Well, good evening. I'd like to call the Monday, July 13th regular Langley City Council meeting to order, and start us off in a good way by acknowledging that we're on the unceded and traditional territories of the Katzie, Kwantlen, Mathkwiac, and Semiahmoo First Nations. I have an agenda in front of us, would anybody like to move it? Moved by Councillor Wallace, seconded by Councillor White. Any modifications? Seeing none, I'll call the question. All those in favor? Opposed? So that's carried unanimously. We have our consent agenda. Would anybody like to remove anything from it? Uh, would anybody like to move the consent agenda? It's moved by Councillor Solom, seconded by Councillor James. Any further discussion? So seeing none, I'll call the question. All those in favor? Any opposed? So that's carried unanimously. So I believe that brings us to our delegation. So we have, uh, representation from the Lower Fraser Valley Floodplain Coalition. So I'll just invite you to the table. Uh, welcome. And just a friendly reminder that delegations are five minutes. Thank you. All right. I will try. [laughs] Let's close this. Okay, thank you. This is nice. I don't... I haven't sat at any of the other delegations. [laughs] Um, good evening, mayor and council. My name is Lena Aziz. I'm the Habitat Programs Director at Watershed Watch Salmon Society based in Port Coquitlam. Our work, uh, follows where the pro- uh, salmon goes, so we work province-wide. Actually, my formative career was working at the Langley Environmental Partner Society, so I spent a lot of time in the Langleys [laughs] um, o- over a decade ago. Uh, today I am speaking as a member of the Lower Fraser Floodplains Coalition. The coalition is a group of organizations, experts, and advocates working toward integrated fish-friendly and climate-resilient floodplain management across the Lower Mainland. Our vision is simple, that the people and the non-human relatives of the Lower Mainland are healthy, safe, and resilient to flooding. I'm here with a request that the township of Langley jo- [laughs] sorry, City of Langley, join other communities in becoming a signatory to the regional joint statement on action for floodplain resilience in the Lower Mainland. Uh, our coalition came together shortly before the atmospheric river of November 2021, 'cause we realized that we needed to organize the region around flood resilience, and then the floods hit. Uh, so in t- uh, starting in 2022, we started convening local government and First Nations leaders and experts from across the region to build the relationships, the knowledge foundation, and momentum needed to ready our region for flood resilience. Over the seven dialogues, um, that we hosted, you can se- these are e- reports from each of those dialogues. Uh, themes around coordinated regional action, sustained funding sources, and advocacy to the feds and the province keep coming to the surface. Something else that emerged from the regional discussions is that it's time for multi-benefit flood management in the Lower Mainland. We are stuck with the approach to flood control infrastructure that was developed rather hastily in the '48, '49 floods. Uh, an approach to, um... And that, combined with provincial downloading of flood management to local governments, leaves us confined to piecemeal approaches. But it doesn't have to be this way. There are a number of examples fro- uh, from around the world. Closest to us, just across the border in Washington State, there's a program called Floodplains by Design that has invested 359 million in la- uh, d- uh, US dollars in large-scale multi-benefit projects that reduced risk for 88 communities, restored 275 kilometers of salmon habitat, support farmers, and boosted local economies since 2013. Uh, they have managed to avoid, uh, save 200- $2 billion in avoided flood damages as well. So those good examples do exist, but unfortunately, um, in our region, we must acknowledge that we are in a se- a crisis situation. Flood risks are escalating. In our region we have lived through major events in '21, '24, and '25. Aging infrastructure, development in floodplains, and a changing climate are converging. I should also note that the BC flood strategy that was released in 2024, great document, but there is $0 towards implementation. So it's not just a regional, it's a provincial issue. Flood resilience is not discretionary spending, it is prudent financial management. Every time we kick the can down the road, we are gambling with the lives, homes, food security, infrastructure, and ecosystems of the Lower Mainland. In fact, a single major flood in the re- region could wipe out over $350 billion in economic value. The Close to Home report by the Canadian Climate Institute makes clear that BC will be the province hit hardest by escalating flood and wildlife-related disaster costs. And yet we continue to, to build in high-risk