HomeMy WebLinkAboutMaple Ridge This Month - 01 January Mid Month Issue.pdf @yourmapleridge
@yourmapleridge
11995 Haney Place, Maple Ridge BC V2X 6A9
mapleridge.ca
Maple RidgeMaple Ridge This MonthThis Month
If you have a question about any of the content in this ad, or questions about any programs or services offered by the City of
Maple Ridge, please email enquiries@mapleridge.ca and one of our team members will respond to you.
INFORMED: January 2016
INFORMED: Property
Assessment Notices
What Do You Do Now?
ENGAGED: 2016 Council Meeting Calendar
Council Has Over 80 Public Meetings Scheduled in ’16
AD: 7401394 City Maple Ridge MRTM 20160115
RUN DATE: FRI., JAN. 15
SIZE: 7x14
PUBLICATIONS: Maple Ridge News
art: rcw rep: Lisa
COLOUR: cmyk
Out: 2:52ja13rcw
Cor: 9:40ja14rcw
Council Meeting Schedule
Mayor and Council encourage everyone to attend these important
public meetings. It’s your chance to see how public policy is debated
and enacted.
Monday, January 18
10:00 am, Workshop - Blaney Room
1:00 pm, Committee of the Whole - Council Chambers
Tuesday, January 19
7:00 pm, Public Hearing - Council Chambers
Monday, January 25
10:00 am, Workshop - Blaney Room
Tuesday, January 26
7:00 pm, Council Meeting - Council Chambers
Agendas & Minutes
Agendas for these meetings are posted online the Friday before the
meeting date. Go to mapleridge.ca, click the link under Your Council
on the home page.
Workshop at a Glance
Subscribe to the ‘Workshop at a Glance’ eNewsletter that provides
a summary of issues discussed at Council Workshop meetings. Go
to mapleridge.ca, click the link to ‘Notify Me’ and sign up today.
Council Meeting Videos
If you are unable to attend a Council Meeting, Public Hearing,
Workshop, or Committee of the Whole meeting you can now watch
these meetings on your computer 24/7. The entire unedited
meetings are posted two to three days after the meeting. The video
is indexed to the agenda package so that you can watch them in
their entirety or click through by agenda item. Go to mapleridge.ca
and click on the video link at the centre of the home page. In
addition, Council Meetings, Workshops, and Committee of the
Whole are now broadcast on the internet via live streaming using the
same technology used for our live budget Q&A sessions. For more
information about the live stream go to the ‘Council Meetings’ page
at mapleridge.ca.
MID-MONTH JANUARY 2016
It’s going to be a busy 2016, and if you want to stay engaged
with your Council’s work start by downloading the 2016
Council Meeting calendar from mapleridge.ca. The complete
calendar can be found by clicking the ‘Your Council’ link on
the home page and going to the ‘Council Meetings’ tab. The
calendar is available in two formats, a list or in a colour-coded
calendar format.
The ‘Your Council’ Link is also the place to get the agendas
and reports that Council reviews prior to the presentations and
discussion on the many issues that they deal with throughout
the year. Each meeting is part of a process by which Council
has discussion and debate on issues and public policy.
Often by the time Council votes for fi nal reading on a piece of
legislation it has been before them at least six times – starting
at a Council Workshop or Committee of the Whole meeting
weeks or months before.
Meetings are open to the public and the locations are part
of the agenda package and published on the right side of
these monthly updates. In addition, you can sign up for ‘push’
notifi cations so you get an email or text to your smartphone
when you subscribe to the specifi c items that are important to
you.
Finally, the meetings are all recorded and live-streamed on
the City website. The easiest way to connect is to click on the
‘Videos’ link beside the newsroom tab on the home page. That
will give you the quick link to the meeting that you want to view.
Watch live, or go back through the archives so you can see the
debate and discussion on any issue that’s important to you.
By now you should have received your 2016 Property
Assessment Notice in the mail from BC Assessment. That
document contains the assessed value of your home and
property as of July 1, 2015 and that amount will be used to
determine your property tax amount later this year.
You should read the document carefully and compare it to last
year’s notice. If you think that the value is not correct, there is a
process to appeal your assessment that has to be initiated by
the end of the month. Go to bcassessment.ca for information
on how the assessment is determined, what’s involved in fi ling
an appeal and fi nd tools to allow you to browse home values
in your area online so you can do some comparisons before
you fi le an appeal.
Even in this hot real estate market there are wide variations in
the values of properties depending on the dwelling type and
neighbourhood. Some people saw a drop in the value of their
property and some have seen signifi cant increases. That’s why
it’s important to check the assessment carefully before fi ling
it away with your important documents. The deadline to fi le an
appeal is Monday, February 1, 2016. Look for complete details
online at bcassessment.ca.
INFORMED: Emergency Planning
Are You Ready for an Emergency?
Contact us at enquiries@mapleridge.ca
In December the ‘earth moved’ as the result of
a 4.3 magnitude earthquake east of Victoria.
That was the hot topic for the next few days
as people pondered what they would do if
that earthquake had been more serious.
Based on the social media posts and the run
on bottled water and batteries after the wind
storm in August it appears that many people
aren’t prepared to look after themselves for
AMINIMUM OF 72 HOURS after a disaster.
As we saw in August, it took BC Hydro crews
up to three days to restore power to everyone
in our community. Those who were prepared
breezed through the emergency.
Learn the Skills in a FREE
Emergency Preparation Workshop
We invite you to register for a FREE 90 minute
workshop that will walk you through the
process of developing an emergency plan which will allow you
to be ready for a power outage, winter storm, earthquake or
other disaster. Learn what hazards can affect Maple Ridge and
what you can do to protect your home, build an emergency kit
and reunite with your family and loved ones.
Choose the date that best fi ts your schedule. The fi rst workshop
runs Thursday, January 21, at 7:00 pm and the second is on
Saturday, January 23, at 1:00 pm. Both workshops will be held
in Maple Ridge’s Council Chambers. Seating is limited to 100
people, so please register as soon as you can by sending an
email to emergencyprogram@mapleridge.ca.
If you were looking for a New Year’s resolution, this is a good
one. Make a plan. Be prepared.