New Grant Funding Supports Transition to Online Development Application Process
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The Township of Langley is pleased to receive $500,000 of Local Government Development Approvals Program grant funding from the provincial Ministry of Municipal Affairs, administered through the Union of British Columbia Municipalities. The funding will support the Township’s transition to an online development application process.
In March 2019, a Mayor’s Standing Committee was established to review, and identify opportunities to improve, the Township’s development approval process. The Committee, with assistance from municipal staff and Simon Fraser University’s Urban Studies Program, worked to examine and make recommendations to improve the current system. In July 2020, the Committee’s Development Management Process Review Report found improvements could be made when it came to resources for staff, streamlined processes, updated policies, and a focus on innovation.
The Local Government Development Approvals Program funding will help the Township act on some of the suggested improvements outlined in the report. Via new software, the development application process will move to an online system. Applicants and staff will benefit from digital submission and payment tools, workflow and application status updates, and the ability to respond to requests for additional information through the software.
“Introducing a digital system for development applications will streamline the process and improve the efficiencies of the development process for staff and applicants alike,” said Ramin Seifi, General Manager, Engineering and Community Development. “Finding new techniques to increase efficiency and facilitate better communication helps us move toward more innovative community planning and development work overall.”
The Township of Langley is one of 43 local governments to receive funding through the provincial Local Government Development Approvals Program. To learn more about the program, visit the Ministry of Municipal Affairs at https://news.gov.bc.ca/25275.
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