THE City of North Vancouver is forming a new committee to keep an eye on the safety, noise, traffic and air pollution of Port Metro Vancouver on the Low Level Road corridor, as the port grows.
Council approved terms of reference for the Low Level Road & Port Area Community Liaison Committee Monday night, paving the way for the city to select members and begin holding regular meetings to raise issues and share information on the goings-on of the port.
"This will provide an opportunity for both business representatives and residential representatives to have their concerns aired, to be able to ask questions and get information," said Coun. Don Bell.
Bell originally floated the idea for a new committee in May after months of frustration as the port announced aggressive expansion projects of its industrial tenants to the shock of neighbouring city residents.
Bell said the purpose of the committee is to "bring the players together and have a common table they can sit at."
Under the terms of reference, the committee will be made up of five members of the residential or business area affected by the Low Level Road project, city staff, every council member as non-voting participants, and a representative from Port Metro Vancouver.
"Port Metro Vancouver will be invited to participate on the committee, and early indications are that they are prepared to do so. This is critical to the success of the committee's work," a report from city staff stated.
The committee is mandated to meet bimonthly, though it can meet as often as the chair wishes.
In creating the new watchdog, the city will disband the Waterfront Industrial Noise Committee, which the city formed in the mid 1980s. The new committee will have a wider mandate than simply dealing with noise.
The old committee's $5,000 budget will be rolled over to fund the new community liaison committee.
The city will now advertise for volunteer applicants for the committee.
"We're going to get a lot of applications and from very qualified people, and passionate people and people living in the area. This council is going to have a tough job striking the appropriate balance with respect to the committee," said Coun. Rod Clark.
