With a new term set to begin, Green councillor Adriane Carr says she’s hoping to see “a more collaborative council” over the next four years.

“It’s something a lot of us talked about during the election," she told the Straight by phone. "That would mean Vision themselves, for example, being more collaborative in whatever positions that they have or whatever roles they play in terms of liaising to different bodies—to consider working collaboratively across party lines."

“We’re all equal councillors," she added. "And that means if I bring a motion forward because it’s an area of mutual interest, that maybe a Vision councillor would be interested in collaborating or working on that.”

Carr, who won the most votes of any council candidate in the November 15 election, said she is also hoping to play a larger role on council over the next term.

“I am hopeful this time around that the mayor will actually appoint me to some committees,” she said. “I’m very keen to take on…some major roles in terms of moving policy forward, especially in the area of planning and consultation with citizens, which I think was really one of the big issues in the election.”

Some of the issues that Carr intends to raise in council chambers in the near future include resources for firefighters and emergency preparedness, and child hunger in Vancouver—a topic that was frequently highlighted during the election.

Vision Vancouver pledged to double the size of school breakfast programs, while the NPA promised to develop nutrition programs in partnership with other organizations.

According to Carr, debates during the campaign focused on the reality that “kids who are hungry are hungry 24/7”.

“A breakfast program is important, but I think we need to have probably a discussion between the school board, park board, and council,” she said. “We need to look at programs that could be put in place, and possibly with the help of other agencies and senior governments, but programs that make sure that kids don’t go hungry in this city, and that would mean don’t go hungry at any time.”

Newly elected Non-Partisan Association councillor Melissa De Genova said she’s joining council with “an open mind” and the hope that city politicians of all stripes will be able to work together.

“Obviously that wasn’t my experience with the Vision Vancouver park board, but I’m coming into this hoping to find real solutions to some major problems that we have in Vancouver, and I’m willing to work with Vision if they’re willing to work with me,” she said in a recent phone interview.

Some of the initiatives De Genova hopes to tackle over the next four years include affordable housing. In her day job, the former park board commissioner works with a not-for-profit organization to secure housing for persons with disabilities.

“I would like to work on plans for affordable ownership and affordable rental,” she said. “And what I mean by affordable is 30 percent of a person’s income. I think that that’s so important.”

Meanwhile, reelected Non-Partisan Association councillor George Affleck says he’s “skeptical” that the Vision caucus will operate any differently over the four-year term.

“They say they’re going to be more humbled by what happened, but I doubt it,” he said in a phone interview. “I’m very skeptical about that. I imagine they will operate very similarly to how they have in the past.”

During his victory speech on election night, Mayor Gregor Robertson said Vision had heard "loud and clear" during the campaign that there are things it can do better. He has said some of the changes he plans to make in the near-term include implementing recommendations from the Mayor's Engaged City Task Force, such as ensuring community input earlier in the development process.

Robertson has also said he'd like to see "opportunities to collaborate" among Vancouver councillors.

An inaugural city council meeting is scheduled for December 8. The first regular meeting will take place on December 16.