TWELVE candidates for West Vancouver council squared off for the first time this fall in an all-candidates forum Thursday night.
The debate, hosted by the chamber of commerce and moderated by Capilano University political studies instructor Tim Schouls, focused heavily on business issues, but council candidates were also asked their vision of Ambleside revitalization efforts, density and the district's finances, testing their responses to questions from the audience as well as a panel made up of Capilano University students.
The format was a new try by the chamber, with four political science students posing questions to councillors for the first half of the evening before opening the floor to a relatively sparse audience. Others followed on Twitter and tweeted their questions.
Ambleside dominated the debate, with incumbent councillors defending the work of the last three years.
Coun. Trish Panz, seeking re-election, advocated strongly for the AmblesideNow vision and the redevelopment of the 1300-block, arguing it would serve as a catalyst to launch Ambleside revitalization.
Incumbent Michael Evison tagged in to back Panz up, describing the 1300-block project as an "exciting development" so far, and saying that council and the community E needs to be forceful in advocating for a vision. "You must recognize that there is an element in West Vancouver that holds us back, and whoever is on council for the next few years is going to have to make some very brave and some forceful steps to take Ambleside to that next stage," he said.
Several candidates also called for even more density, most forcefully by Max Nikpay.
"I'm really pro-development and density because higher density creates more taxes for West Vancouver," he said, while also arguing that Ambleside shouldn't be the only place for people to shop, and that more commercial options were needed "north of Clyde Avenue."
But Mary-Ann Booth, currently the chairwoman of the West Vancouver school district's board of education but trying to make the jump to council, said development alone won't solve the problem. She said many stores operate under lease agreements that are untenable, suggesting a working group of landlords and businesses be struck.
"We cannot count on one development to revive (Ambleside)," she said. "I think a lot can be done with landlords, whether they're offshore or absentee."
Coun. Bill Soprovich, seeking re-election for a sixth term in office, argued there was too much bad-mouthing of the Ambleside area by councillors and in the press, arguing it was council's job to promote business.
The municipal finances were also hotly debated, with a big question being where to find the money to pay for the rising costs of services without increasing property taxes.
Vivian Vaughan, a former councillor who finished second to Pam Goldsmith-Jones for mayor in the 2008 election, said as councillor she felt user fees needed to be increased ahead of property taxes to help pay for services.
"Services will be there but the users of the service will pay reasonably for it or if they're in a category where they can't afford it they will be helped separately by the municipality and so they won't be excluded," she said.
That drew a sharp rebuke from both Booth and Panz, who felt user charges were also maxed out. "We really are at a level where those user fees are where the community can handle them," said Panz.
Gregg Henderson, a retired carpenter, suggested council provide more parking, but also charge to use it, in particular around Ambleside and West Vancouver's parks - but only for visitors. "You get a little sticker in the mail, and everyone else who comes to West Van to enjoy our natural environment can kick in a little bit," he said.
Damian Kettlewell, who served as the deputy leader of the provincial Green Party before moving to West Vancouver in 2009, suggested another revenue option could be in West Vancouver's forests. "It is a new market for this international carbon trading market, but if we're going to commit to the long-term preservation of some of our local forests, there are some means internationally where we can start to generate some revenues," he said, while also supporting densification and more bike usage.
But aside from finding new revenue, public questioners such as Garrett Polman, a member of ITAC, asked candidates Booth, Cameron and Kettlewell whether they felt recent cost increases were sustainable. Each said they weren't, suggesting further "efficiencies" and Kettlewell arguing for staffing reductions through attrition.
Affordability was also a concern for one questioner, who said her family was "buckling" under the cost of housing. That touched incumbent Michael Lewis, who said there was a need for more variety of housing types, as well as David Jones, a longtime organizer of the Coho Festival who's taking his first run at council, who said the district needs to create multi-family units geared towards families.
Carolanne Reynolds, editor of West Van Matters and another former councillor looking to reclaim her seat, said West Vancouver ought to revive the alternate housing pilot project that investigated the potential for coach houses, but was plagued with controversy and delays. "It was a very good idea of having a pilot housing project, which seemed to go nowhere and get stalled," she said.
Candidate information can be found at www. westvancouver.ca/election.
