By FRED MCCARTHY

Langley Mayor

When I was a military pilot, occasionally an unidentified aircraft would pop up on radar that was not in contact with an air traffic controller and didn’t have its transponder turned on. This would cause consternation to controllers and was certainly a source of piqued interest for other pilots flying in the area and in radar contact.

In municipal government, things are happening all the time on and off the radar screen. People contact us with suggestions, demands, requests, questions, and observations. Many of these stories make it in some form into the newspaper. Others are like the “pop up” radar or target: they just happen and move around the ethos in one form or another. We actively try to tolerate the ambiguity and keep conflicted proposals alive while looking for a win/win situation for both the city and the developer or proposing group or individual.

So what is one “on the radar” city activity? Chip sealing. Island View Drive got put on a weather hold, as it’s better to chip seal in warm/dry weather. One resident has been waiting for this to be done since the early 1970s. We are excited to see this done as well. It is happening this week. Here’s a brief list of additional and visible public works projects you have seen being done:

1. Asphalt overlays on 6th and Park streets;

2. Sewer lift station number two seal concrete;

3. Trash can replacements First Street;

4. Ordered new backhoe to replace completely gone 1992 model;

5. Restore Langley Park;

6. Install metal caps on Seawall Park wooden posts;

7. Exploring grants and other funding to install ductless heat pumps at the Langley Library;

8. Install glass cover over the trellis at the library;

What’s one “off the radar” city activity? Some of the Lavender up by the middle school was removed by joint agreement of the city and school district. We love lavender, by the way, but neither the city nor the school district have the manpower to keep it all up.

Other “off the radar” activities have included meetings and emails about Mike’s Place, the Dog House, First Street and the elevator/bridge link of Cascade Avenue and the marina waterfront area.

Suffice it to say, we work at being vigilant on your behalf, both “on and off the radar.” City government is often like flying or sailing: hours of tranquility punctuated with seconds of sheer excitement.

Thanks for all of your volunteerism and support.

Sincerely,

Fred