June 9 Council Notes: Budget and Crime Prevention

As I posted previously, every year, local governments in BC must update their financial plans to reflect their independently audited year-end financial statements. As part of this process, people have the opportunity to provide feedback. Langley Council did not receive any feedback and on Monday approved updating our 2024 - 2028 Financial Plan.

Every year, Langley City Council must provide an "approval in principle" letter to the RCMP for the upcoming year's budget. This letter outlines the upper bounds of costs. The federal government uses this to help with its budgeting, as it covers 10% of policing costs. City Council may choose to reduce the budget but not increase it during our budget process, which starts in the winter. The RCMP is budgeting a 4.7% increase in policing costs, rising from $15.7 million to $16.1 million in 2026 with no new members (officers).

In the next five years, the RCMP estimates that we may need 12 additional members. This number could be lower or higher. As such, City staff also included in the "approval in principle" letter asking for the federal government to set aside a budget for two new members this year, which would increase the 2026 policing budget by an additional $533,594 to $16.5 million.

Langley City's Crime Prevention Committee, which includes volunteer members from the community, asked City Council to dedicate eight hours of the City's communication staff time to help the committee with social media messages focused on crime prevention, personal safety, and existing RCMP programs for residents and businesses, such as Block Watch. Council approved this request.

June 9 Council Notes: Housing Matters

On Monday night, Langley City Council gave first and second reading to rezone 4505-4535 200A Street to accommodate a 27-unit, three-bedroom townhouse project.

Rendering of proposed townhouse project at 4505-4535 200A Street

I wanted to highlight a few things about this proposed project. The project, if approved, includes retaining clusters of existing trees along the 200th Street frontage, bordering the school property and the walkway connecting 200A Street to the school property. The walkway would also be widened as part of this project.

The project includes a small, common passive greenspace and six visitor parking spaces (one of which is accessible). 17 of the 21 units have side-by-side garages.

As per the City's Townhome & Plex-Home Best Practices Guide. The proposed townhouses are set back 8 metres from 200A Street or step down in height to two stories.

As part of any redevelopment of market rental buildings, the current number of rental units must be secured in the new building for the life of that building. 20675 Eastleigh Crescent is subject to a rezoning and development application. You can read more about this in a previous post. Twenty-one units in the new building must be rental units, comprising a mix of 11 two-bedroom units, four one-bedroom units with dens, and six one-bedroom units. Council gave first, second, and third reading to a housing agreement bylaw to secure these rental units in the proposed new building.

Council also gave final reading to rezoning and issued a development permit for a 6-storey, 80-unit apartment building located at 20130-20150 53 Avenue and 20139-20153 52 Avenue. You can read more about this project in a previous post.

New Draft Zoning Bylaw for Langley City

As I mentioned last week, Langley City is rewriting its zoning bylaw. The zoning bylaw is one of the primary ways that the City implements the policies of the Official Community Plan.

The last major update of the zoning bylaw occurred in 1996. I was in grade 7 at the time, and Langley City had a population of 22,523. The needs of 1996 Langley City are different than today, and over the years, the current zoning bylaw has become a bit of a Frankenstein's Monster of a document.

One of the primary goals of the rewrite is to simply and modernize the zoning bylaw. This simplification includes reducing the number of zoning.

Map of Langley City with new draft zones. Select the map to enlarge.

The new zoning bylaw also thoroughly bakes in all the recent provincial government changes, such as transit-oriented areas and the ability to build up to four units of housing on any residential lot in the City. The new zoning bylaw also enables the addition of inclusionary zoning and density bonusing in the future, which allow the City to leverage private development to build below-market rental units.

Within our residential zoning, the zoning bylaw will enable detached homes, duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, carriage homes, garden suites, and secondary suites.

Without limiting the ability to build quadplexes with at least 50 m² per unit in accordance with provincial guidance, the zoning bylaw also encourages less boxy designs of housing up to three stories in height. You can build up to three stories today in Langley City on any residential lot.

The zoning bylaw also requires that a minimum of 5 percent of all units in apartment zones have three or more bedrooms.

The zoning bylaw also reduces the parking requirements for below-market rental units and boosts the number of required bike parking spots in transit-oriented areas.

The zoning bylaw also enables more zones that permit childcare.

We know that there are many "spas" in the City, which, in our new draft zoning bylaw, are called "Personal Health Enhancement Centres." The zoning bylaw bans this use outright (though existing spas are grandfathered.) As a note, RMTs, hair and nail salons, and barber shops are not included in the "Personal Health Enhancement Centres" definition.

The zoning bylaw is in draft form, and the City is now seeking feedback from our community, as I noted in a previous post.

If Council approves the new zoning bylaw, just like today, rezoning would still be required in many cases.

You can read the draft zoning bylaw on Langley City's website.

Traffic Fine Revenue in Langley City

Since 2004, the provincial government has provided all traffic fine revenue collected in a local government area to that local government. In Langley City, we receive about half a million dollars in traffic fine revenue per year. In Langley City, we earmark the funding directly back to our local RCMP detachment.

The following chart shows the absolute amount of revenue we receive per year between 2018 and 2024.

