Township council, February 9: closed captioning, a parking study and rights for people living in RVs

Closed captioning for council meetings

Councillor Baillie’s motion to caption all council meetings, on every platform they’re broadcast on, carried after an amendment to pay for it from the 2026 Council Contingency. That makes meetings easier to follow for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, or anyone watching with the sound off. (Langley City council passed a similar motion two weeks later.)

The parking study

Council received the Township-wide Parking Study and Bylaw Review. A motion to defer it, to allow more time to review and talk to staff, was defeated. Councillor Pratt’s motion then carried, with Councillor Richter opposed. It has staff bring back draft bylaw changes to put the study’s seven accessible parking recommendations in place by the end of June 2026. A separate study of parking for mixed-use buildings was put forward for the 2027 budget in May (see our May 11 recap).

Fort Langley’s rail crossing

Councillor Martens’s motion carried for a staff report on safety improvements at the Glover Road rail crossing between Billy Brown Road and Mavis Avenue in Fort Langley. The options include fencing to stop people using informal cut-throughs, and pedestrian crossing gates on both sides of the road.

RVs as homes

A resolution went to the Lower Mainland Local Government Association, for its 2026 conference, asking the Province to look at rental protections for people who live long-term in RVs in RV and mobile home parks. The background in the motion: more people are finding an RV is the only home they can afford. But RV park residents usually sign a licence to occupy, not a tenancy agreement, so they don’t get the protections of the Residential Tenancy Act.

Utility bills and other decisions

• Utility rates: final reading of Utility Rate Bylaw amendment 6193. For 2026, the spring flat-rate utility bill is due July 2. The due date for future years came back to council in March (see our March 9 recap).
• Local Area Services: a revised policy, which governs how a group of property owners can petition for and pay for an improvement on their street, was approved. Councillor Richter opposed.
• 208 Street: staff are to report on design options and rough costs to upgrade 208 Street from 36 to 44 Avenue to an urban arterial standard, with sidewalks, medians and bike lanes.
• Water safety: council supported the Water Safety Program outlined by the Recreation, Arts and Culture division.
• Committee plans: the Seniors Advisory Committee and Agricultural Advisory Committee work plans for 2026 were approved.
• Budget open house: Councillor Martens’s motion for a public open house on the draft 2026 budget was referred to the budget process.

More background: Township of Langley council · How to read a council agenda