Council evening notes--Oct. 30, 2006
Notes from Council's evening session, Oct. 30...
First of all, I should note that Councillor Ferguson was dressed up as one of the Blues Brothers. I wish I was making that up, but it's true. The funny thing is that several of our older staff and councillors had toruble naming the character, while I knew it immediately. Must be a generational thing. Anyway, Fergie cast his votes and then did backflips out of the room. Not sure if the TV cameras caught that.
Langley RCMP Superintendent Janice Armstrong gave us her quarterly report. I was especiall interested to hear that Langley, Surrey, and Canada Post have joined forces to create an identity theft unit, which has made 25 arrests and filed 120 charges in recent weeks.
Willoughby homeowner Robin Rathor made a presentation on the traffic issues facing his neighbourhood at 199A, just south of 72nd.
We had several speakers on the hotel tax: Wally, Sharon, and Michael Martin were opposed, while John Campbell, looking like he doesn't miss sitting at council one bit, Ann Corner, Malcolm Weatherston, and Larry Willoughby spoke in favour. An intriguing delegation was made by Ravi Jandu, the owner of the Travelodge at 216th and Fraser, and one of the two no votes in the first 2% hotel tax poll. He said that after hearing more about the Tourism Plan from all of the speakers, his no vote was not as concrete as it once was. He is simply looking for assurances that the money will be spent wisely. This comment would become important later on.
Council unanimously issued development permits for an Allteck Inc. building in Gloucester (moved by Long, seconded by Fox) and for a commerical property, with an owners' suite on the top floor, to LA Lighting at 3096-275th St. (moved by Long, seconded by Vickberg).
We unanimously endorsed (moved by Ward, seconded by Fox) a subdivision application to the ALR at 6780-264th St., which would see a 12.5 acre parcel turned into two pieces of 7 and 5.5.
Council voted 7-2 (moved by Bateman, seconded by Vickberg; Fox and Richter opposed) to send a 10-lot single-family subdivision for 7288-201B St. to public hearing. As part of the bonus density provisions, the development would build a $220,000 hockey box at RC Garnett Elementary School.
Council voted unanimously (moved by Ward, seconded by Fox) to send a 35.2 acre rezonign application for land south of 72 and eats of 208 to public hearing. The plan includes several different types of housing, including townhouses, single-family home, duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes. It will also save or plant 1,000 trees.
Council voted 7-2 (moved by Long, seconded by Vickberg; Fox and Richter opposed) to make a text amendment to our building code, clarifying that fire sprinkler systems are not required for secondary suites.
Under Community Charter law, I am not allowed to comment on the following until they have received final reading:
Council voted 8-1 (moved by Bateman, seconded by Fox; Richter opposed) to give third reading to 31 single-family lots at 72nd Ave. and 198B St.
Council voted 7-2 (moved by Long, seconded by Vickberg; Fox and Richter opposed) to give third reading to the bylaw amendment which would allow single-family homes to have a second set of cooking and laundry facilities, subject to owner-occupancy.
Councillor Richter's notice of motion to fight the province on Bill 30 was defeated 7-2 (moved by Richter, seconded by Fox; only the mover and seconder in favor). The UBCM is coordinating municipal response to the proposed law, said Councillor Long. Councillor Richter's other motion on falun gong did not draw a seconder.
Councillor Fox's motion that the Township fund the DEWY youth drug and alcohol program was deferred for discussion with the Fraser Health Authority (passed 8-1, Richter opposed). Fox's other motion, to ask the GVRD waste transfer station in Aldergrove to better police illegal and accidental dumping occurring on roads surrounding it was passed 8-1 (Kositsky opposed).
And back to the 2% hotel tax. Council unanimously voted to defer final reading (moved by Long, seconded by Bateman) until after a meeting with the nine hotel owners and a re-vote. The turning point for me came when Mr. Jandu from the Travelodge shared his concerns. Here is a business owner who is just looking for facts, and when the plan was talked about on Monday by so many delegations, his opposition to it clearly wavered. There's a real opportunity here to bring all of these hotels on board and give Tourism Langley a strong push forward. Five votes may be enough, but I'd like to give the society the best chance possible, and it needs as much support as possible to do that.
I believe in the plan and think that most people who take the time to examine it will endorse it. Mr. Jandu was one of the original two no-votes, but as the details of the plan became apparent to him, his opposition started to evaporate. So we'll have the public meeting, let the hoteliers talk it out, hopefully get a storng endorsement (I believe we can get as many as seven of the nine hotels on board) and then go to final reading.