It was interesting to see an increase in traffic revenue fines during the pandemic.

This next chart shows the per capita amount due to population growth.

Traffic revenue is an area where, if an equal amount of enforcement is applied, we want to see a decrease in fines as people change their behaviour. Although there has been a slight decline in per capita traffic fine revenue after the pandemic, speeding and distracted driving continue to be significant concerns in our community.

Tree Bylaw and Zoning Bylaw Online Feedback and Open Houses

Way back in 2010, Langley City Council proposed a tree bylaw to prevent cutting down trees that had a diameter of 20cm or larger without a permit on private property. I was part of the City's Park and Environment Advisory Committee at that time. The bylaw caused panic in the community, and people started cutting down trees left, right, and centre, concerned that the bylaw would make it impossible to remove trees without costly studies and permits. The Council of the day abandoned the bylaw due to widespread concerns in the community.

Fifteen years later, Langley City is considering a tree bylaw again. Langley City's goal is to expand our tree canopy. A tree bylaw is one tool that can help with this goal. A tree bylaw can help manage trees on public property, during redevelopment, and on private property. While the City can use a tree bylaw to protect existing trees, the bylaw can also set requirements for tree replacement and how the City manages public trees. To prevent a repeat of 2010, the City is seeking feedback on what people would like to see in a tree bylaw. You can visit Let's Chat Langley City to provide your feedback on what you would like to see in a tree bylaw.

The City is also hosting an open house as follows. You can drop by anytime between 6 pm and 8 pm.

Date: Monday, June 16
Time: 6 pm to 8 pm
Location: City Hall/Timms Community Centre

Langley City's current zoning bylaw dates back to 1996. Though it has been updated over the years, it is long in the tooth. While the Official Community Plan sets the overall land-use vision for the community, the zoning bylaw implements the nuts and bolts of the land-use vision, such as maximum building height and how far a building needs to be set back from property lines. The City has been working on a new zoning bylaw.

Over the last few years, the City has received feedback from the community for the new zoning bylaw. Keep your eyes on Let's Chat Langley City for more details, but save the date for an open house of our proposed updated zoning bylaw.

Date: Wednesday, June 25
Time: 4 pm to 7 pm
Location: City Hall/Timms Community Centre

Planning for the Future Relies on Regional Data Models

As our population grows and communities change, people can take it for granted that water will flow, toilets will flush, and new streets and parks will be built. Assuming everything will just work is a good thing, but there is a lot that goes on that many people may not be aware of. In Metro Vancouver, we have access to high-quality data models that help us make better-informed decisions about how we plan for the future.

There are 21 municipalities in Metro Vancouver. We know that planning for the future requires looking at both the regional and local levels. As a result, local governments in Metro Vancouver have primarily tasked the Regional District with creating data models to help plan for the future. These models provide both regional-level and neighbourhood-level information.

The key data models used by local governments, TransLink, and the Regional District are as follows.

• Immigration Model - Models growth within the region based on past settlement patterns.
• Behavioural Model - Models where and what types of housing people want, including size, tenure (rent/own), and type (attached/detached).
• Growth Projections Models - Models future population, employment, and housing units required based on immigration and behavioural models.
• Land Use Model - Forecast land-use requirements based on the growth projections models.
• 3D Urban Form Model - Used in conjunction with the land use model to help visualize the future built form, including building heights and lot coverage.

No models are perfect, many factors can impact future growth, such as federal immigration numbers. City plans throughout our region, including Langley City's Official Community Plan, utilize these regional models to inform future planning decisions.

Green Bins in Apartments and Reducing Single-Usage Items

People in the Metro Vancouver region do their part to reduce waste and recycle. Over the last decade, we have reduced our waste by 11%, even as our region's population has increased. As I've posted in the past, people in apartments and townhouses recycle and use organics bins less than people who live in detached housing. There is an opportunity for changing behaviour.

From Metro Vancouver's Food Scraps aren't Garbage Campgain. Select the image to enlarge.

As people in townhouses and apartments often need to store organic waste under the sink or in their garage, there is concern that it may smell unpleasant, attract insects, and generally be messy and dirty.

With this in mind, Metro Vancouver has updated its resources with a larger focus on people who live in apartments and townhouses. Metro Vancouver's "Food Scraps Aren't Garbage" site has tips on how to manage organics cleanly and how to get a program set up in your building (if you don't have one already.) One tip is to store your green bin in the freezer.

This summer, Metro Vancouver's "What's your Superhabit?" educational campaign will be back. The program's goal is to educate people on easy ways to reduce the use of disposable cups, containers, and utensils. This year's campaign will focus on people under the age of 44 who tend to use more single-use items. Some simple reminders include using a travel mug, using a reusable water bottle and bringing a set of utensils to work.

While there are certainly other barriers to reducing waste and using the organics bin, changing behaviour is critical. The overall goal of Metro Vancouver's campaigns this year is to let people know that everyone is using fewer single-use items and using green bins, and that you should join the party.

Upcoming Events: State of the City, Community Dialogue on Safety

There are two upcoming events in the City this June that I wanted to highlight.

