Councillor Richter Moving Against Sports in Township

She did it when Township considered upgrades to McLeod Park and now Councillor Kim Richter is once again slapping sports tourism and families involved in sports here in the face. Here's the poop from the Editorial Board:

The Township of Langley engaged several partners including the Federal and Provincial governments and the school district to help fund the new Langley Events Centre. The build-out required finishing and furnishings that then places this facility within a standard that larger organizations look for when renting a facility of this type. Without these furnishings and amenities, groups at this level will discount the renting of an events centre. The Township staff, former mayor and council were all 99% certain that the federal government would honour a commitment. Contrary to what the pundits on another blog say, Mark Warawa doesn't come over to the mayor's office with a pen to sign an IOU. This is grant money and there are rules to follow and hoops to jump through.

Former mayor and council in their wisdom and experience created a contingency fund that could be used to complete the events centre, should something like federal funding fall through. The bottom line is that while there was never a firm federal commitment, there were many positive indicators and encouragement along the way. Approval of the appropriation of these contingency funds happened in the council's in-camera meeting last week, with Councillor Kim Richter absent. Here is the report of this in-camera meeting in next week's council agenda document.
Councillor Richter returned from her holidays and was apparently content to bring this simple appropriation back on the table to waste more of mayor, council and staff time, as is typical. Here is the motion she will present next Monday.
Her blog is spinning this as a "cost overrun". I'm sure by the truth reported here and in the news you can clearly see that this is NOT a cost overrun, but the result of a partner backing out of the commitment and grant money. Along with Rick Green, Richter is trying to promote an atmosphere of "financial crisis" in the Township and this $5M appropriation would get Green off the hook for the Land Trust promises that were to pay the bills. For Richter, it represents a cynical opportunity to distract voters from her flip-flop on hiring full time firefighters in Walnut Grove.

Does this waste of council and staff time make you angry? Can you see what Councillor Richter is doing here to play politics with your recreation and community events centre? Do your kids play sports or does your team intend to use these facilities? If so, e-mail Mayor and Council here to voice your opposition to Councillor Richter's Notice of Motion. You should also plan to be in council chambers on Monday evening at 7:00pm with your teams, kids and organizations to visually show your anger and opposition to Councillor Richter's politics as usual that is always disguised as fiscal accountability.

Be Careful When You Grandstand

The good people of the Township love their parks and trails. If one visits the Township website the list of parks and facilities are VERY impressive. We've heard that over the years some Township staff dedicated their lives to help gather these lands and see the amenities built out for the community. Planner Terry Lister developed the Arbour Ribbon strategy to create a buffer between the rural and the urban lands. Mayor Kurt Alberts put legs to the Arbour Ribbon and David Leavers, his staff and many volunteers at Parks & Rec really go the extra mile for Township taxpayers in building and operating QUALITY park, trails, and recreation facilities.

While most of council understand the Arbour Ribbon concept and the exceptional Sports Tourism model that the Township has worked, one member of council fails to respect the good people of the Township of Langley. This council member fails to see the huge numbers of sports enthusiasts that frequent our hotels and restaurants on weekends in Walnut Grove, Murrayville, and beyond.

This particular councillor lives in South Langley and we believe that this person doesn't get around the whole community much to see what is going on. Public comments made by this councillor concerning reducing the speed limit on 200th Street, in addition to blog posts speaking of "the grandstand" ( a reference to McLeod Athletic Park) and "the white elephant" (the new Langley Events Centre) abound. These statements show ignorance and is evidence of a failure to practice "management by walking around". After all, you can't see many of these things from your acreage in rural. Now there is certainly nothing wrong with living in rural Langley nor having acreage that you enjoy. But there is something wrong when an elected official fails to see the rest of our community of communities, dramatically failing to comprehend what benefits the Township residents and visitors derive in their lives from from these various public facilities.

Did you know that McLeod Athletic Park has facilities for:

• ball hockey
• baseball diamond
• resident caretaker
• change rooms
• drinking water
• horseshoe pitch
• jogging track
• lighted fields
• picnic facilities and shelter
• playground
• restrooms
• playing fields
• tennis courts
• treed nature walk

How many Township residents do you suppose use these facilities? How many sports enthusiasts from outside our community rely on these services and spend their money in Langley before and after their events? I don't know about you, but every time I pass McLeod the parking lot is full of cars and people are out and about.

