Kyla Knowles (Port Moody City Council candidate) shares her priorities with Nancy Furness (We’ve Got Issues). Kyla has lived in Port Moody since 2013 and has watched each Council meeting for the past year and a half. She feels that some people are not being heard when giving public input. Kyla says in the last election, a slate of four was elected. She says she is running as an independent candidate, so she has the freedom to speak and vote as she likes. Her top priorities are fiscal responsibility and accountability, good governance, affordability, and parkland and climate-change initiatives. Port Moody is small population- and geography-wise. Kyla is passionate about not extending sprawl into the surrounding mountains and forests. With the loss of two large companies, residents are shouldering more of the tax burden and Kyla says Port Moody is broke and has no reserves. Diversifying the income stream through moderate development, encouraging businesses and cutting the budget are some ways Kyla envisions handling this challenge. Consultants’ costs, increased independent reports, and overtime costs associated with long Council meetings have unnecessarily increased costs. City staff works hard to gain public input; however, the current approach is not cost-effective. Port Moody has more than 40 parks including Bert Flynn and Rocky Point and Kyla says that the City has enough parkland. However, if more parkland was acquired, it should be in areas currently underserved and using public land to keep costs low. She says some parks are under-utilized. Tree canopy-coverage is important and a study shows it varies significantly from place to place in Port Moody. Kyla feels sometimes large trees are too hastily removed and 1:1 replacement may not be sufficient to increase tree canopy which protects us from climate change. Climate change (including increased allergies, warming marine waters, and extreme weather) is Port Moody’s biggest environmental challenge. Loss of habitat for bears is also a concern. Kyla says any good governing body starts with listening, collaborating, and respect. She is disappointed with the lack of listening and respect in Port Moody Council meetings. Good governance is understanding City and residents’ needs and being respectful of colleagues. Kyla is supportive of a Provincial ethics commissioner to provide oversight if necessary.