June 25, 2018 Council Meeting Notes: Traffic calming near HD Stafford approved, City financials including remuneration posted

Yesterday, I posted about redevelopment bylaws that were on the agenda of Monday night’s Langley City council meeting. Today, I will be posting about other items that were addressed at that meeting.

Simply put, traffic calming makes our streets safer and more inviting for all road users. Traffic calming reduces crashes, the severity of crashes, and road fatalities, plus increases the number of people who walk and cycle.

Langley City council unanimously approved implementing traffic calming measures by HD Stafford Middle School on Grade Crescent as follows:

Grade Crescent traffic calming fronting HD Stafford Middle School. Select image to enlarge.

Based on public feedback, of which more than 80% supported traffic calming, the City will also be adding a zebra crosswalk at the eastern school driveway entrance, and around 25 meters of sidewalk to provide better connections at the front of the school.

Every year, the City posts information about council and staff remuneration, plus information about payments to suppliers of more than $25,000. This is as per the provincial Financial Information Act. The following table shows council remuneration, expenses, and benefits for 2017.

2017 Langley City council remuneration, expenses, and benefits. Select table to enlarge.

Council also gave final reading for two housekeeping animal control bylaws which included updating the definition of “run at large.” More information is available on a previous post.

Langley City council approved its 2017 Annual Report. The report can be downloaded from the City’s website, and includes information about municipal services and operations, financial data, and other statistics.

Council heard from Weekend Fuelbag founder Brady Lumsden about how this program helps students, including at HD Stafford Middle School, have access to meals. Lumsden explained that in some parts of Langley, over 40% of people under the age of 17 live in poverty. If you are hungry, your ability to learn is inhibited. This makes it much harder to break the cycle of poverty. Council encouraged Lumsden to apply for a community grant.

People aged 17 and under in low income families based on 2015 census tracts in Langley. Select map to enlarge. Source: sparc bc

Council also heard from Rosemary Wallace on behalf of the Langley City Terry Fox Run Committee, encouraging the City to form a team to take part in the run on Sunday, September 16.