The first event is a Community Dialogue on Safety. As you may know, Langley City has a Citizens’ Assembly. The assembly consists of 29 members from our community who put their names forward and were chosen through a lottery system, taking into account our community’s demographic makeup. The mandate is to deliver a set of recommendations to Council that will improve community safety, transitioning from a more reactive to a proactive safety model.

An upcoming Community Dialogue will allow Citizens’ Assembly members to collaborate with attendees and share insights about safety and well-being in Langley City.

Name: Community Dialogue
Date: Wednesday, June 11
Time: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Location: Council Chambers, Langley City Hall

This event is open to anyone in the Langely City community. If you are unable to attend in person, you can also participate online.

The Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce will host the annual State of the City Address. I will deliver a presentation about what has been happening in Langley City over the last year and where we plan to go in the coming year. This year’s address will focus on community safety, community investments, and Langley City’s new data-driven approach to decision-making and organization accountability. We will be launching our KPI dashboard. KPIs, or Key Performance Indicators, are measurements that help track progress toward objectives and flag issues early, allowing organizations to make adjustments. There will also be a question-and-answer period and dinner.

Name: State of the City
Date: Thursday, June 19
Time: 5:30 pm  - 8:15 pm
Venue: Coast Langley City Hotel 
Cost:  $55

You can register to attend the State of the City Address on the Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce website. The City will also post videos from the address on its website.

Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation Affordable Housing Update

The Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation, a part of the Metro Vancouver Regional District, builds and directly manages affordable housing throughout our region. Today, it has a portfolio of 4,491 housing units, making it one of the largest affordable housing operations in the region. The Corporation's operating costs are self-funding, though funding to build new housing comes from other levels of government and the Regional District.

The Housing Corporation is currently updating its 10-year plan. There are five main areas it is looking to update.

The first area is whether it should slow down, maintain, or increase the pace of building new housing units. The pace is primarily driven by funding commitments from the federal and provincial governments.

The second area is whether the Housing Corporation should continue to partner with member municipalities and the private sector or just the private sector to deliver new housing units.

The third area is to examine the affordability and unit-mix targets for its housing. Today, the target is to have 30% of its total housing units with Rent-Geared-to-Income and 70% of its units with 2- or more bedrooms.

The fourth area is where to focus on developing new housing. For example, the Housing Corporation does not have any sites in Langley City or Township. Should the Housing Corporation focus on creating a sub-regional balance or continue its current approach on sites where opportunities present themselves?

Table showing Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation units by sub-region. Select the table to enlarge.

The final area concerns the type and scope of tenant programs and services to provide.

The Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation is well-regarded and accountable to the people of our region, as it receives limited funding through our property taxes. I am hopeful that the Corporation will continue to build on its success, increasing the number of units it can deliver, including here in Langley City.

Image Source: https://metrovancouver.org/services/housing/facility/pinewood-place

TransLink Ridership in 2024: Everyone is Taking the Bus. Overcrowding a Concern.

Every year, TransLink produces a "Transit Service Performance Review," which includes a summary report and detailed route-by-route key performance indicators such as ridership, revenue, on-time performance, and speed. The agency recently released its 2024 summary report and data.

Transit ridership is returning to 2019 levels when we saw record transit ridership. While SkyTrain, SeaBus, and West Coast Express are critical parts of our transit system, the bus network handles the majority of transit trips in our region. In 2024, TransLink had the third-highest bus ridership in Canada and the USA in absolute numbers.

TransLink System-Wide Monthly Journeys and Regional Population Growth, 2019-2024. Select image to enlarge.

Ridership growth was the strongest in the South of Fraser, which includes Surrey, White Rock, Langley City and Township. Another notable increase is that West Coast Express ridership rose by 20% between 2023 and 2024 as more people commute to Downtown Vancouver.

While it is good that people continue to rely on transit as a way to get around the region, it is becoming overcrowded like it was in 2019. As a transit rider myself, I remember the crush loads on the 502/503 and SkyTrain. The following map shows the top 20 overcrowded bus routes in Metro Vancouver. Many of these bus routes are now in the South of Fraser.

Map of Top 20 Overcrowded Bus Routes, Fall 2024. Select image to enlarge.

TransLink has been reallocating bus service across the region to address the most severe overcrowding, but it can be a bit of stealing from Peter to pay Paul. Bus ridership in Vancouver/UBC declined in 2024.

Last month, the Mayors' Council approved a new 2025 Investment Plan. This investment plan will begin delivering more bus services immediately to address overcrowding, expand existing routes, and create new routes to areas such as industrial zones and regional parks.

For more information, including the summary report, dashboards, and data set, please visit the TransLink Transit Service Performance Review webpage.

May 26 Council Notes: Salmon, Habitat Compensation, Committee Work Plans, and Housing

Langley City Council received a presentation from Nigel Easton and Bruce Downing about the Nicomekl Enhancement Society (NES) on Monday. NES is a volunteer-led society that operates a salmon hatchery and performs environment restoration work along the Nicomekl River and its tributaries. NES volunteers release salmon into Pleasantdale Creek and Anderson Creek, which flows through City Park. The presenters requested that the City install signage indicating where they release salmon within the City. Council asked our Environmental Sustainability Committee to investigate installing these signs. Salmon are an indicator species; if you have healthy salmon in a river, you have a healthy river ecosystem.

