There were no sad goodbyes prior to Monday night's council meeting after November's municipal election.
Councillors Colleen Jordan, Dan Johnston, Anne Kang, Nick Volkow, Pietro Calendino, Sav Dhaliwal, Richard Chang and Paul McDonell were all re-elected, along with Mayor Derek Corrigan.
Corrigan presided at the inaugural meeting held at the Michael J. Fox Theatre in Burnaby.
"I'd like to start by thanking you all for the trust that you have again placed in me as mayor and in our entire re-elected council," Corrigan said in his inaugural address. "We all look forward to working with you to keep Burnaby one of the world's best cities in which to live, work, learn and play."
He began by mentioning Maclean's assessment of Burnaby as the best-run city in Canada in 2009.
Corrigan spoke about the work the city has done on its economic, social and environmental sustainability strategies, with the 10-year economic strategy underway, the framework for the social sustainability strategy introduced last summer, and work on the environmental strategy just beginning.
"Sustainability has, in fact, always been our objective and we have naturally operated consistent with this aspiration," he said.
The city is doing well financially, Corrigan said, with its investment portfolio projected to meet its 2011 target of an annual yield of more than five per cent, and an income of more than $34 million.
The city's triple bottom-line approach - focusing on economic, social and environmental sustainability - has been used in areas such as the Burnaby Lake rejuvenation project, he said.
The city is currently working on a number of projects, including a new $3-million water pumping station in North Burnaby, a new environmental centre housing the city's yard waste and recycling facilities (with building slated to start in 2012), and a new Gilmore Avenue sewage pump station, to be completed in 2012, according to Corrigan.
The city is also focusing on a number of new developments in its city centres, he said, and in 2010, the city brought in $502 million through building permits.
By November 2011, the city had brought in $567 million through building permits for the year, Corrigan said.
The supplementary community benefit bonus density amendments have helped with growth in the city centres, he added.
The city has negotiated nearly $80 million in community benefits from the density bonus program since 1997, according to Corrigan.
Corrigan spoke about specific commercial developments in the Metrotown and Brentwood neighbourhoods, including the planned redevelopment of Brentwood Town Centre, and industrial development in the Big Bend area.
He also mentioned the work being done at UniverCity on Burnaby Mountain, such as the child care centre that is being built to Living Building sustainability standards.
The mayor mentioned the city's many civic projects during the past few years, such as the Tommy Douglas Library and the Edmonds community centre, saying the city has been "patient and fiscally prudent" while working on the projects.
Other topics covered in the mayor's speech included partnering with Burnaby RCMP on crime prevention, cultural programs, parks and recreation initiatives, and the city's new website.
Corrigan also mentioned the connection the city has made on an international level with its sister cities - Zhongshan, China and Hwaseong, Korea.
"The City of Burnaby is determined to remain a shining example of local government at its best," he said, adding he and council plan to continue Burnaby's work as "Canada's - and the world's - best-run city."
