Unofficial summary · Not affiliated with the City of Port Moody · 8-minute read · View in browser

Meeting: Regular Council, Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Length: 2 hours 19 minutes
Watch: Full video on eScribe · Agenda and reports: City of Port Moody council meetings

This is a catch-up issue on a past meeting.

Key decisions

THREE READINGS · Amenity cost charge bylaw and updated reductions bylaw (item 11.1)
The new ACC bylaw sets fixed per-unit charges on development to pay for the growth-related share of amenities such as a community centre, an aquatic facility, a main library and a branch library. A companion bylaw extends the existing DCC reductions to ACCs: 50% for not-for-profit rental housing and 25% for for-profit affordable rental housing. Staff said adoption is expected July 28.
Vote: unanimous

THREE READINGS, AS AMENDED · $9.95 million for parkland acquisition (Bylaw 3555, item 7.10)
The bylaw moves $9.95 million out of the parks development cost charge (DCC) reserve so staff can complete parkland purchases. A replacement page corrected a date in the bylaw from July 22 to July 14. Mayor Lahti pulled the item from the consent agenda to deal with the replacement page.
Vote: opposed by Councillor Lurbiecki.

ADOPTED · "Anthem" rezoning, housing agreement and development permit (item 7.4)
For the Anthem proposal at 2914 St. Johns Street under the Moody Centre framework, Council adopted the rezoning bylaw (Bylaw 3538) and a housing agreement bylaw for market rental housing (Bylaw 3545), authorized issuance of the development permit, and authorized the Mayor and Corporate Officer to sign the development agreement. Councillor Lurbiecki pulled the item from the consent agenda to vote on it separately.
Vote: opposed by Councillor Lurbiecki.

CARRIED · Consent agenda
Items 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7, 7.8, 7.9 and 7.11 were approved together. Items mentioned later in the meeting included the engagement summary for the people, dogs and public space strategy and Metro Vancouver's draft solid waste plan.
Vote: unanimous

CARRIED · Commemorative lighting for World Drowning Prevention Day
Approved as requested.
Vote: unanimous

RECEIVED · Written public input
Four written submissions were received. Minutes of the June 16, 18, 23 and 25 meetings were adopted.

Recorded votes

Votes where members of council did not all agree. Unanimous votes are not listed.

• $9.95 million parkland acquisition bylaw (Bylaw 3555): three readings, carried. Opposed: Councillor Lurbiecki.
• Anthem rezoning, housing agreement and development permit: carried. Opposed: Councillor Lurbiecki.

What was discussed

The new amenity cost charges

• Staff said ACCs, introduced by the province, replace negotiated community amenity contributions (CACs) with rates set in advance. Proposed rates are about $15,600 per low-density home, $11,200 per townhome and $7,200 per condo, compared with the current CAC of $6 per square foot, capped at $6,000 per unit. Watch at 0:55:54
• The project list totals $280 million. Staff said $116 million would be collected from development over 25 years and $164 million would have to come from other City sources, likely including borrowing to build projects before charges are collected. Council's City Initiatives and Planning Committee endorsed a 1% municipal assist factor on March 31. Watch at 0:59:08
• Applications already in progress get 12 months of protection. Large multi-phase projects with master development agreements would get credits so their negotiated CACs carry on, but any added density would pay ACCs. Staff did not support a three-year phase-in, which they estimated would forgo about $3.3 million a year. Watch at 1:04:15
• Councillor Knowles asked about a consultant's finding that none of the tested housing types reach a 15% developer profit margin, under CACs or ACCs. Councillor Dilworth asked about a longer grace period than 12 months. Councillor Lurbiecki asked how the $164 million City share was calculated, and staff said ACCs can only pay for the share of each project that serves new residents. Watch at 1:11:44
• Responding to Councillor Agtarap, the consultant said a new amenity with no existing equivalent, such as an indoor aquatic centre, is split 50/50 between new and existing residents. Councillor Morrison said growth is needed to help pay for the amenities residents have asked for. Watch at 1:37:32

Parkland purchase from the DCC reserve

• The General Manager of Finance and Technology said land purchases are negotiated in closed meetings to protect the City's bargaining position, that the purchases were in their final stages, that full public disclosure was expected within about two weeks as agreements are signed, and that this is the process under the Community Charter. Watch at 0:41:55
• Councillor Lurbiecki said that if the bylaw passed, council would have spent $16 million, nearly draining its parkland DCC funds, without engaging the public, and that the amount was in the bylaw but not in the staff memo. Councillor Lurbiecki said municipalities can be more transparent than the minimum. Watch at 0:44:39
• Councillor Knowles said the Official Community Plan (OCP) and parkland strategy call for about 22 more hectares of park and name the expansion of Rocky Point Park and Kyle Park among the priorities. Councillor Morrison confirmed with staff that the previous council followed the same process. Watch at 0:48:49