First of all, I should note that Councillor Ferguson was dressed up as one of the Blues Brothers. I wish I was making that up, but it's true. The funny thing is that several of our older staff and councillors had toruble naming the character, while I knew it immediately. Must be a generational thing. Anyway, Fergie cast his votes and then did backflips out of the room. Not sure if the TV cameras caught that.
Langley RCMP Superintendent Janice Armstrong gave us her quarterly report. I was especiall interested to hear that Langley, Surrey, and Canada Post have joined forces to create an identity theft unit, which has made 25 arrests and filed 120 charges in recent weeks.
Willoughby homeowner Robin Rathor made a presentation on the traffic issues facing his neighbourhood at 199A, just south of 72nd.
We had several speakers on the hotel tax: Wally, Sharon, and Michael Martin were opposed, while John Campbell, looking like he doesn't miss sitting at council one bit, Ann Corner, Malcolm Weatherston, and Larry Willoughby spoke in favour. An intriguing delegation was made by Ravi Jandu, the owner of the Travelodge at 216th and Fraser, and one of the two no votes in the first 2% hotel tax poll. He said that after hearing more about the Tourism Plan from all of the speakers, his no vote was not as concrete as it once was. He is simply looking for assurances that the money will be spent wisely. This comment would become important later on.
Council unanimously issued development permits for an Allteck Inc. building in Gloucester (moved by Long, seconded by Fox) and for a commerical property, with an owners' suite on the top floor, to LA Lighting at 3096-275th St. (moved by Long, seconded by Vickberg).
We unanimously endorsed (moved by Ward, seconded by Fox) a subdivision application to the ALR at 6780-264th St., which would see a 12.5 acre parcel turned into two pieces of 7 and 5.5.
Council voted 7-2 (moved by Bateman, seconded by Vickberg; Fox and Richter opposed) to send a 10-lot single-family subdivision for 7288-201B St. to public hearing. As part of the bonus density provisions, the development would build a $220,000 hockey box at RC Garnett Elementary School.
Council voted unanimously (moved by Ward, seconded by Fox) to send a 35.2 acre rezonign application for land south of 72 and eats of 208 to public hearing. The plan includes several different types of housing, including townhouses, single-family home, duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes. It will also save or plant 1,000 trees.
Council voted 7-2 (moved by Long, seconded by Vickberg; Fox and Richter opposed) to make a text amendment to our building code, clarifying that fire sprinkler systems are not required for secondary suites.
Under Community Charter law, I am not allowed to comment on the following until they have received final reading:
Council voted 8-1 (moved by Bateman, seconded by Fox; Richter opposed) to give third reading to 31 single-family lots at 72nd Ave. and 198B St.
Council voted 7-2 (moved by Long, seconded by Vickberg; Fox and Richter opposed) to give third reading to the bylaw amendment which would allow single-family homes to have a second set of cooking and laundry facilities, subject to owner-occupancy.
Councillor Richter's notice of motion to fight the province on Bill 30 was defeated 7-2 (moved by Richter, seconded by Fox; only the mover and seconder in favor). The UBCM is coordinating municipal response to the proposed law, said Councillor Long. Councillor Richter's other motion on falun gong did not draw a seconder.
Councillor Fox's motion that the Township fund the DEWY youth drug and alcohol program was deferred for discussion with the Fraser Health Authority (passed 8-1, Richter opposed). Fox's other motion, to ask the GVRD waste transfer station in Aldergrove to better police illegal and accidental dumping occurring on roads surrounding it was passed 8-1 (Kositsky opposed).
And back to the 2% hotel tax. Council unanimously voted to defer final reading (moved by Long, seconded by Bateman) until after a meeting with the nine hotel owners and a re-vote. The turning point for me came when Mr. Jandu from the Travelodge shared his concerns. Here is a business owner who is just looking for facts, and when the plan was talked about on Monday by so many delegations, his opposition to it clearly wavered. There's a real opportunity here to bring all of these hotels on board and give Tourism Langley a strong push forward. Five votes may be enough, but I'd like to give the society the best chance possible, and it needs as much support as possible to do that.
I believe in the plan and think that most people who take the time to examine it will endorse it. Mr. Jandu was one of the original two no-votes, but as the details of the plan became apparent to him, his opposition started to evaporate. So we'll have the public meeting, let the hoteliers talk it out, hopefully get a storng endorsement (I believe we can get as many as seven of the nine hotels on board) and then go to final reading.