zones, locking in the future losses. I also want to note that there has been no significant federal or provincial investments in flood safety in our region since the Fraser River Flood Control Program ended in 1995. There was an investment from '75 to '95, and nothing since. But there are opportunities ahead of us. The federal government has a clear interest in a resilient Lower R- uh, Lower Mainland, as mentioned in recent announcements. It's an opportunity to channel investments that deliver regional solutions that work with nature and the economy. It's also worth noting that the 150 to 600- $164 million awarded through the Disaster Mitigation Adaptation Fund, DMAF for short, has been scattered amongst individual projects- Um, not through a coordinated program. And that has, those pro- pro- individual projects have not made the region flood resilient. A real investment m- um, program means sequencing the right tools in the right order, building local capacity, funding, uh, applied research, creating jobs, and prioritizing the most vulnerable communities first. The Fraser River Flood Control Program was the closest we got to any kind of model. Uh, also just want to note that there are a number of, uh, funding opportunities that are available that we could potentially tap into to, uh, get this program going. All of this brings me to the joint statement. So the aim of the statement is express a unified regional voice across local governments and First Nations, and support advocacy to federal and provincial governments for stable, long-term investment in flood resilience that protects people, communities, and ecosystems flom- from flood risk. It is an opportunity for the city as leaders to send a clear message to Ottawa and Victoria letting them know that we are ready to work together as a region to build flood resilience for our communities. We know what we need. And federal and provincial governments must step up to protect this region of national significance with a program that reflects the magnitude of the task at hand. So a summary of our asks is here. Essentially, we're asking for a dedicated long-term flood resilience program for the region, stable, committed funding, not project by project, uh, regional coordination, investment in critical infrastructure, el- as well as the opportunity and funding to implement the full flood risk toolbox, including nature-based solutions, and support for First Nations and local government leadership. Uh, so we have been doing delegations to, uh, regional districts and municipal, uh, local governments across the region. Uh, so far we have received s- endorsement from the Metro Vancouver Regional District's board. That was on May the 29th. And since then, we've been reaching out to, uh, Metro Vancouver lo- local governments in, in the region, um, to do similar delegations. We've also received, uh, endorsement from the SLRD, uh, the city of Coquitlam and Delta. Just today I presented to the township of Langley and received their endorsement as well. Uh, I'm awaiting, um, um, uh, awaiting updates from Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, and the city of Vancouver. Uh, towards the end of the month, we're also presenting to the FVRD, so then we can start doing outreach in the FVRD, uh, to the FVRD local governments as well. And my colleagues in the, uh, in the coalition are also reaching out to, um, the First Nation communities in, in our region. So that's happening at the same time. Uh, so I, I'll wrap it up now. So, uh, we're essentially calling on the provincial and federal governments to recognize that collaboration, not competition for piecemeal funding, is the foundation for resilience in the region, and that enabling First Nations and local governments to work together to meet responsibilities to their communities that flow from title and rights and jurisdiction is part of that foundation. And we're calling on them to develop a sustained long-term investment program for the Lower Fraser adequate to support collaborative work across federal, local, um, uh, provincial governments, First Nations, and the private sector to achieve regional floodplain resilience that works with nature, not against it. So that's it. Thank you very much for your time. Thank you so much. So I'll get to questions and comments. Uh, Councilor Wallace. Um, thank you for your presentation. And I was just wondering if I could make a motion at this time. Uh, sure. Um, what I might do though is let's see if we have any questions, uh, from other members- Yeah ... of council, and then we can get back to you. Uh, Councilor Solom. Great. Thank you for the presentation. Uh, I was just kind of curious, you mentioned, um, infrastructure. What, what kind of instr- infrastructure are we looking at from the, you know, funded by the province or the, the federal government? What's an example of something that would help? We're looking