December 11 Council Notes: $3.9 million Infrastructure Renewal in Simonds Neighbourhood, Socio-Cultural and Economic Development Advisory Committee, Statutory Public Notices

At Langley City Council’s last meeting of the year, Council approved tendering a contract for $3.9 million to All Roads Construction Ltd and ISL Engineering and Land Services Ltd. This contract includes renewing water pipes, storm sewers, and the roads in the Simonds neighbourhood, as shown in the following map.

A map of the scope of the Simonds neighbourhood infrastructure renewal project. Select the map to enlarge.

The City expects the project to start in January and wrap up in the spring. The City will require that access to the neighbourhood is maintained and uninterrupted at all times.

Council is also creating a new Socio-Cultural and Economic Development Advisory Committee. The mandate of the committee is to:

• Promote Langley City as a Regional Hub.
• Foster prosperity, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Support creating a new Socio-Cultural Economic Framework, a new Social-Economic Implementation Plan, and updating the Attract and Retain Business Plan.
• Develop policies that will support the KPU 2050 Master Plan.
• Develop strategies and partnerships with KPU, businesses, entrepreneurs and others to realize the vision for the Glover Road Innovation District.
• Promote new investment opportunities focused on transit-oriented development.
• Develop strategies and partnerships to secure capital funding for an arts and cultural facility.
• Advocate to the provincial and federal governments to support Langley City’s Social-Economic Implementation Plan.

For more information, please read the full terms of reference for the committee.

Currently, the City must publish statutory notices in the local newspaper as per provincial law. When everyone received the newspaper, newspapers were published frequently, and all communities had a local newspaper, this law made a lot of sense. Unfortunately, local newspapers are declining, and some communities have lost their local paper with minimal notice. A few years ago, the provincial government updated the law to allow communities to provide statutory notices in places other than a newspaper as long as they are “available to a diverse audience or readership, and easily found.”

During the Alternative Approval Process for the $15 million loan to support SkyTrain and Downtown Renewal, we heard from the community that the newspaper was not the best way to provide statutory notice, as the paper is not delivered to every household in Langley City. As such, Council approved asking staff to fulfill our statutory public notice requirements via the City’s website and on a notice board that the City will install at Timms Community Centre. Staff will now create a bylaw for Council that, if approved, will authorize this change. Even with this proposed change, the City will still be advertising information in the newspaper.

Council also gave final reading to bylaws that enabled adopting the Inter-municipal Business Licence and updated 2024 water, sewer, and garbage collection rates.