Corisa Bell
RUNNING AS AN INDEPENDENT
Consultant, age 41
Cottonwood resident who’s lived in Maple Ridge 20+ years
After a four-year hiatus, it’s time for me to return to city hall.
We’ve been falling behind for decades and over the past four years, little has been accomplished.
I bring experience gained through two terms as a Maple Ridge city councillor and two consecutive terms as president of the Lower Mainland Local Government Association (2.4 million people and 33 local governments over three regional districts).
I was also president representative on the board of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities.
After partnering in a successful e-commerce software development company, I devoted my time to raising my two daughters who are now 25 and 17, became a full-time philosophy student at UFV, and spent 20 years volunteering in the community.
Today, I operate Corisa Bell Management Solutions Inc.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CorisaForMayor/
Instagram: @corisabell
Website: www.corisabell.com
Phone: 778-861-9477
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Have you held office in past? If so, please specify: Seven years, serving two terms as a Maple Ridge city councillor. First elected 2011, topped the polls in the 2014-2018 term. Two consecutive one-year terms as chair of Lower Mainland Local Government Association (5 years total) and President Representative to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities.
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Questions:
(These answers are presented as the candidates submitted them)
Maple Ridge council
1. Does the City have a handle on the problems created by homelessness?
No.
Homelessness through circumstance differs from homelessness caused by addiction.
Those sleeping in cars because they can’t pay their rent differ from those suffocating under the weight of substance abuse.
What we’re doing is clearly not working.
Group one must be given help navigating the minefield of existing services.
Group two, the addicted, must have ready access to treatment, followed by long-term supports.
In the meantime, I agree we need to expand the CSSI program. This program was a topic of discussion when I was on council 2011 to 2018, related to a similar program in Saskatchewan.
I supported it then, and I support a review to ensure the current program is, in fact, a good fit for Maple Ridge.
That’s not what I am hearing from business and residents. I’m hearing things are continuing to escalate.
2. Do you believe residents of the City feel safe?
No. Especially seniors and those in the downtown area. I base this opinion on conversations I have had with hundreds of citizens, business owners and specifically, seniors.
Reality is much different than the perception the current council is attempting to create.
3. Do you support the City borrowing funds to build a new aquatic centre?
Yes. A qualified yes. Let’s explore options. Present council nixed an opportunity favored by other cities—partnering with the YMCA. I was in favor of this when I was on council (2011-2018) and this deserves a second look.
By failing to raise development and amenity fees in line with what developers pay in other cities, over the past four years, we lost an estimated $100 million in revenues that could have funded multiple aquatic centers, delivered new ice surfaces, road infrastructure and so much more. I will vote to raise fees and invite the development community to be a part of these conversations. I do not take campaign contributions from the development community and thus have no obligation to donating “friends” who will appear before council seeking zoning and other approvals.
4. Are you in favour of development along the Alouette River?
No. At least not along the river’s floodplain.
5. Can City hall do more to attract new businesses to open in Maple Ridge?
Yes. Lack of vision has us falling far behind neighboring cities, forcing residential taxpayers to bear the brunt. Where is the plan? What’s the plan? Let’s dust off and revise that years-old official community plan instead of rubber-stamping piecemeal re-zoning of housing developments without establishing transportation corridors or the amenities to support them. Warning: Traffic congestion ahead!
Safer streets: Our reputation precedes us and impacts our economic development efforts.
More activity: Work to bring positive activity to the downtown on an ongoing basis to improve our appeal.
Improving traffic: Will attract business, especially in the east, toward 256 Street.
Reduce red tape: Become more accommodating and innovative. Declare: Open for business.
Review ALR and ALC: agricultural land-soil testing to confirm viable growing land. Then let’s as a community discuss what will be done with lands identified as unproductive/contaminated. Promote innovative agricultural practices to encourage local farm to table production.
6. Should the City borrow funds to build a new arena facility?
Yes. However, let’s explore other options first. By failing to raise development and amenity fees in line with what developers pay in other cities, over the past four years, we lost an estimated $100 million in revenues that could have delivered new ice surfaces, funded multiple aquatic centers, road infrastructure and so much more. I will vote to raise fees and invite the development community to be a part of these conversations. I do not take campaign contributions from the development community and thus have no obligation to donating “friends” who will appear before council seeking zoning and other approvals.
7. Should Maple Ridge take more direct action to combat the local opioid crisis?
Yes. The Federal and Provincial governments need to be held accountable for taking the lead on this conversation. City needs to concentrate on mitigating impact to local residents and businesses—-and our brand. Start over. We need a Cost vs. benefit analysis of existing programs based on data from impacted citizens and business—not crime stats. Eight shootings in past year; four since April. It’s a matter of reality vs. perception. Citizen reality.
Step up against those who thrive by growing the street population: Salvation Army infilling empty beds with ‘out of towners’, prisoners dropped off after serving sentences and rehab clients who drop out of treatment and fail to return to home areas.
Realize our appeal: Huge entrenched addicted population demands high quality product, available in abundance with easy access through a vast network of dealers. Courts are too crowded to prosecute. Access to detox and treatment filled with roadblocks. And what’s the point? They finish treatment and go back to the streets. Housing and supports are reserved for practicing addicts, not those who have cleaned up. Pick a problem. There’s a lot that needs to be reviewed; we must start.
8. Is the City taking adequate measures to lower carbon emissions?
No. Perhaps a better question would be is the city ready to face a severe weather event? Right now, residents in Silver Valley would be cut off if a forest fire blocked their one escape route. The city must stop stalling on the bridge at 240th to provide a secondary route. Identify other critical areas that would be impacted by severe weather events. Prioritize neighborhood-specific disaster planning and build foundation for community sharing and volunteerism during disasters.
9. Are tax levels too high in the City?
Yes. Especially when taxpayers get nothing in return. I will work to deliver a reduction in taxes. I’ve led this before on previous councils and was successful. I’m ready to advocate for taxpayers again.
10. Should the City commit to making a decision on proposed new developments within 12 months or less?
Yes, if submissions are clear, complete and meet a professional standard; 12 months should be the maximum.
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EDITOR’S NOTE:
How the questions were presented to each candidate
Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows news readers have told us how much they value this important, straight-forward reference guide that helps orient them with the range of choices on the ballots – both at the council and school board levels.
Towards that end, we have attempted to make this package available (along with the following instructions) to each of the candidates in a timely fashion ahead of the Oct. 15 election.
Please read carefully before you start to fill this out.
To help voters in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows make their choices on election day, The News is asking local candidates 10 issue-based questions.
You must provide a ‘yes,’ a ‘no,’ or a ‘don’t know’ (Y, N, D) response to EACH of these questions.
Each question MUST be answered with yes (Y), no (N), or Don’t Know (D). This will be published in a grid in the Oct. 6 edition. Any questions not answered will be LEFT BLANK.
Candidates may also expand on ANY OR ALL of these questions (to a maximum of 200 words each). Please note any responses longer than that will be cut off at the 201-word mark.
Due to space limitations, we can only guarantee to run one of these answers in The News print edition ahead of the election. You must CLEARLY indicate which expanded answer you want to see published in print. If you do not specify, we will choose. Any and all expanded answers provided will be published online at www.mapleridgenews.com.
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