Later in a meeting, Council gave first, second and third reading to amend the City’s 2024-2028 Financial Plan to reflect the year-end financial results. This amendment is a housekeeping item.

Council also approved our new Habitat Compensation Works on City Lands policy. This policy outlines the process to follow if development occurs in “low to moderately low” environmentally sensitive areas, which is strongly discouraged. Restoration should occur on impacted sites; however, if that is not possible, environmental restoration should be conducted on City property as close to the site as possible or within the City’s Habitat Bank areas.

Council approved issuing a development permit amendment to allow the strata at 20454 53 Avenue to convert an unutilized amenity space into a dwelling unit. The strata would still have both indoor and outdoor amenity spaces consistent with our current requirements, the required parking, and be paying development cost charges and community amenity contributions. The City issued the original development permit in 1980.

Council also approved the Socio-Economic Development Advisory Committee work plan and the Environmental Sustainability Committee work plan.

“Let’s Chat, Langley City!” Launched. Win a $450 Stay and Dine Package

Today, information about Langley City’s projects and initiatives is not in one centralized platform, making it trickier to stay current on what the City is doing. It is now much easier to stay informed and provide feedback.

Langley City has launched a new project and initiative information and feedback platform called “Let’s Chat, Langley City!” To help launch the new platform and get folks familiar with it, the City is holding a photo and video contest that uses the new platform. You can submit your photos and videos until June 9th, and then you can vote for your favourite. The winner will get a Stay and Dine package courtesy of Cascades Casino Resort valued at $450.

The other initiative on the new platform is the Citizen’s Assembly on Community Safety. You can stay current on the Assembly’s work, provide feedback, and learn about upcoming in-person events, such as the Community Dialogue on Community Safety on June 11th.

This platform will become the one-stop location for feedback and information for Langley City. You can sign up to the platform and receive updates on current and upcoming projects and initiatives on “Let’s Chat, Langley City!”

Metro Vancouver’s Governance Review Missing Key Requirement

The North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant fiasco shook many people’s confidence in the Metro Vancouver Regional District, including its governance. Today, municipalities appoint directors to the Metro Vancouver Regional District board with votes based on population. I’m simplifying some aspects of the board’s makeup for this post. The Regional District’s board is political, and in my mind, that is OK.

Deloitte recently completed a board governance review of the Regional District and presented 49 recommendations. Under provincial legislation, the Regional District consists of three entities: the Metro Vancouver Regional District, the Greater Vancouver Water District, and the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District.

One of the challenges with today’s decision-making on water and sewerage infrastructure is that the projects tend to be complex and challenging to “see” if corners were cut, if the project delivered as it was supposed to, or if it was a gold-plated solution.

While some people point to other challenges in the Regional District, the biggest challenge is the lack of independent review of large water and sewer projects. I observe that some of these projects become like trains; once they leave the station and pick up speed, they are hard to adjust or even stop if required.

One big recommendation from Deloitte is to have the Water and Sewerage Districts have smaller boards with a mix of elected and independent, non-elected members. The independent members would be appointed based on their qualifications to manage large utilities. Would this hybrid model work better? It reminds me of the TransLink Board, and I think the jury is still out on that governance model.

The other significant recommendation is to include feedback from the existing technical advisory committees in board reports to provide a broader perspective. These technical advisory committees include staff representatives from member municipalities in Metro Vancouver.

Deloitte interviewed me as part of this governance review. When I talked with them, I told them I wanted to see the creation of an independent technical advisory group that reviews the Regional District’s significant projects and plans to determine if they are delivering value for money for our region and meeting the overall strategic goals of the board.

Deloitte recommends enhancing the current internal auditing at the Regional District, but it does not capture what I think is needed.

It’s scary to think I’ve held elected office for nearly a decade. I’ve observed that governance is rarely the problem; it is whether people decide to be good or bad actors in a political system. You cannot governance your way out of bad actors; that is what elections are for.

I’m happy to see many of Deloitte’s recommendations. Still, I think they missed the Regional District’s biggest challenge: the need for the board to have independent technical advice for major plans and projects.

Enrollment Numbers - Langley Schools

One of the questions I get from time to time is about the number of students attending schools in our community. Langley City is part of the Langley School District, so while there is no such thing as a City or Township school, some schools serve most of the students in Langley City.

The Langley School District regularly provides a Funding and Enrolment Update report. The most recent public report is from October 2024.

The following chart shows the total headcount for all school-aged students in Langley.

Langley School District - School-Aged Student Headcount from 2011 to 2024. Select the image to enlarge.

As you can see, it has been growing at a steady rate. The following chart shows the total number of students (government-funded and international) for both 2023 and 2024 for the Langley Secondary catchment area.

School	2024	2023	Change
Langley Secondary School (incl Focus)	1204	1069	135
H D Stafford Middle School	759	766	-7
Blacklock Elementary	303	276	27
Douglas Park Elementary	350	314	36
James Hill Elementary	365	371	-6
Nicomekl Elementary	426	454	-28
Simonds Elementary	160	142	18
Uplands Elementary	242	253	-11

As a note, Nicomekl is getting a 200-student classroom expansion, which is under construction right now. This expansion is like getting another Simonds Elementary-sized school and provides room to grow for students in one of the fastest-growing neighbourhoods in Langley City.

