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CITY OF MAPLE RIDGE
A GUIDE TO LOCAL AREA SERVICE PROGRAM
WHAT IS A LOCAL AREA SERVICE AND HOW IS THE WORK PAID FOR?
A Local Area Service (LAS), pursuant to Part 7, Division 5 of the Community Charter, is any municipal
service that is designed to benefit a particular part of the municipality and is paid for in whole or in
part by local property owners through a local service tax.
A local service tax is created by Council to pay all or part of the cost of a Local Area Service. The
form of the local service tax ultimately chosen must be specified in the Local Area Service bylaw.
Property owners can choose to either pay their share of the costs as a one time payment or elect to
pay it annually over a period of time, (normally, fifteen years) with the accrued financing charge.
Local Area Services may be initiated either by property owners in the proposed local area, or by
Council. Where initiated by Council, the proposed service is subject to a petition against. Each Local
Area Service must be established by bylaw.
The City's current policy for the Local Area Service program is to approve only those servicing projects
that are necessary to enhance services within existing neighbourhoods. The policy does not permit
funding for the installation of services for development proposals nor for vacant lands.
EXAMPLES OF SOME LOCAL AREA SERVICE PROJECTS:
A Local Area Service may include several types of work, including:
• widening, extending, or paving a road or a lane;
• constructing, enlarging or extending a sewer or water system;
• constructing curbs, sidewalks, and boulevards;
• installing street lighting;
• carrying out storm drainage improvements.
Ordinary repair or maintenance work is not considered eligible under the Local Area Service program.
DOES THE CITY CONTRIBUTE TO LOCAL AREA SERVICE PROJECTS?
Where there is a need to facilitate improvements, growth or development in accordance with the
City's strategic or community goals, the City will participate as a partner and contribute a portion of
the Local Area Service costs.
In general, where the project benefits the owners and improves the neighbourhood, the `user-pay'
principle applies, resulting in most instances, the benefiting owners having to bear 100% of the
actual cost of a Local Area Service.
A Guide to Local Area Service Program
The current cost sharing ratios for projects are as follows:
Oualifying Works or
Services
General
Lane Paving
Sewer Line Extensions
Water Line Extensions
Drainage Extensions
Sidewalk
Concrete Curb and Gutter
Street Lighting
Local Road Construction
Converting Driveway to
Municipal Road
Downtown Core
Lane Paving
Sidewalk
Concrete Curb and Gutter
Street Lighting
City's Share Owners'
Share
0% 100%
0% 100%
0% 100%
0% 100%
25% 75%
25% 75%
25%
0%
100% of the
cost to bring
the road to
current
unpaved
road
standards
75%
100%
100% of
the cost of
paving the
road
50% 50%
60% 40%
60% 40%
60% 40%
HOW DO I INITIATE A LOCAL AREA SERVICE PROJECT?
You can initiate a project for your neighbourhood by a petition.
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• A resident should initially poll the neighbourhood to garner support on a preliminary petition
to determine the level of interest before beginning.
• If a preliminary petition signifies sufficient interest, the Engineering department will proceed
to determine the feasibility, scope and cost estimate for the work.
• If the project is feasible, the Engineering Department will prepare a formal petition form for
the benefiting property owners' vote.
• The process of formal petition provides a property owner benefiting from (or impacted by) the
project, an opportunity to express support (or opposition) to the project.
• Sufficient support for the petition means that of all the benefiting owners, at least 50% of the
owners with an aggregate assessed property value of more than 50%, have signed the
petition, effectively committing to pay their share of the service.
• When a formal petition is certified `sufficient' and Council approves the project, all owners of
the benefiting properties become liable to pay their appropriate share of the costs.
After construction, the City assumes the responsibility of operating and maintaining those portions of
the Local Area Service works that become part of the municipal infrastructure.
A Guide to Local Area Service Program
WHO DO I CONTACT?
The intent of this pamphlet is to provide the basic elements of the Local Area Service process.
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If you wish to initiate a Local Area Service Project, or require additional information, contact the
Engineering Department at:
City of Maple Ridge
11995 Haney Place
Maple Ridge BC V2X 6A9
Tel: 604-467-7339
Fax: 604-467-7425
Email: engineering@mapleridge.ca
Web: www.mapleridge.ca
Revised December 2009