Council Report -- March 20, 2006
Two interesting programs were presented and approved at Council yesterday. The first was a Heritage Building Incentive Program, which will offer modest (generally less than $2,000) matching grants to owners who want to restore the exteriors of their heritage buildings.
I like the program, except for one minor detail: all decisions on grants are made by our Community Heritage Commission. Council is simply informed after the fact. While I appreciate the expertise of the CHC, I wanted Council to have final say. After all, Council is responsible legally and politically for all tax dollars that are spent. Putting it in the hands of unelected appointees seems counterproductive when Council could simply endorse the list of recipients every year. Unfortunately my amendment to that effect failed to get a seconder. In the end, we approved the program, as presented, unanimously.
The second initiative is a Water Management Plan that will be put together in conjunction with the provincial government. Langley will be the first jurisdiction in BC to develop such a plan, which should be rolled out in 2007.
Council voted unanimously to transfer almost $300,000 in surplus funds from the Salmon River bridge deck project to the Five Corners Roundabout. On a side note, the heritage pumphouse, which was damaged in a recent mishap with a car, will be repaired once the ICBC claim comes through.
Council unanimously approved a Langley Auto Crime Prevention plan that will do five things: re-sign the Community Impact Statement, use the Township website for auto crime prevention education, rejuvenate the Township Watch staff program, develop a quarterly advertising campaign, and work on volunteer recruitment and coordination for various anti-theft programs. The total cost of $20,000 will come out of established budgets.
We voted 8-1 (Richter opposed) to refer Dreams & Memories Museum Society's request to lease the old Fort Langley Fire Hall to our staff. The big hurdle is the money it would take to make the building safe for public use. Staff will report back to us with several options for the site.
After receiving a delegation and letter from the Langley Child Development Centre, Council voted 6-3 (Bateman, Richter and Ferguson opposed) to defer a $38,771 capital grant request until staff could give us more information on our own capital grant programs. The CDC, which works with slower-developing and very young disabled kids, has raised almost $2 million for a new facility at LMH. For the first time in their 30-plus years, they asked the Township for a grant of $38,771 to sponsor one of the rooms that are used by kids and language tutors. It's an incredible organization and cause that has helped thousands of Langley residents--our most little residents--over the years. I was willing to support the one-time grant (spent out of our council contingency fund) yesterday, and will support it whenever this update comes back.
Finally, in the evening session, we held public hearings on five proposals: a PetroCanada station at 72nd and 200th (no submissions), a development in Gloucester Industrial Estates (no submissions), an eight-lot subdivision at 196th and 70th (six submissions), our Streamside Protection and Enhancement Bylaw (nine submissions), and a mixed-use development just north of Wal-Mart (six submissions). Under the rules of the Community Charter, I'm not allowed to comment on these hearings until third reading next week.
I like the program, except for one minor detail: all decisions on grants are made by our Community Heritage Commission. Council is simply informed after the fact. While I appreciate the expertise of the CHC, I wanted Council to have final say. After all, Council is responsible legally and politically for all tax dollars that are spent. Putting it in the hands of unelected appointees seems counterproductive when Council could simply endorse the list of recipients every year. Unfortunately my amendment to that effect failed to get a seconder. In the end, we approved the program, as presented, unanimously.
The second initiative is a Water Management Plan that will be put together in conjunction with the provincial government. Langley will be the first jurisdiction in BC to develop such a plan, which should be rolled out in 2007.
Council voted unanimously to transfer almost $300,000 in surplus funds from the Salmon River bridge deck project to the Five Corners Roundabout. On a side note, the heritage pumphouse, which was damaged in a recent mishap with a car, will be repaired once the ICBC claim comes through.
Council unanimously approved a Langley Auto Crime Prevention plan that will do five things: re-sign the Community Impact Statement, use the Township website for auto crime prevention education, rejuvenate the Township Watch staff program, develop a quarterly advertising campaign, and work on volunteer recruitment and coordination for various anti-theft programs. The total cost of $20,000 will come out of established budgets.
We voted 8-1 (Richter opposed) to refer Dreams & Memories Museum Society's request to lease the old Fort Langley Fire Hall to our staff. The big hurdle is the money it would take to make the building safe for public use. Staff will report back to us with several options for the site.
After receiving a delegation and letter from the Langley Child Development Centre, Council voted 6-3 (Bateman, Richter and Ferguson opposed) to defer a $38,771 capital grant request until staff could give us more information on our own capital grant programs. The CDC, which works with slower-developing and very young disabled kids, has raised almost $2 million for a new facility at LMH. For the first time in their 30-plus years, they asked the Township for a grant of $38,771 to sponsor one of the rooms that are used by kids and language tutors. It's an incredible organization and cause that has helped thousands of Langley residents--our most little residents--over the years. I was willing to support the one-time grant (spent out of our council contingency fund) yesterday, and will support it whenever this update comes back.
Finally, in the evening session, we held public hearings on five proposals: a PetroCanada station at 72nd and 200th (no submissions), a development in Gloucester Industrial Estates (no submissions), an eight-lot subdivision at 196th and 70th (six submissions), our Streamside Protection and Enhancement Bylaw (nine submissions), and a mixed-use development just north of Wal-Mart (six submissions). Under the rules of the Community Charter, I'm not allowed to comment on these hearings until third reading next week.