Ioco Road

• Responding to Councillor Agtarap, the General Manager of Engineering and Operations said a multi-year Ioco Road project already in the budget will replace sewer, water, storm sewer and pavement, starting this fall with the west section. It includes a multi-use path on the south side, mostly funded by TransLink, and some missing sidewalk sections. Watch at 2:00:25

Council reports

• Councillor Agtarap said the basketball courts at the old fire hall site are open. Councillor Knowles said a timeline of the Moody Centre framework, starting in 2016, had been posted on the councillor's Facebook page, in response to claims it was developed without resident input. Watch at 2:02:00
• Councillor Dilworth said the dogs and public space engagement drew 80 pages of comments, and that the City does not have enough off-leash areas. Councillor Lubik asked for a moment of silence for a community member involved in the arts and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. Watch at 2:06:14
• Council noted that stage 2 watering restrictions return on July 16, after work on the First Narrows. Watch at 2:14:29

Presentations

• A member of the Tri-Cities Pride Youth Committee presented "Nourish to Flourish," a collaborative artwork made at the second annual Port Moody Youth Pride Festival. The Youth Focus Committee presented a 2026 Port Moody Youth Scholarship. Watch at 0:01:10
• The City presented a plaque to Royal Canadian Legion Branch 119 for the Legion's 100th anniversary. The branch said it donated over $100,000 to local non-profits last year. Watch at 0:11:08

Public input

• Parkland bylaw: Three speakers, including a former councillor, questioned the process and the lack of a disclosed location or valuation. The former councillor asked council to pull the item from the consent agenda. Two pointed to a 2024 purchase of residential lots at above assessed value.
• Amenity cost charges: A speaker said residents had fewer follow-up sessions than the development industry. A representative of a developer asked that approved comprehensive development zones be exempt, and that in-progress applications get longer protection.
• Ioco Road: A resident asked for a traffic light at Ioco Road, Kicking Horse Way and Alderside Road, and for a look at a new route to relieve traffic.
• Library: A library board trustee thanked council for endorsing the library facility master plan and spoke about equity and access. Another resident spoke about the library's lack of space and about the Legion.

Following up

From earlier issues: This is the earliest meeting we cover for Port Moody, so there are no earlier items to follow up.

New items we'll watch for:

• Adoption of the amenity cost charge bylaw and the updated reductions bylaw: expected July 28.
• Public disclosure of the parkland purchases funded by Bylaw 3555: expected within about two weeks.
• Amendment to the ACC bylaw for inflation (CPI): expected January 2027.
• People, dogs and public space strategy, and the Bert Flynn Park off-leash pilot: no date given.

What's next

• July 17–19: Ribfest.
• July 18: College Park block party.
• July 25: Opening event for the "Marvelous Mushrooms" touring exhibition from the Royal BC Museum at the museum. Tickets were still available, with limited tickets for a speaker event.
• July 28: Regular council meeting, with adoption of the ACC bylaw expected.
• This fall: Ioco Road construction starts on the west section.

Get involved

• Council meetings are open to the public in person at City Hall or online. Residents can speak during public input at the start and end of regular meetings, or send written submissions.
• Expect construction on Ioco Road over the next few years.
• Agendas, reports and ways to contact council are on the City's council meetings page.

Terms used

ACC: amenity cost charge, a fixed charge on development for growth-related amenities like community centres and libraries · CAC: community amenity contribution, the older negotiated system ACCs replace · DCC: development cost charge, a charge on development for roads, pipes and parkland · Assist factor: the share of growth-related costs the City pays instead of development · In-stream: applications already submitted and in process · MDA: master development agreement · CD zone: comprehensive development zone · OCP: Official Community Plan · CPI: Consumer Price Index · Consent agenda: routine items approved together in one vote unless a member pulls them · Three readings: a bylaw needs three readings and then a final adoption vote to take effect.

Context notes

We check factual figures cited at the meeting against public sources where we can. These notes add context; they are not verdicts on any speaker.

• Where ACCs come from (staff presentation): amenity cost charges were created by the province's Bill 46, the Housing Statutes (Development Financing) Amendment Act, 2023, which received royal assent on November 30, 2023.
• 1% assist factor (Councillor Agtarap said 1% is the lowest allowed): the province's amenity cost charge guide for elected officials says the assist factor must be at least one percent of the amenity cost.

Council Watch Port Moody is an independent, unofficial summary of publicly accessible meetings of the Port Moody Council. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the City of Port Moody. This summary was generated by AI from an automatic transcript and may contain errors. Watch the linked video for the official record.

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