Langley Township Council Meeting Report--Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010
Notes from Langley Township Council's special budget meeting, Thursday. Feb. 4, 2010. Mayor Green and Councillors Richter and Dornan were absent. Coun. Long, as this month's deputy mayor, assumed the chair.
Staff opened the meeting with presentations on planted area maintenance costs and the 2010 budget.
After a series of amendments (detailed below) Council voted unanimously (moved by Bateman, seconded by Fox) to send the draft 2010 budget and 2010-2014 Long Term Financial plan out to the public for input.
Several amendment motions were made to the budget, some passing and some failing.
I made the following motion: "That staff be instructed to cancel this year's BC Rivers Day event and use $20,000 of that budget envelope for a low-flow toilet rebate program in rural areas, and return the other $20,000 to reduce the proposed property tax increase." This was moved by Bateman, seconded by Fox, but defeated 4-2 with only Charlie and me in favour.
The Rivers Day event attracts about a thousand people in a good year, but at $40,000 seemed too high a cost to continue in this form. Indeed, Township staff had flagged it as a "non-core service). I was disappointed that this motion failed, as I felt it would both provide more tangible results for water conservation, and reduce the property tax increase slightly. I plan to try this amendment again when a full Council is present.
Coun. Ward made the following motion: "That staff be instructed to close the Centennial Museum on Labour Day, and on Sundays and Mondays in the fall and winter/spring seasons, and that the $31,500 saved be used to reduce the proposed property tax increase." This was moved by Ward, seconded by Bateman; passed 4-2 with Long and Ferguson opposed. The Museum recieves an average of 21 visitors on these days, and the schedule chnage brings us into line with other municipal museums in the region.
Coun. Fox made the following motion: "That staff be instructed to consider other options and future plans for the Compost Demonstration Garden, and that this recommendation be brought forward in the 2011 budget cycle." It was moved by Fox, seconded by Bateman, and passed unanimously. I want to look at the future of this site in Murrayville.
I made the following motion: "That staff be instructed to put together options and cost estimates to complete 208th Street in Willoughby, and to bring forward a plan in the 2011 budget cycle focusing on the intersections of 72nd and 80th Avenues." This was moved by Bateman, seconded by Fox, and passed unanimously. 208th is a huge problem in Willoughby, and I want to be ready in 2011 to work on it. As part of the Albion Ferry decommissioning deal with TransLink, 208th will beciome part of the TransLink Major Roads Network, meaning the Township will be eligible for capital funding of up to 50% for the project in 2011.
A motion for a $15,000 upgrade to add a left-turn signal at 248th and Fraser, and to put a full intersection upgrade into the Five Year Financial Plan, was passed unanimously (moved by Fox, seconded by Ferguson).
A Coun. Kositsky motion to scrap the Fraser Hwy. widening project did not draw a seconder.
I made the following motion: "That staff be instructed to limit the Township Page to one newspaper group through a competitive bid process, and that the projected savings be used to reduce the proposed property tax increase." This was moved by Bateman, seconded by Ward, but defeated in a 3-3 tie (Kositsky, Long and Ferguson opposed).
I was disappointed this failed, as it could have saved the Township more than $100,000 annually, and it would leverage the competition between the papers and get us a better advertising rate. I plan to bring this back when a full Council is present. The three councillors opposed to the motion tried to muddy the waters by referring it to staff for a full communications study, but this would just cost more money and fortunately was defeated on the 3-3 tie (moved by Kositsky, seconded by Ferguson; Bateman, Ward and Fox opposed).
Later in the meeting, a list of pre-approved capital projects was passed 5-1 (moved by Bateman, seconded by Fox; Kositsky opposed).
The budget now goes to the public for their input, and will come back to us in bylaw form in March.
Staff opened the meeting with presentations on planted area maintenance costs and the 2010 budget.
After a series of amendments (detailed below) Council voted unanimously (moved by Bateman, seconded by Fox) to send the draft 2010 budget and 2010-2014 Long Term Financial plan out to the public for input.
Several amendment motions were made to the budget, some passing and some failing.
I made the following motion: "That staff be instructed to cancel this year's BC Rivers Day event and use $20,000 of that budget envelope for a low-flow toilet rebate program in rural areas, and return the other $20,000 to reduce the proposed property tax increase." This was moved by Bateman, seconded by Fox, but defeated 4-2 with only Charlie and me in favour.
The Rivers Day event attracts about a thousand people in a good year, but at $40,000 seemed too high a cost to continue in this form. Indeed, Township staff had flagged it as a "non-core service). I was disappointed that this motion failed, as I felt it would both provide more tangible results for water conservation, and reduce the property tax increase slightly. I plan to try this amendment again when a full Council is present.
Coun. Ward made the following motion: "That staff be instructed to close the Centennial Museum on Labour Day, and on Sundays and Mondays in the fall and winter/spring seasons, and that the $31,500 saved be used to reduce the proposed property tax increase." This was moved by Ward, seconded by Bateman; passed 4-2 with Long and Ferguson opposed. The Museum recieves an average of 21 visitors on these days, and the schedule chnage brings us into line with other municipal museums in the region.
Coun. Fox made the following motion: "That staff be instructed to consider other options and future plans for the Compost Demonstration Garden, and that this recommendation be brought forward in the 2011 budget cycle." It was moved by Fox, seconded by Bateman, and passed unanimously. I want to look at the future of this site in Murrayville.
I made the following motion: "That staff be instructed to put together options and cost estimates to complete 208th Street in Willoughby, and to bring forward a plan in the 2011 budget cycle focusing on the intersections of 72nd and 80th Avenues." This was moved by Bateman, seconded by Fox, and passed unanimously. 208th is a huge problem in Willoughby, and I want to be ready in 2011 to work on it. As part of the Albion Ferry decommissioning deal with TransLink, 208th will beciome part of the TransLink Major Roads Network, meaning the Township will be eligible for capital funding of up to 50% for the project in 2011.
A motion for a $15,000 upgrade to add a left-turn signal at 248th and Fraser, and to put a full intersection upgrade into the Five Year Financial Plan, was passed unanimously (moved by Fox, seconded by Ferguson).
A Coun. Kositsky motion to scrap the Fraser Hwy. widening project did not draw a seconder.
I made the following motion: "That staff be instructed to limit the Township Page to one newspaper group through a competitive bid process, and that the projected savings be used to reduce the proposed property tax increase." This was moved by Bateman, seconded by Ward, but defeated in a 3-3 tie (Kositsky, Long and Ferguson opposed).
I was disappointed this failed, as it could have saved the Township more than $100,000 annually, and it would leverage the competition between the papers and get us a better advertising rate. I plan to bring this back when a full Council is present. The three councillors opposed to the motion tried to muddy the waters by referring it to staff for a full communications study, but this would just cost more money and fortunately was defeated on the 3-3 tie (moved by Kositsky, seconded by Ferguson; Bateman, Ward and Fox opposed).
Later in the meeting, a list of pre-approved capital projects was passed 5-1 (moved by Bateman, seconded by Fox; Kositsky opposed).
The budget now goes to the public for their input, and will come back to us in bylaw form in March.
posted by Jordan Bateman @ 4:14 PM