On a side note, the R E Mountain catchment area continues to see the most growth, with 399 more students between 2023 and 2024, compared to the Langley Secondary School catchment area, which grew by 164.

The School District and City work closely to understand how new growth impacts school enrollment, which helps the School District plan for growth or a decrease in students at individual schools.

Langley Animal Control and Shelter Potential Separation

Since 2003, Langley Animal Protection Society (LAPS) has provided animal control and shelter services to Langley City and the Township of Langley. Both the City and Township have separate contracts with LAPS.

Cooper at Campbell Valley Park by Robin Horn

In September of last year, Township of Langley Council asked their staff to investigate providing animal control services in-house and having LAPS operate a Township-only shelter. The Township of Langley owns the land and the current Patti Dale Animal Shelter, which houses animals from both municipalities.

Langley City and Township have received great value from LAPS as a volunteer-led and donor-driven organization. For example, both municipalities receive cat services at no cost as donors fund the LAPS cat program entirely. Langley City received $36,968 annually in no cost cat services, such as sheltering and care.

Currently, the City pays $129,554 to LAPS annually for animal control and sheltering services.

Langley City provides 15% of the operating funding for contracted animal control and shelter services to LAPS. LAPS animal control officers allocated 7% of their time to City files and patrols. 4% of animals admitted to LAPS care as part of the contracts are from the City. This results in a subsidy for the Township contract.

I hope that LAPS can continue to provide services to both communities, as providing these services in-house will drive up costs for both municipalities due to the reduction in volunteer and donor support.

On May 12, Langley City Council asked City staff to explore different operating models and develop an implementation strategy to maintain animal control and sheltering services for our community if Township Council does decide to change its animal control and shelter model to exclude the City.

More Transit and Road Funding for Langley

I posted a few weeks ago about the now approved Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation Investment Plan for TransLink. This plan will deliver improved transit service throughout the region, especially in the South of Fraser.

On Monday, TransLink presented some of the plan’s highlights to Langley City Council, focusing on Langley and the South of Fraser.

Many people do not know that TransLink also funds the major road networks, such as Fraser Highway and 200th Street. The investment plan includes a 70% increase in rehabilitation funding for the major road network. For Langley City, this works out to an additional $1.27 million per year in funding. Langley City will also get $616,000 for active transportation projects such as new sidewalks and bike lanes.

The following slide from the presentation shows improvements to the bus network.

2025 Investment Plan Scope Map, Langley and South of Fraser. Select map to enlarge.

The network will be significantly improved, as you can see. One highlight is the new transit access to Campbell Valley Regional Park.

These improvements will start rolling out immediately, though it may take a few years for them to be fully implemented across the transit system.

May 12 Council Notes: Crime Prevention Committee and Subdivision

Yesterday, I posted about the Council's approval of the 2024 Year-End Consolidated Financial Statements. Today, I wanted to cover some of the other items from the May 12th Langley City Council meeting.

On December 9th, Council deferred voting on a proposal to convert 20525 and 20541 46A Avenue into eight smaller lots. The proposed subdivision includes both an environmentally sensitive area and a natural hazards area. At the time Council had concerns about the project. As I noted in a previous post, it "led Council to refer this rezoning and subdivision proposal back to City staff as its current form is likely something that Council would not approve."

On Monday, Council considered the proposed eight-lot subdivision rezoning. While City staff did provide more information, there was no change to the application. As a result, Council unanimously denied the rezoning application.

Later in the meeting, Council approved its Crime Prevention Committee Work Plan. The committee, which includes volunteer members, will focus on promoting crime prevention tips, block watch and business watch, Crime Stoppers, the 529 Garage bike ID program, secure bike parking, and public safety theme murals.

Regarding public safety theme murals, Council approved the following mural, which will be installed on the north-facing wall of the City Hall/Timms Community Centre.

“Green, Red, Blue, and Yellow” by Carla Maskall. Select the image to enlarge.

Langley City Receives Clean Bill of Financial Health

Every year, every municipality in BC must prepare year-end consolidated financial statements. Langley City Council approved its 2024 statements last night.

Kristine Simpson from BDO Canada, the City's external auditor, found that our year-end statements fairly present the City's financial position.

Overall, the City received more revenue than expected. While property taxes were lower than expected, user fees from water and sewer usage, gaming proceeds, interest payments, and transfers from other levels of government were higher.

For expenditures, the City was under budget. One of the large drivers was lower debt servicing costs, as the City did not receive its loan until halfway through the year. Labour costs were also lower due to staff vacancies caused by new positions, people seeking other opportunities, and delays in re-hiring those positions.

The City transferred an additional $7.4 million into reserve accounts due to the difference between revenue and expenditures. These will be used to fund future capital projects or debt servicing costs.

One of the indicators of investment into community assets such as public buildings, roads, sewers, and water mains is the "equity in tangible capital assets," which grew from $293 million to $310 million.