at, uh, linear infrastructure like roads, um, highways. Um, right now we have funding through NRCan to conduct a critical infrastructure study. So we're doing that in partnership with UBC. We're starting with linear infrastructure, so railways and roads to begin with. And then once we've done that, we've identified hotspots and weaknesses along those structures in the Lower Mainland, we're gonna start looking at, um, hospitals. Um, oh, part of infrastructure's transmission lines and pipelines, and all of those are... That's what we're looking at right now. And then we'll start looking at, um, other, other forms of infrastructure, including natural infrastructure. So that will be part of the c- um, decision making in the future. It's not being looked at yet, but it will be. Thank you. Thank you. Uh, any other questions? So I'm not seeing any, so Councilor Wallace. Thank you. Um, just wanted to make a motion that council support the Lower Fraser Floodplains Coalition by signing the joint statement for action on floodplain resilience in the Lower Mainland to advocate to the provincial and federal government for support to build flood resilience for our communities. Thank you. Is there a seconder? Councilor Albrecht. Uh, further discussion? Councilor Albrecht. Uh, yes. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and thank you, Lena, for your presentation. And I, I saw this at, uh, Metro Vancouver and, and of course, that was endorsed, and, and I'm hopeful that we'll endorse that here. I was also, uh, gonna say that we should, um, uh, entertain, uh, preparing a motion to put forward to our Lower Mainland Local Government Association so that we get, uh, everybody in the, in the Lower Mainland from Pemberton to Hope, uh, on board with this as well. 'Cause it's not just the Lower Mainland, uh, flood resist- uh, resilience. Uh, there's other parts of the province, I think, that would be very interested in seeing this come forward, like at UBCM. So, uh, thank you again. Thank you so much. Uh, any other comments? So I'm not seeing any. Thank you again for the presentation. So I'll call the question on the motion. All those in favor? Opposed? So that's carried unanimously. Uh, our staff will be in touch in next steps and what that looks like for you. But thank you so much. Have a great one. Uh- We're all good. Thank you so much. Um, so moving on to the next item, our next meeting is July 27th, followed by September 21st. Uh, council advisory body updates, uh, Councilor Wallace. Thank you. I just wanted to take this opportunity to, um, thank those who were involved in the Global Festival this past Saturday. Um, in particular, Langley Community Services Society and, and their volunteers, and the cultural performers, vendors, and nonprofit or nonprofit organizations that were at the event, and partnering with Pokémon GO event and bringing out the numbers. There were over 2,000 attendees, so, uh, record to date. It's the fourth Global Festival. So I just wanted to do a shout-out to thank the committee, and I really wanted to extend a, a thank you to, uh, our staff member, Tara Adele, for accommodating us on, you know, having to move the event in a short, short timeframe, and just making all the le- list- logistics work. So thank you. Thank you. Uh, any other updates? So seeing none, uh, we'll move on to bylaws. So our first bylaw is that the bylaw cited as the Progressive Tax Exemption By-law 2026 number 3343 be read a first, second, and third time. Is there a mover and a seconder? So moved by Councillor Albrecht. Is there a seconder? Seconded by Councillor White. Further discussion? So seeing none, I'll call the question. All those in favor? Any opposed? Those unopposed, that's carried unanimously. Uh, moving on to committee reports. Uh, we have two from the Arts, Recreation, and Culture Committee, so I'll turn it over to Councillor Wallace again. Sorry for speaking so much this evening, but, um, you have it in your package. The Arts, Recreation, Culture, and Heritage Committee received a request from the Bread Affair located at unit 309, 2056 Langley Bypass to repaint the existing mural in accordance with bylaw 2791. The proposed mural will cover a large surface area than, uh, the existing mural, expanding the visual presence of the artwork and enhancing the aesthetic character of the building facade. The expanded mural is intended to create a more impactful and cohesive visual statement befitting the prominence of the location with the Langley business corridor. The new mural design will be designed and executed by artist Leslie Phelan, I'm sorry if I ha- um, mis- uh, if I didn't pronounce that properly, who was selected by A Bread Affair based on her established artistic practice and her capacity to deliver a design that reflects both the character of the business and the values of the broader community. The request aligns with the mural requirements listed