Port Moody council shoots down motion to cancel development lobby membership

Port Moody council rejected a councillor’s call to terminate its membership in a development lobby.

Council voted 5-1 Tuesday to keep paying dues to Urban Development Institute (UDI), chiefly on the basis of staff seeing value from the association.

The motion to end Port Moody’s membership came from Coun. Haven Lurbiecki, who argued it was inappropriate for the city to pay an organization which lobbies them on behalf of the development industry.

“The fact is, sometimes what that group is lobbying for could run directly counter to the best interests of the city,” Lurbiecki said. “If we went on the street and asked people what they think about this, most people would say it is a major red flag.”

City staff, however, said the city’s membership comes with numerous benefits regarding research, analysis, industry trends, along with access to training and professional development.

While there is no issue with staff seeking out the industry’s perspective, paying for membership with UDI was “a very clear line,” Lurbiecki said, noting other municipalities have also cancelled their membership due to the same concerns.

All of Lurbiecki’s council colleagues said that if staff found continued subscription useful, there was no reason to cancel.

“I’m not interested in trying to interfere with staff going about doing their business,” said Mayor Meghan Lahti.

UDI is a provincially registered lobby organization consisting of architects, charities and non-profits, construction companies, consultants, developers, engineers, law firms, lenders, municipalities, and real estate agents. Many municipalities in the Lower Mainland hold memberships with UDI, with Port Moody joining several years ago. Annual dues are $750.

“How can we meet with that lobby group around development while being a paying member of that same lobby organization?” Lurbiecki asked, adding any information sharing should be done through the official committee.

Other councillors largely deferred to staff’s opinion on the city’s membership.

City manager Anna Mathewson said the membership includes an industry newsletter, which she and other city planners regularly scan for information about regional trends. It also provides access to events and round-table discussions. For instance, she said the City of Vancouver’s head planner will be giving a presentation on development trends within the city next month.

“In my view, it’s helpful to know,” Mathewson said. “It’s true there might be other modes of obtaining that information, but it is helpful to kind of have that training and webinars and events and newsletters all coming from one place.”

Port Moody also pays membership fees to the Local Government Management Association, the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce (TCCC), the BC Planning Institute, and a number of other professional associations, Mathewson also pointed out. 

Kate Zanon, general manager of community development, said that UDI is not a significant source of information regarding decision making, and the city only receives feedback upon request.

“Understanding what’s happening with other municipalities, and what UDI is looking to,” Zanon said. “Being in the conversation, and not outside.”

Zanon added that even when staff do seek input from UDI, that occurs as part of a larger engagement strategy where feedback from other interest groups will also be sought out.

Coun. Kyla Knowles said she wasn’t interested in “politics or the optics,” but rather whether staff found membership valuable.

“I honestly don’t understand why we would want to prevent our staff from having direct access to that information,” she said. “Sure, it’s a lobbyist, but it’s also a professional association. We have delegations that come to council all the time. They’re all lobbyists.”

Coun. Samantha Agtarap noted the city pays higher membership fees to the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce, which represent local business interests.

“I don’t see that it’s significantly different in this case,” she said. “Business feedback and community feedback is, I think, important across the board.”

Couns. Amy Lubik and Callan Morrison said if staff stop utilizing UDI in the future, Port Moody’s membership can be reviewed.

Whether staff find value in the membership is irrelevant to whether it is appropriate, countered Lurbiecki.

Coun. Diana Dilworth, who works with UDI as a representative of Homebuilders Association Vancouver, was not present at the meeting.

Lurbiecki has been behind several motions aiming to strengthen transparency relating to development lobbying in Port Moody. 

In late 2023, council shot down her motion to create a lobbyist registry for developers, and rejected a subsequent motion to create a broader lobbyist registry in May 2024.

In September, Lurbiecki raised concerns about UDI’s relationship with the city after the organization provided input on the city’s zero carbon step code policy through a new development liaison committee.