At the end of 2024, the City had $21.7 million in long-term debt.

The City collects development cost charges from each new development. The City allocates these funds for specific projects. At the end of 2024, the City had $40.6 million in these charges, which will be used for specific future capital projects required to accommodate population growth.

The City also had $64.7 million in reserve accounts at the end of 2024, which will be used for capital projects per the City's Capital Improvement Plan.

You can download the 2024 Year-End Consolidated Financial Statements for more information.

Official Release: City of Langley Responds to Termination of Shared Policing Agreement

I wanted to repost the following official media release from Langley City.

As expected, on May 10, 2025, the Township of Langley terminated the City of Langley and Township of Langley Police Capital and Operations Cost Sharing Agreement, which has been in place since 1993. This agreement specifically addresses the co-owned RCMP detachment building and shared municipal staff.

It is important to clarify that the agreement on the detachment building is not the same as the Township’s call for de-integration. Any de-integration of policing requires approval from the provincial government, which has not happened.

“Langley City Council is unanimous in its belief that de-integration of the Langley RCMP Detachment will not improve the quality, efficiency, or effectiveness of policing in Langley,” stated Mayor Nathan Pachal.

Mayor Pachal continued, “We have consistently been willing to work with the Township of Langley to ensure all the facts are on the table and together come up with a path forward that is in the best interest of all Langley residents and businesses.”

Langley City remains open to a mediated process — as recommended by the Province — to work toward a fair, modernized agreement that ensures effective, coordinated policing for both communities.

Mayor Pachal reaffirmed: “Our goal is a strong, stable public safety model that reflects our shared responsibility and protects taxpayer dollars. We look forward to continuing conversations that support both communities and put public safety first.”

Over the past several years, the City has demonstrated a strong and consistent commitment to public safety — including strategic investments in fire services, emergency management, and policing — to ensure reliable service delivery now and into the future.

It continues to seek constructive dialogue with the Township, the Province, and the RCMP to support a coordinated, modern public safety model.

With both Langleys growing and SkyTrain on the horizon, the case has never been stronger for an integrated, coordinated, and financially responsible public safety model that reflects the needs of both communities.

Langley City's 70th Anniversary: “Not a Nickel for Street Lights for Langley Prairie.”

Last night, I was at a Langley City Emergency Program Volunteer Appreciation Event with other Council members. The work of the Langley City volunteer responders is critical when there is an emergency in our community.

Anyway, I was talking with a few volunteers after the formal award ceremony when one of the younger volunteers asked me why there was a Langley City. An old volunteer said it was something about streetlights.

This year is Langley City’s 70th Anniversary, and we’ve recently displayed some historical artifacts about our community, including this article from the Langley Advance newspaper from March 13, 1985, when Langley City was celebrating its 30th Anniversary.

Langley Advance Article from March 13, 1985, “City incorporated 30 years ago.” Select the image to enlarge.

“We said, ‘Okay, we’ll do without the water and the sewer. Just give us the street lights so we don’t have to keep tripping over in the dark.’”

“The only light came from the store windows, if you can believe that,” Jeffery said. “But the [mayor] was very adamant and he stonewalled us.”

When the merchant made one last pea for amenities, the [mayor] George Brooks, was immovable. He said, “Not a nickel for street lights for Langley Prairie.”

It was, said Jeffery, the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Langley Prairie business owners and residents felt that their taxes weren’t being reinvested into the community and that they weren’t well represented. 85% of Langley Praire voters choose to form their own community, which is how Langley City came into being.

I’m proud to say that Langley City now has all the streetlights and that we continue to invest every nickel of tax back into our community.

If you would like to learn more about the Langley City Emergency Program, including how to become a volunteer, please visit Langley City’s website.

Right to Cool in Apartments and Townhouses

We have been getting more extreme heat events over the last several years. The Metro Vancouver heat dome in 2021, when over 600 people died, stands out as one of the worst climate-related incidents in Canada. In BC, newly constructed buildings must have living spaces that cannot have temperatures that exceed 26°C. This change came into effect in March last year.

Of course, many older buildings don't have cooling systems, whether they are strata or rental. Last week, elected local government representatives from across the Lower Mainland met for our annual Lower Mainland Local Government Association Conference. One part of the conference includes debating motions where we collectively would like the province or federal governments to take action. One such matter was the right to cool.

The Metro Vancouver Regional District, City of Vancouver, City of North Vancouver, and Vancouver Coast Health recently released a whitepaper called "Thermal Safety in Existing Multi-Unit Residential Buildings." One of the barriers to allowing people to install cooling systems can be strata councils and landlords.

The provincial government needs to change the Strata Property Act to allow individual owners to install active and passive cooling measures at their discretion and prevent the ability of strata councils to restrict passive or mechanical cooling or ventilation measures. At the same time, the province needs to provide a toolkit for stratas to help ensure measures are in place for the safe installation of these systems.

For rental properties, the province needs to change the Residential Tenancy Act to ensure tenants have the "right to cool," which could range from requiring landlords to allow portable or window A/C units to require retrofits of older buildings.

Elected representatives at the conference voted in favour of asking the province to take action.