in the bylaw 2791. Uh, the Arts Committee recommends that council approve the request as submitted. Would you like to move the motion? I'll move the motion. Awesome. Uh, seconded by Councillor White. Further discussion? Councillor Mak. Uh, thank you, Mayor Paul. I was just curious, um, if we could get clarity on who is funding, um, this mural. Uh, it's in your package. The Bread Affair is funding the mural. Thank you. Awesome. Any further discussion? So seeing none, I'll call the question. All those in favor? Opposed? So that's carried unanimously. Uh, on to item 8B. Uh, maybe we'll get the motions on the floor, and then, uh, we'll have a good discussion. Yes. Um, so the Arts, Recreation, Culture, and Heritage Committee, um, that council approve an expenditure of $12,000 for artist fees and supplies for the design and construction of a mural on the Douglas Park outdoor washroom, illustrating the diversity of park users and the events and activities that take place there, and that the funding be sourced from the Public Art Fund. Um, and the summary of- We'll get a seconder for that. Second, sorry. Uh, seconded by Councillor Solyom. Please go ahead, Councillor Wallace. Thank you, uh, Mayor Paul. The Director of Recreation, Culture, and Community Services shared a call to artists for the mural, specifically requesting the following: an artist collective composed of two or more artists to collaborate on a cohesive design, artwork to es- illustrate the diversity of the park users and the events and activities that take place there, that the mural wraps the four sides of the building. A discussion on the artist fee transpired. It was determined that a request be sent to, uh, the Douglas Park Pickleball Club to ga- gauge the interest in contributing to the cost of the mural. There is currently $46,000 in the Public Art Fund. Thank you. Thank you so much. Uh, any further discussion on that? So I'm not seeing any. I, I look forward to ho- I'm approving this, uh, um, or I'll be voting in favor, I should say. I look forward to seeing more than just that cinderblock wall, so very excited. Uh, so seeing that there's no other questions, I'll call the question. All those in favor? Opposed? None opposed, so that's unanimously carried. Uh, on to administrative reports. Uh, this is for the School Site Eligi- Acquisition, uh, Fund. So the recommendation is that council accept the School District 35's eligible school site proposal adopted by the Langley Board of Education at its meeting on June 16th, 2026. Is there a seconder? Seconded by Councillor Albrecht. Further discussion? So seeing none, I'll call the question. All those in favor? Opposed? Uh, Councillor Mak's opposed, so that's carried. Uh, so that brings us to correspondence. Uh, what would council like to do with the correspondence? Oh. Councillor Albrecht. Um, thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, this is the, um, the Metro 2050 Type 3 proposed amendment, uh, City of Surrey. Yes. Um, w- I think we should raise concerns, and maybe staff can comment on this, about, uh, they wanna remove employment- So I think if you want to, you can refer it to staff probably. I can get that referred to staff. Okay. Is there a seconder for that? Sec- seconded by Councillor Wallace. Do you have anything further to add? Yeah, I'm just concerned about the removal of employment lands. Um, there's a, a pressure on, um, industrial and employment lands in the Lower Mainland, and the loss of, uh, any employment lands is something that I think we should raise as a flag as a concern, whether it ma- makes any difference or not. But I think we should start, um, making notice of that and, and making sure that we're doing things a little more carefully and intently. Thank you. Thank you. Uh, Councillor Mak. Uh, thank you, Mayor Paul. Just as a question, um, through the mayor to Councillor Albrecht, um, as he sits on the Metro Vancouver board, the Metro Vancouver board will vote regardless of whether or not we raise concerns, correct? Or can I just maybe get a little bit of clarity, or can the public get clarity on the process? Uh, yeah, I can give you clarity on the, the process probably, uh, if you're okay with that. So yeah, as part of any, um, amendments to the regional growth strategy, there's an opportunity for local governments, uh, to provide comment, so this is what we do. And I know that the board, uh, considers all the comments that it receives from us, adjacent municipalities, or, sorry, adjacent regional districts, and TransLink and impacted First Nations. Thank you. Uh, so seeing no more discussion, I'll call the question. All those in favor? Opposed? Councillor Mak opposed, so that's carried. Uh, that brings us to the end of the meeting, so I'll move that we adjourn. Is there a seconder? Councillor Solyom. I'll call the question. All those in favor? Opposed? We are adjourned. We'll see you in a couple weeks.