Langley may give a break to businesses hit hard by storm

Published 6:00 am Saturday, December 23, 2006

Langley businesses hit hard by the recent storms and power outages may get a small break from city fees next year.

“In the 25 years I’ve been in business, this was the most devastating month,” Mayor Neil Colburn told the city council Wednesday.

The mayor, who is also the owner of Neil’s Clover Patch in Bayview, suggested that Langley should let business owners wait to pay for their business licenses without penalties until July, when tourism season is in full swing.

“It’s not much, more a gesture,” he said.

“It’s no heartburn for the city,” Colburn added.

The city generates about $17,000 in revenue from business licenses. Business licenses cost $100 a year.

The city council’s initial reaction was positive. The mayor hopes to bring an ordinance before the council Jan. 3 during the council’s first regular meeting of the year.

The merchants of Langley are in distress over the lost holiday shopping business due to power outages, wind and snowstorms. Some retailers have reported being 50 to 75 percent behind in sales due to lost business days.

The impact was severe for restaurants and grocery stores, which threw away fresh products totaling thousands of dollars.

“You don’t catch this up,” Colburn said. “We lost $15,000 in a month at my restaurant. Some of them are not gonna survive this.”

Colburn’s concerns were echoed by a number of merchants who attended the meeting Wednesday.

Mike Hill, a Langley Chamber of Commerce member, said he doubts the retailers can recover.

“Christmas has been a disaster. I don’t think we’ll recover. The merchants now look to Mystery Weekend,” he said.

Meanwhile, other retailers in town are trying to draw customers by offering special sales events.

Some simply hope the last weekend before Christmas will drive droves of last-minute shoppers to Langley’s business district.