May 5 Council Notes: Seniors' Affordable Housing

On Monday, Langley City Council met with Langley Seniors in Action. This advocacy organization is seniors-led and focuses on driving change that creates positive impacts for older people in Langley.

The conversation focused on housing for older people with a lower income (such as those only receiving CPP, OAS, or GIS) and the lack of housing options for these folks. We discussed how partnerships will be essential to build more deeply affordable housing units. We noted that the private sector alone won't be able to provide these deeply affordable, seniors-focused housing units and will require significant funding from the provincial and federal governments.

We discussed the redevelopment of affordable housing sites, such as what is occurring at the Langley Lions Housing Society site, to ensure that seniors are not displaced. For example, at that site, the intent is for the current vacant area to have new buildings with existing residents relocated to new buildings to allow for an older building to be gradually redeveloped. Over time, the site would have newer buildings, but the people who live there could remain on the site.

We also discussed current older market rental buildings, the state of repair of these buildings, and redevelopment.

We discussed inclusionary zoning, which the City is working on. Inclusionary zoning allows municipalities to require a percentage of new housing units priced below-market in new housing projects. You can read more about this in a previous post.

We also touched on other topics, but these were the main highlights.

Later in the meeting, Council gave final reading of our tax rate bylaw. You can read more about this in a previous post.

The State of Flood Management and Dikes in Metro Vancouver

A few years back, I posted a report on the state of the dike network in the Lower Mainland. A 2015 report found that “almost all of the dikes are substandard and most will not withstand the provincially adopted design flood events.”

The provincial government transferred the responsibility of maintaining dikes to a patchwork of municipalities and diking authorities more than 20 years ago. The results have been inconsistent maintenance of dikes and a network that doesn’t meet modern flood protection standards.

One of the gaps right now is the lack of an over‐arching organization that can help coordinate flood management, including dikes. However, the Metro Vancouver Regional District is doing some of that work now. They recently completed documenting and mapping all flood-related improvement projects in the region since around 2010.

Map of flood-related capital projects in Metro Vancouver from around 2010 to today. Select the map to enlarge. Source: Metro Vancouver

They found that 47% of dikes are in a poor state of repair, and most do not meet modern flood protection standards, including the risk of overtopping durning a flood event or being damaged during an earthquake.

Summary of dike vulnerabilities and state of repair in Metro Vancouver. Source: Metro Vancouver

With this understanding, the Regional District is now looking at putting together a prioritization list for flood management projects to help reduce the risk in our region. Local authorities could use this data to help secure funding from the federal and provincial governments based on risk level.

While work has been done to reduce flood risk, we have much more work to do.

April 28 Council Notes: Tax Rate, Letter, and Fire Rescue Service Review

Yesterday, I posted about the BC Builds below-market rental, mixed-use building, which received third reading or approval in principle at Monday’s Langley City Council meeting. Today, I wanted to post about the other matters that Council addressed.

Council gave first, second, and third reading to our 2025 tax rate bylaw. This bylaw enables the City to collect property tax per our 2025 – 2029 Financial Plan. In previous posts, you can read more about this plan’s operations and capital budget sections.

The Council also approved the work plans for our Arts, Recreation, Culture, and Heritage Committee as well as our Accessibility Advisory Committee.

Langley City Council received a letter from Langley Seniors in Action who expressed concern about the loss of affordable housing and potential actions they’d like the City to take. Langley City Council will meet with this group soon to discuss their concerns.

Langley City is celebrating its 70th Anniversary, and our first Citizen’s Assembly is happening now. Council approved using $47,000 from our Council Enterprise Fund to help ensure people are up-to-date on the Assembly’s work and more aware of community-wide engagements. The City will also use the funds to create a Langley City historical stories series and promote our 70th Anniversary in the Downtown core and at community events.

Council released the executive summary and recommendations from our Langley City Fire Rescue Service Review. However, due to privacy and confidentiality concerns, Council declined to release the full report.

Council also received a letter from the Metro Vancouver Regional District requesting feedback on a proposal to change our regional growth strategy in Delta. Council requested that City staff prepare a response.

Finally, Council released the names of people recently appointed to various City committees. You can read more about this on Monday’s Council meeting agenda.

Langley City Council Grants Approval in Principle to BC Builds Below-Market Rental Mixed-Use Project

On Monday, Langley City Council gave third reading, or approval in principle, to update our Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw for a BC Builds below-market rental, mixed-use building.

Rendering of the proposed project at 19991 49 Avenue, 19990 50 Avenue, and 4951-4975 & 4991 200 Street. Select the image to enlarge.

You can read more about this proposed project in a previous post and the public hearing about the proposed project in another post.

In short, the project will have:

• 302 apartments (60 of these units will have below-market rents)
• A secular childcare facility (with approximately 49 infant/toddler/preschool spaces and approximately 24 after-school spaces. No preference is given to people who rent in the building or church members.)
• A new church and community hall
• A greenway plaza and connection to a future trail to be extended to Conder Park
• 6,458 sq. ft. of commercial space for shops or services

People expressed concerns about the proposed project at the public hearing. Langley City staff prepared a memo that addressed the common questions raised at the hearing. Many folks asked for the Traffic Impact Assessment for this proposed proposal; the applicant provided an easier-to-read assessment summary.

