spoken, ‘food’, and pop-up art. Johann says information from good sources and working together is important when making decisions with respect to environmental protection. He feels a balance is needed between park space and not overburdening residents with taxes, as well as between trees and development. We’re in a housing crisis and need a balanced approach and improved relationships with developers. Council needs to find ways to work together with respect to development. Johann would start with himself to ensure a respectful workplace and then build relationships with his colleagues. He is confident that people in Port Moody see the need for change on Council and hopes that Provincial oversight would not be needed to resolve issues.