Langley Township Council Special Meeting--Monday Afternoon, June 22, 2009
Notes from Langley Township Council's special meeting, Monday afternoon, June 22, 2009.
Gary St. Michel of EBA Engineering gave Council a look at the state of our pavement, and noted how our new Pavement Management System can help us target and maximize investment. His powerpoint is here:
Gary talked about how it is important to continually invest in your roads to ensure you don't have to rebuild them later--a far more expensive issue than maintenance. Staff will use this formula to make recommendations to us at budget time.
Council voted unanimously (moved by Fox, seconded by Long) to receive the 2008 Water Utility Quality Report.
We voted unanimously (moved by Bateman, seconded by Ward) to ask the GVRD to expand its Fraser Sewerage Area boundary to include a property at 24845 Robertson Cres., which has a failed septic field and cannot rebuild. A motion to defer this item until after Council received a report from staff on sewer and water issues over the Hopington Aquifer was defeated 7-2 (deferral moved by Richter, seconded by Long; only the mover and seconder in favour). After these votes, a different motion (without the deferral) to ask staff to come forward with that report on those issues passed unanimously (moved by Long, seconded by Richter). The majority of Council simply didn't want to hold up this application while staff work on the report.
Council voted unanimously (moved by Ferguson, seconded by Fox) to receive a report from staff, and approve the budget, to remediate Boulder Pit at 3500 244th St. This area has become a dumping ground for the wrong types of people, and that debris will be removed, and replaced with soil to bring it to a proper standard. The same trucks will be used to bring material in and out to save the number of trips.
We voted 8-1 (moved by Fox, seconded by Bateman; Long opposed) to approve some budget transfers to start construction on the improvements at 16th/216th and 16th/240th. This work can't start soon enough for my liking.
After an amendment passed to make it a matching grant for the society's fundraising efforts (amendment moved by Long, seconded by Ferguson; passed 7-2 with Ward and Fox opposed), a grant of $33,000 a year, for three years, to the Langley Care Society for Langley Lodge passed 8-1 (moved by Kositsky, seconded by Fox; Richter opposed). This grant, which equals less than a nickel a month from the average property taxpayer, will help the Society as they undergo a $28 million renovation project. I think we got off light on this one--if the Lodge was located within our borders, we would be giving them a tax exemption worth $100,000 a year. Almost half of the Lodge's residents come from the Township. The amount will be funded out of the grants budget and the council contingency fund.
After Council voted 6-3 (moved by Green, seconded by Bateman; Richter, Ferguson and Kositsky opposed) to amend a receipt motion and instead refund $106,000 for two years of property taxes to the Langley Memorial Hospital Foundation for land they now own, the receipt and now grant motion passed 7-2 (Richter and Ferguson opposed). The Foundation, when it took over ownership of the staff parking lot from the Fraser Health Authority in 2008, did not realize it needed to file specific papers for a property tax exemption--which the rest of the Hospital lands already enjoy. Further, this parking lot had never been taxed until the Foundation took it over and didn't file. There was a lot of rhetoric around this, but the fact remains: we would never had received that money if the Foundation had filed its papers in 2008. It was an error, but keeping the Foundation's taxes would have been a bigger error.
We voted unanimously (moved by Bateman, seconded by Kositsky) to approve a South Fraser Family Court and Youth Justice Committee recommendation to allow one council member to hold a vote on their committee.
We voted unanimously (moved by Bateman, seconded by Ward) to receive two recommendations from the Economic Development Advisory Committee. One was to emphasize sustainable principles when looking at future developments, and the other was to endorse our Farmers' Market policy.
Council voted unanimously (moved by Bateman, seconded by Fox) to approve the 2009 Heritage Advisory Committee workplan.
We voted unanimously (moved by Bateman, seconded by Ward) to receive two recommendations from the Recreation, Culture and Parks Advisory Committee. One was to continue our support of Sport Langley, and the other was to support the bid to host the 2010 Commonwealth Rowing Championships at the Bedford Channel.
Council was also given a copy of the draft Aldergrove Athletic Park plan, which will be taken out for public input later this year--including at a booth at the Aldergrove Festival Days. Click here to see it.
Coun. Fox gave notice of motion regarding the water management plan, which will come forward July 6.
I asked staff to investigate welcome and wayfinding signage for the new Golden Ears Bridge. Specifically, I think people would like directional signage to Fort Langley, Highway 1, the Langley Events Centre and Visitor Information Centre, and the Willowbrook Regional Town Centre.