I always consider the concerns people in our community express. I researched the concerns raised at the public hearing that are within the City’s control to address.

Traffic was the top concern expressed at the public hearing, especially along 50th Avenue. I spent time observing 50th Avenue and found that it had a low traffic volume, which aligned with the traffic counts in the City’s draft Transportation 2050 plan. There are about 2,220 per day. I live off 198 Street, which has 2,300 vehicles per day and is also a low-traffic volume street. It is a street where people feel comfortable walking and biking, even with young kids. I lived on 53rd Avenue near 204th Street for most of my adult life. It has 6,100 vehicles per day and is still a low-traffic volume street. When streets reach about 10,000 vehicles per day, they start feeling busy, making people walking and cycling uncomfortable. The Traffic Impact Assessment noted that the BC Builds project would increase traffic between three to six percent. 50th Avenue would remain a low-traffic volume street. The Traffic Impact Assessment noted that the project would not meaningfully impact people’s experience driving through the 50th or Grade Crescent intersections. People at the public hearing expressed concern about conflict for people entering the proposed project off 50th Avenue. As a result, the applicant will only create a right-in, right-out connection off 50th Avenue. The main access to the proposed project will be at the Grade Crescent and 200th Street intersection.

People also expressed concerns about the project’s environmental impact, including some at the public hearing who mentioned an underground creek/waterway on the site. There is no underground creek/waterway. As a requirement for this project, they must restore habitat and enhance Willock Brook and Conder Park. They must also restore the floodplain around the Eagle Heights area, a key objective of our Nicomekl River District Neighbourhood Plan. Further, the project will now have on-site fruit trees and community garden plots available for the neighbourhood due to feedback from the public hearing.

People also expressed concerns about the building’s height; our Official Community Plan shows that the project will be surrounded by townhouses in the future, providing a step down in density, consistent with other areas in our community. I know much of the concern was from the Eagle Heights neighbourhood. Because that neighbourhood is on an escarpment and because of the trees that will be retained at 4991 and 4981 200th Street, the visibility of the project from Eagle Heights will be limited.

When considering a project, I want to ensure it delivers a net benefit to the community. I am confident that the concerns around traffic, the environment, and the building’s height are addressed.

Some of the localized benefits that this project will provide for our community are:

• A walkable neighbourhood commercial node, a key outcome of our Official Community Plan and Nicomekl River District Neighbourhood Plan
• A Childcare facility
• Indoor community hall space
• A greenway plaza and space include seating, play areas, fruit trees, and community garden spaces that are open to the public
• Ecological restoration in the neighbourhood and floodplain

The most significant benefit for our community is that the project will provide more affordable housing options for middle-income people. I hear from people in Langley City all the time about the high cost of housing and the need for more affordable housing. This BC Builds project is only possible because a church is donating land, the City is selling land below market, and the provincial government is providing grants and loans to create 15 studios, 31 one-bedroom, 12 two-bedroom, and three three-bedroom units with rents set 20% below Langley City market rent.

By saving money, I was lucky to buy my first place in 2007 in Langley City. I had a good job with an annual salary of around $45,000. I wouldn’t be able to do that today. These 60 units will allow middle-income folks with good jobs, like tradespeople, nurses, and office workers, to pay reasonable rent and put money away to achieve the dream of home ownership.

One of Langley City Council’s big pushes has been to do everything possible to support building more affordable housing for people with different incomes. While this project isn’t perfect, it does move the needle on providing more affordable housing while delivering a net benefit to people in our community.

The Pet Waste Poop Pilot

In 2021, Langley City completed an audit of what people put in public garbage bins on our streets and trails. I’m sure it won’t come as a surprise, but most of it was pet waste. The best practice is to dispose of pet waste in the sewer system, as pet waste in landfills releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas. At last weekend’s Earth Day celebration, Langley City’s Environmental Sustainability Committee presented information on an upcoming pet waste pilot for our community.

The City will place special pet waste bins throughout the community, as shown in the following map.

The pet waste in these bins will be processed appropriately. Be on the lookout for these bins in the next little bit. I’m very excited about this project and its impact on allowing people to do the right thing with pet waste.

National Day of Mourning for Workers

With the recent Lapu-Lapu Day festival tragedy, there are many reasons to reflect today, which is the National Day of Mourning for Workers killed, injured or suffered illness due to workplace-related hazards and occupational exposures.

In 2023, over 1,000 people died on the job and over 274,000 people were injured or suffered an illness due to their work.

At 11 am every April 28th, we observe a moment of silence. It is a time for us to remember those who have died and reflect on how we can create safer workplaces.

The Canadian Labour Congress advocated for the creation of this day, and parliament officially recognized this day starting in 1991.

Langley City will be having a moment of silence outside Timms Community Centre at the flag poles.

For more information on this day and what you can do, please visit the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety resource page on the National Day of Mourning.

The BC Labour Heritage Centre's map project shows the locations of plaques and other heritage markers for the National Day of Mourning and workers killed on the job in our province.