AM
Akbal Mund
Council · Vernon
Foothills 33 yrs
About
Been on City Council for three terms. Have been involved in every aspect of the community from arts and culture to sports. As of today I am the Vice Chair of the Armstrong Regional Co-Op and sit on the Board of Vantage One Credit Union.
Policy commitments
Buildings
We all want healthy, affordable, and comfortable homes. These policies will help to lower energy bills, cut pollution, and improve indoor air quality.
✓
Support electrification of new buildings.
Supportive
✓
Incentivize electric heat pumps and air filtration systems.
Supportive
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Incentivize renewable energy, battery storage, and smart-grid technologies in new and existing buildings to improve energy security.
Neutral
✓
Scale up energy retrofits for existing homes, businesses, and public buildings.
Supportive
✓
Implement a 'right to cool' bylaw to protect tenants during extreme heat events.
Supportive
Climate Justice
Our community is already experiencing the harmful impacts of climate change caused by fossil fuel pollution, and taxpayers are on the hook to upgrade and repair critical infrastructure.
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Endorse the fossil fuel treaty and commit to phase out fossil fuels.
Neutral
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Enact a moratorium on AI data centres to protect our energy and water resources.
Neutral
✓
Pursue available legal options to recover a fair share of the climate costs facing our community from fossil fuel companies and other big polluters.
Supportive
✓
Collaborate with Indigenous peoples as partners in the stewardship of the land, air, and water, and work towards reconciliation.
Supportive
Ecosystems
The air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat all rely on healthy ecosystems. Nature can also help protect our community from extreme weather by controlling floods, protecting shorelines, and cooling neighbourhoods. Access to nature improves the health and well-being of residents, and supports biodiversity.
✓
Protect and restore ecosystems, which are essential to human survival, health, and economic well-being.
Supportive
✓
Expand and protect tree canopy, parks, and green infrastructure to cool neighbourhoods, clean air, and manage stormwater.
Supportive
✓
Prioritize native tree planting in all areas, especially those with low tree cover, higher population densities, and more vulnerable residents.
Supportive
✓
Create connected urban greenways for people and wildlife.
Supportive
Land Use
We envision vibrant, walkable communities that protect nature and improve food security.
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Build affordable homes near jobs, schools, shops, and transit.
Supportive
✓
Upgrade critical infrastructure for heat, fire, flood, and storm resilience.
Supportive
✓
Increase food security by supporting local agriculture and community gardens.
Supportive
Transport
Connecting neighbourhoods through public transit and active transportation networks will cut pollution, improve public health, and make our communities more affordable (and fun!).
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Deliver reliable, frequent, affordable local transit.
Neutral
✓
Advocate to improve regional public transit between communities.
Supportive
✓
Build bike and roll networks that are safe for everyone.
Supportive
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Expand EV charging infrastructure.
Neutral
Watersheds
Climate change, increasing populations, and overconsumption threaten our water security. Healthy watersheds and forests are critical to support clean drinking water, stormwater management, climate resilience, and biodiversity for future generations.
✓
Implement water conservation plans and educate the public to conserve drinking water.
Supportive
✓
Protect and restore watersheds as vital municipal infrastructure.
Supportive
✓
Develop and implement a water security plan.
Supportive
Zero Waste
Zero waste policies reduce pollution, keep waste out of landfills, build resilient local economies, and safeguard public health by shifting society away from a disposable culture toward a sustainable circular economy.
✓
Implement zero waste bylaws to divert organic waste and recyclables from disposal.
Supportive
✓
Support the development of a circular economy to eliminate waste and improve resilience.
Supportive
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Implement bylaws to eliminate waste from new buildings, renovation, and demolition projects and to use existing buildings as efficiently as possible.
Neutral
✓ Supportive
~ Neutral
× Opposed
– No response
Climate action
How have you contributed to climate action in your community through advocacy, past work, advisory committees, volunteer work, and/or reducing your personal carbon footprint?
Climate Action Committee was introduced by our Council, trails and bike lanes have tripled since i have been on Council, as well as the Foothills path, which was my personal idea when i was Mayor.
Questions for Vernon
1. This question (see below) is the same as the 1st environmental question on the Vital Vote website: https://www.cfno.org/vitalvote-home
When housing is needed and infrastructure for water and sewer already exist. Unfortunately where i live and adventure bay are examples of expansion too far from the City core. The new Via development near Kal Tire Head Office is good.
2. This question (see below) is the same as the 2nd environmental question on the Vital Vote website: https://www.cfno.org/vitalvote-home
wildfires, as seen in the last few years is a priority, with water security number two. One major concerns of CAP is the cost to implement some aspects, which tax payers would have a hard time supporting. We have to proceed slowly and make sure money is directed where it needs to be and seek Federal and Provincial grants to fund the rest.
3. This question (see below) is the same as the 3rd environmental question on the Vital Vote website: https://www.cfno.org/vitalvote-home
Here's where is gets tricky, not everyone agrees on what is right or wrong. The 580 Commonage development was willing to conserve around 300 acres of land as parkland forever, but we never got to public hearing to get the full picture of what this looked like. Today, that land can be developed. to me that was important, to others who see saving every inch of land it was not. What do people who want to conserve land without development really looking to do? Every one has a different opinion of what is important.
4. This question (see below) is the same as the 4th environmental question on the Vital Vote website: https://www.cfno.org/vitalvote-home
Back in 2014 the general public turned down the Greater Water Plan, which included the raising of the reservoirs. This has been looked at bat GVAC and the cost is enormous but we must make it a priority, as is the use of reclaimed water which we will continue to press the province on.
5. Describe what you have done regarding climate change and related issues in our community – for example, advocacy, past work, advisory committees, volunteer work, and/or reducing your own personal carbon footprint.
Personally I have no garage can at home, one bag every two weeks comes out of my home, I drive a Hybrid, recycle everything from soft and hard plastics to light bulbs and batteries. We built our home with recycling bins in the drawers.
6. What climate-related infrastructure risks worry you most here (fire, heat, drought, air quality, floods, sea level rise), and how will you address reducing those risks to keep our community safe?
Most definitely fire and water. Over the past ten years both of these have come to the forefront. Recently we were given funds from the Province to mitigate risk at Duteau Creek, thanks to the Mayors from Lake Country and Vernon as well as OKIB for their persistence and their Councils supports.
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