Gary St. Michel of EBA Engineering gave Council a look at the state of our pavement, and noted how our new Pavement Management System can help us target and maximize investment. His powerpoint is here:
Pavement Management System Presentation to Township of Langley Council, June 22, 2009
View more OpenOffice presentations from jgabateman.
Gary talked about how it is important to continually invest in your roads to ensure you don't have to rebuild them later--a far more expensive issue than maintenance. Staff will use this formula to make recommendations to us at budget time.
Council voted unanimously (moved by Fox, seconded by Long) to receive the 2008 Water Utility Quality Report.
We voted unanimously (moved by Bateman, seconded by Ward) to ask the GVRD to expand its Fraser Sewerage Area boundary to include a property at 24845 Robertson Cres., which has a failed septic field and cannot rebuild. A motion to defer this item until after Council received a report from staff on sewer and water issues over the Hopington Aquifer was defeated 7-2 (deferral moved by Richter, seconded by Long; only the mover and seconder in favour). After these votes, a different motion (without the deferral) to ask staff to come forward with that report on those issues passed unanimously (moved by Long, seconded by Richter). The majority of Council simply didn't want to hold up this application while staff work on the report.
Council voted unanimously (moved by Ferguson, seconded by Fox) to receive a report from staff, and approve the budget, to remediate Boulder Pit at 3500 244th St. This area has become a dumping ground for the wrong types of people, and that debris will be removed, and replaced with soil to bring it to a proper standard. The same trucks will be used to bring material in and out to save the number of trips.
We voted 8-1 (moved by Fox, seconded by Bateman; Long opposed) to approve some budget transfers to start construction on the improvements at 16th/216th and 16th/240th. This work can't start soon enough for my liking.
After an amendment passed to make it a matching grant for the society's fundraising efforts (amendment moved by Long, seconded by Ferguson; passed 7-2 with Ward and Fox opposed), a grant of $33,000 a year, for three years, to the Langley Care Society for Langley Lodge passed 8-1 (moved by Kositsky, seconded by Fox; Richter opposed). This grant, which equals less than a nickel a month from the average property taxpayer, will help the Society as they undergo a $28 million renovation project. I think we got off light on this one--if the Lodge was located within our borders, we would be giving them a tax exemption worth $100,000 a year. Almost half of the Lodge's residents come from the Township. The amount will be funded out of the grants budget and the council contingency fund.
After Council voted 6-3 (moved by Green, seconded by Bateman; Richter, Ferguson and Kositsky opposed) to amend a receipt motion and instead refund $106,000 for two years of property taxes to the Langley Memorial Hospital Foundation for land they now own, the receipt and now grant motion passed 7-2 (Richter and Ferguson opposed). The Foundation, when it took over ownership of the staff parking lot from the Fraser Health Authority in 2008, did not realize it needed to file specific papers for a property tax exemption--which the rest of the Hospital lands already enjoy. Further, this parking lot had never been taxed until the Foundation took it over and didn't file. There was a lot of rhetoric around this, but the fact remains: we would never had received that money if the Foundation had filed its papers in 2008. It was an error, but keeping the Foundation's taxes would have been a bigger error.
We voted unanimously (moved by Bateman, seconded by Kositsky) to approve a South Fraser Family Court and Youth Justice Committee recommendation to allow one council member to hold a vote on their committee.
We voted unanimously (moved by Bateman, seconded by Ward) to receive two recommendations from the Economic Development Advisory Committee. One was to emphasize sustainable principles when looking at future developments, and the other was to endorse our Farmers' Market policy.
Council voted unanimously (moved by Bateman, seconded by Fox) to approve the 2009 Heritage Advisory Committee workplan.
We voted unanimously (moved by Bateman, seconded by Ward) to receive two recommendations from the Recreation, Culture and Parks Advisory Committee. One was to continue our support of Sport Langley, and the other was to support the bid to host the 2010 Commonwealth Rowing Championships at the Bedford Channel.
Council was also given a copy of the draft Aldergrove Athletic Park plan, which will be taken out for public input later this year--including at a booth at the Aldergrove Festival Days. Click here to see it.
Coun. Fox gave notice of motion regarding the water management plan, which will come forward July 6.
I asked staff to investigate welcome and wayfinding signage for the new Golden Ears Bridge. Specifically, I think people would like directional signage to Fort Langley, Highway 1, the Langley Events Centre and Visitor Information Centre, and the Willowbrook Regional Town Centre.
posted by Jordan Bateman @ 6:44 PM
