Port Moody council members will be able to bypass staff and get into the city’s financial system after voting Tuesday to give themselves instant access.

Coun. Gerry Nuttall initiated the move, saying it will give council members timely access to budget information that will help in their decision-making without having to take up staff time.

Staff will train interested councillors on the Agresso financial system’s “self-service” report generation. The reports provide summary information only and councillors would not be able to write their own transactions or have access to confidential information.

The city’s director of finance, Paul Rockwood, also said staff would be available to provide any analysis needed on the reports.

Along with Coun. Bob Elliott, Coun. Karen Rockwell voted against the motion, saying it goes beyond council’s governance role into administration.

Other Port Moody news:

 

RENTAL FEE

A NO-GO

A staff initiative to introduce business licence fees for residential property rentals was defeated because of the amount of work it would involve.

The proposal would have required property owners who lease or rent a residential property to pay the same business licence fee ($92) as those who have a secondary suite in their home.

Staff made the suggestion after discovering that about 2,200 residences in Port Moody do not claim the homeowners’ grant, which could indicate the property is being rented.

But council balked at the cost of implementing the fee. Staff anticipated costs of up to $3,000 for an initial mail-out and staff time to follow up on the responses.

With Coun. Meghan Lahti absent, the motion was defeated on a tie vote (Mayor Joe Trasolini and councillors Mike Clay and Gerry Nuttall voted against the motion while councillors Elliott, Rockwell and Dilworth voted for it).

 

DILWORTH

ON LEAVE

Coun. Diana Dilworth is taking an unpaid leave of absence from her council duties to pursue a seat in federal politics. Tuesday’s meeting was her last until the election.

Dilworth is the Conservative Party candidate in the upcoming byelection for the New Westminster-Coquitlam position left vacant by former MP Dawn Black, who left to enter provincial politics. Dilworth’s leave will run up to and including Nov. 9.

In a letter to council she said that, should her run be successful, she will continue to advocate for the residents of Port Moody as well as those in Coquitlam and New West.

 

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Port Moody has introduced a new bylaw to charge fees for free daily newspaper boxes, including Metro and 24 Hours.

The city currently requires a business licence for placement of coin-operated boxes containing the Vancouver Sun and The Province, and charges $37 per box. A staff report noted there are eight coin-operated boxes throughout Port Moody and 21 for free dailies.

The streamlined bylaw, which received first three readings at Tuesday’s council meeting, will charge $50 per box annually, amounting to about $1,050 in revenue. Violations will bring a $100 fine.

spayne@tricitynews.com