Benjamin Neff

Well first we need clear boundaries. As we develop lands, as we move and as we expand, we have to expand slowly and in consultation which is actually a great moment that we're in right now because our rural plan is desperately needing an update And because of the changes from the provincial government that requires anything that's compliant to the OCP applications that go in don't need public hearings. So we've seen a lot of times that applications will go in and the neighborhood feels like they're left behind because they don't feel like they have a say anymore. But we're in this moment where we can come together collaborate and have a say over what the rural lands will look like. For the next 30, 40, 50 years or even 100. We have to do this well and in collaboration with our farming community there are many things farming practices have changed drastically over the last 30 years. So there are innovations and efficiencies that we can find and encourage through our updated rural plan. Now when I said boundaries this is important because as we're developing our suburban urban areas we need to have appropriate barriers whether it's environmental … landscaping barriers and like so that there is a transition between our urban centers and the farmland. We need to do this well. We need to be careful, but ultimately, we have to plan clearly and communicate with the public. Thank you.

Stricter requirements for use of allowable trucks, must be related to on-site AG updated Rural Plan.

Stricter requirements for use of allowable trucks, must be related to on-site agricultural uses. Updated Rural Plan. Ensure that the updated plan reflects farming practices and uses of today allowing farmers to innovate and market their goods. Additionally ensure that appropriate buffers and uses are reinforced to create the transition of urban to rural lands.

Yeah, well, we've mentioned BRT. It's an important tool that we can use to get around the Township and not just in our cars. We have other options and hopefully we can expand that out. Relieve some of the traffic congestions, make people move faster, be able to get home, spend more time with family rather than sit in traffic like we all hate. I know you do as much as I. It was mentioned Glover. Glover isn't a really important transit through … for our trucks. We need to make sure that is widened that we can actually build that infrastructure out so that trucks, people aren't sitting in traffic, but we can get our goods from the bypass up to … Highway one efficiently and effectively, moving goods. Third is Fraser Highway widening. That is a project that needs to be completed. Again, making sure that trucks and our main arteries we're able to move and drive and have other access points. And the last piece is 202 needs to be completed. We need … That is a quagmire through North Langley that needs to be fixed, needs to be completed, worked on, and I hope we can move forward with that in the next Council. Thank you.

Benjamin Neff, so like what was just said, Council has already put a motion forward in terms of getting a report to get actual concrete solutions for this. And so we have to look forward to that reports return and actually move forward with the recommendations that are there. But more importantly, we also have to recognize that these public symbols, they are public symbols. And this creates a dialogue that we have to engage with every day. This comes about education. It's not just crime prevention. It's about education so that people know what's happening, why it's being happened, and how we can engage better in our community, have better dialogue and avoid these situations from happening in the future, especially if there's certain motives that are behind situations like this.

Yeah, well, I sure hope there's a mix, because a mix of ideas is how we actually achieve what the best type of Langley we can get. We get there through the combat and the discussion of ideas. Not just what we come up in a back room and come out and say, hey, this is what we're going to do. And ultimately, remember this. As voters, we build Council one seat at a time. Whether that becomes a you know a slate or not, that is up to you. And so on Council, everybody is actively acts as an independent. They might have a title, they might have a team that they say they're supporting, but ultimately, that support is simply a promise. It is a promise to work together, and I hope that But as independents, anybody who's elected is willing to work with everybody who's at the table. Now, I think partisanship is something that is counteractive to the best Langley possible. It means we have more division, we have more hostility, more combativeness. We don't need that at Council. We don't need that spilling into our social media and spilling out into the wider public. We need discourse, collaborative discourse, to move a Langley that is worth it for everyone together forward. Hope that I can do my part on that on Council. Thank you.

Establish new bylaws that address the rural challenges of today. Update Rural Plan. Plan to reflect the reality of ALC and coordinate enforcement with provincial agreement.

Work with ALC to create pathways for delegated enforcement capacity. Equip bylaw enforcement to address illegal dumping, parking and other core issues.

Metro water to be used for urban water. Wells used for actual farm use crops/cattle/livestock and any kind of farm use.

One of the most important items for seniors in terms of health outcomes is aging in place. And so that is something that council actually has direct access to do is to alter bylaws in order to create more flexibility for seniors to age in place through whether it's secondary suites or accessory dwellings on properties that are near where they grew up and where they live, making that community connection stay.

With the restoration, that gives a lot of different economic and cultural opportunities for the interconnectivity for the Marina Park and the Haldi House to really highlight the amazing community that Fort Langley is and the culture that's here. Whether that's through economic activities, such as film activity, but more importantly, different cultural events that can be hosted in the park, whether it's different than the Cranberry Festival or other things that can be shifted over. And to see if we can foster more activity within this amazing community.

Good evening. My name is Benjamin Neff. I'm running for the Township of Langley Council as an independent. I've lived here for the last 10 years but I've been part of this community for all my life, playing in sports and local community groups. My wife and I chose Langley to build a life here because it's a unique community. You've got farmland on one side, growing neighbourhoods on the other and history scattered throughout it. I run a small business helping families, businesses and homeowners interact with municipal governments, provincial and federal depending on what their needs are. So I've … been across on the other side of the counter. I've seen good projects be delayed when answers take too long, when Council and when government doesn't work well. But we can do better here. I hold a Master's of Public Policy and I'm running to build and plan for the future, to foster communities that are worth living in, to serve our community well. And we do that by governing collaboratively Because Langley is worth getting right for my family, for your family, for our neighbours and all of our community and everyone who calls Langley home. Thank you.

Yeah, thank you. Thank you, Chamber, for putting on this event and everybody coming out and taking an interest. We need to build a community not just affordable but one that's actually worth living in and I know you want that as much as I do and we do that by choosing what councillors one at a time and so I hope you consider beyond the affiliation or the title but you look at the values, you look at the vision, the character and what each candidate professes. Rather My name is Ben Neff. If you like what I stand for, please consider voting for me on October 17th.

Hi everyone. I'm Benjamin Neff. I am a local dad who really just wants what's best for my family, for my neighbours and my community. I lead and own a public affairs firm here in Langley and I often am working with clients, whether they're residents, business owners, really just try and solve problems with the government and unstick sticky situations. And unfortunately, too often our governments are so focused on process, they often lose sight on outcomes and the people they are supposed to serve. And I think I want to contribute to a council that is planning for the future, that's building for the future, that's listening to the residents before decisions are made. And finally, that understands the tradeoffs that families make every single day. We ask a lot, whether it's through taxes or other things. Thank you.

Benjamin Neff, thank you, Fort Langley Community Association, for putting on this wonderful event and inviting everybody here today. Oh, am I over already? Oh, boy. That was fast. I blacked out. I said at the start that I think the government should work for the people rather than the other way around, and that should be with our tax dollars. That should be with our community. What we build, our community centers, our activities that go on. And that means also how our council acts. They should be acting on the behalf of residents rather than thinking that the residents should be grateful for what we are doing on council. So I've spent my career navigating government and actually how they operate and how that turns into the decisions that are made in the council chamber. And I want to bring that experience to council to listen, to find creative solutions, and to move forward together. Thank you.