We have a great community and positive things are happening here. I am honoured to be working with such a wonderful, dedicated team of Councillors: Bruce Bell, Doug Bing, Janis Elkerton, Tracy Miyashita, David Murray, Gwen O'Connell, and the professional and committed staff of the City of Pitt Meadows.

Pitt Meadows is all about partnerships and relationships and doing things right. Taking advantage of grants and other opportunities has been the prudent thing to do and as a result, we have celebrated many successes during this past term:

• The Pitt Meadows Economic Development Corporation (PMEDC) will attract new business and help create jobs so residents can work close to home.
• The Golden Ears and the Pitt River Bridges connect us to the entire region and open doors to many economic opportunities.
• The Artificial Turf Field is a top quality facility that allows sport organizations to maximize their field times all year round.
• Spirit Square has been a wonderful gathering place for many community events.
• The South Bonson Community Centre, the community's first LEED Gold-certified building, is a state of the art facility that we can all be proud of.
• Harris Road Youth Action Park is a healthy outdoor activity space that is free to all users.

This Council will continue the great work that has begun to see the completion of outstanding projects, such as:

• The Seniors Centre, which will provide senior housing and recreation, in a central location.
• The new Library, which will be a larger facility with increased resources that will better serve our growing community.
• The Arena facility upgrade, which will provide a revitalized and safer facility.

As Pitt Meadows continues to grow, Council needs to stay focused on the visions laid out in our Strategic Plan [PDF - 1.8 MB]. In these uncertain economic times, we have our work cut out for us. We will need to be fiscally conservative and use our resources wisely.

In the New Year, Council will be determining our priorities for the next three years. We will set our goals and it is my hope that:

• we will look at logical ways to move regional traffic through our community with minimal financial impact on our taxpayers.
• we will continue to work with TransLink to secure a reliable transit system that our residents can depend on well into the future.
• we will ensure that development will be done right and not rushed.
• we will encourage business development to help balance our tax base and provide jobs, so that our residents can work within the community they live in.
• we will encourage and support green Initiatives, including finding sustainable solutions for reducing our solid waste and carbon footprint and keeping Pitt Meadows "The Natural Place".
• we will work towards finding sustainable solutions to drainage concerns.

We all want Pitt Meadows to remain a safe, healthy and prosperous community. We welcome your input and will listen to your concerns, and encourage you to participate in the community and be part of the decision making process. Working together, we will be stronger and prosperous. It is you who ultimately make this the best place to live, work and play and we thank you for the privilege of serving you.

Thank you.

Mayor Deb Walters