What will the new Langley Events Centre offer the citizens and visitors of Langley Township? Well, to name a few:

• Willoughby Recreation Centre (with fitness and multipurpose rooms)
  
• Triple Gymnasium (with 2,000s seats)
• Arena Bowl (seating from 3,000-5,000)
• Indoor walking concourse
• Exhibition & Banquet Centre (seating up to 500 people)
• New home of the Langley Gymnastics Foundation
• Leased commercial retail & office space
• Community Park (playing fields, water park & picnic areas)

Why do you suppose all these groups have partnered on this project?

Our parks, trails, community centres and public amenities exist because they are an integral part of the Township of Langley. Many people live and visit the Township for these amenities. When you promote your personal political agenda by calling these community assets a "grandstand" or "white elephant", you show great contempt and disrespect for the good citizens of this Township. You slap the staff and partners of these venues in the face through your ridicule and mockery. Do you enjoy the Township's parks, trails and rec centres? If so, take our new poll!

Turmoil in the Langley Toy Box

This morning our Editorial Board alerted me to posts on an area political blog that will go unmentioned. The posts and comments from their editor and visitors accuse this blog of being affiliated in some way with a member of Township Council. They also suggest we are posting inappropriate comments and trying to post opinions and promote ourselves on their blog. We can tell you that all of these accusations are FALSE and baseless. We have no interest in this other blog and do not wish to be affiliated with it in any way. We have posted what we feel to be worthy links on our page and it seems that this other blog was left out for obvious reasons, mainly their lack of professionalism. Now they have sour grapes.

The Langley Record is receiving FACTS from various independent sources, and reporting these facts on this blog. Everything is vetted by our Editorial Board and yes, our solicitor. We live in a democracy and we have the right to publish the facts. We can do so even when these facts clash with the spin and slanted opinion of others. We have no interest in personal attacks on mayor and council, but we do plan to keep a running Report Card. We will take to task voting record and any obvious promotion of personal agenda that impact negatively on Township taxpayers. Enough said. Time to focus on the issues.

Council on Fire

Last week Township of Langley Council held a Council Priorities Meeting and reviewed the workings of a Modified Zero-Based Budget and what that might look like. Mayor Green asked all department heads to think outside of the box and present ideas on how their budgets can be cut. Mayor Green had made several public statements that indicate the Township is in a financial crisis and we have to take an ax to everything.

While the world is seeing the impact of a prolonged financial crisis brought about by the US markets, the Township is operating in the black. A scheduled tax increase of 5% was to keep things moving in the right direction. But Green ran on a zero-based budget and no property tax increase platform and now he feels the need to create a crisis to set himself up as the superhero that will bail the Township out. Fire Chief Doug Wade did as instructed and produced a plan to lengthen the full-time fire fighter expansions in Walnut Grove and elsewhere to a 6 year window. Green, Richter and newcomer Bev Dornan bought into it. We will have a new Golden Ears Bridge soon, a new highway there and the potential for greater truck and hazardous materials traffic, not to mention on-call staffing challenges in Fort Langley. We can't afford to fiddle while Rome burns (literally), or wait for someone to get killed out there before we act.

Green also ran on a platform of open and accountable government. Councillor Kim Richter did much the same as she borrowed a few lines of Green during the campaign. But if they really believed in open and accountable government, then why didn't Green and Richter advertise this council priorities meeting and make it public?

Several councillors had wanted this issue in front of the public and on the table. The Langley Record Editor heard several versions of who brought this forward in public, but the last word was that in fact Mayor Green did place it on the revised agenda for last night.

Council chambers filled with firefighters, family members, and fire fighter supporters as the meeting began. Soon after a public hearing on land developments was closed and the regular council agenda began, Councillor Jordan Bateman led the good fight to scrap the new fire study proposal and continue with already-approved plans to staff Walnut Grove as of January 1, 2009. Councillors Fox, Ward, Ferguson and Kositsky all stuck together to make this happen. Green didn't raise his hand, so he silently supported the motion. Councillors Dornan and Long were opposed. I believe that Long's vote was more about studying the chief's ideas more than nixing full time fire fighters. Later Green gave a little song and dance about his support for full time fire. I wish I had my hip boots with me, as the bullshit was piling high as the good mayor spoke.

There is no crisis in the Township. The Township has contractual obligations that they honour pay increases and such. Mayor Green promoted a land trust to solve all our budget challenges. Now he wants to create an atmosphere of crisis to get the heat off him and in effect blame former Mayor Alberts and council for the mess Green created himself.

Last night's fire fight was just the beginning my friends. Mayor Green will be doing much more back-peddling in future meetings for sure. His promises seem to be getting very hollow and the blame game has begun. Don't let Mayor Green off the hook for all the hot air expelled during the campaign.