UBCM Executive addressed referred resolutions; met with Ministers

UBCM held its first full quarterly meeting with the 2025-2026 Executive Board members on November 13-14, welcoming new and returning members. Executive members made decisions on all 57 resolutions that didn’t make it to the floor at 2025 Convention – see the full table below. Executive met with ministers Brittny Anderson and Christine Boyle to discuss several matters, including the Okanagan Falls incorporation process, regional district legislative reform, and the potential impact of bill M216 – Professional Reliance Act on local governments.

Key agenda items from the Executive meeting are: 

Resolutions – The Executive decided on each of the referred resolutions from Convention 2025. They endorsed 39 resolutions, two will be addressed at the next quarterly meeting, and 16 were not endorsed. The full table is below. These decisions have been shared with the sponsor local governments.

Received report analyzing provincial responses to 2024 resolutions and approved a report to convey 2025 resolutions.

Housing Update – Received a report detailing recent federal and provincial housing activities including details on the federal budget, updates to the small-scale multi-unit housing and short-term rentals frameworks, and potential implications of the private member’s bill M 216 – 2025, Professional Reliance Act.

Heritage Conservation Act Update – Received a report on UBCM’s submission to the Province on the Heritage Conservation Act affirming the need to:

• Renew the Act,
• Integrate reconciliation principles in the reforms, and 
• Address numerous unanswered questions arising from the Province’s briefing materials – including those that have the potential to slow permitting even further or add additional costs to local government infrastructure and private owner development.

Gitanmaax First Nation – Approved an application from Gitanmaax First Nation to become a UBCM member. UBCM now has 14 First Nations members. 

The Executive met with the Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs, Christine Boyle, and the Minister of State for Local Governments and Rural Communities, Brittny Anderson. 

• Sought clarity on the process to embed UNDRIP principles in the letters patent for Okanagan Falls and the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, which is currently underway. Given the implications for all local governments in the process, Executive made the case that UBCM should have a role in the process. UBCM will follow up with Minister Boyle to explore options for a UBCM role following the meeting.
• Asked if Regional District legislative reform is in the Ministry’s workplan. Provincial staff indicated they are in the early stages of evaluating the roadmap that has been developed by Regional Districts. (This follows on decisions from the July 2025 Executive meeting.)
• Spoke of our report on the Heritage Conservation Act which was delivered to Ministers Parmar, Boyle, Anderson and the Premier. Minister Anderson and Minister Boyle will raise the UBCM request with Minister Parmar next week.
• Expressed concern with the private member’s Bill M216 which would deregulate housing approvals and asked Minister Boyle to provide a comment expressing the government’s intentions regarding the bill.
• The Ministers provided an update on the policy work underway to make legislative changes to allow parental leave update for local elected officials; and potential legislative changes to the framework that supports responsible conduct.

Other highlights and work updates from the meeting include: 

• Participated in a Board Governance Review workshop facilitated by Allison Habkirk.
• Confirmed the appointments made to Executive Committees and appointments of local government elected official and staff appointments, as well as UBCM staff appointments, to a variety of external bodies.
• Approved that the Local Government Financial Resiliency Working Group transition to a standing table model. 
• Approved draft financial statements for the period ending September 30, 2025. 
• All members of the Executive signed the Code of Conduct.

Prior to the Executive meeting, committees met to address their specific work areas:

Presidents Committee – Approved its terms of reference and appointed 3rd Vice President, Aimee Grice, to the financial management portfolio. Reviewed and made recommendations to the UBCM Executive on the following matters:

• Thirty 2025 referred resolutions,
• Adoption of a draft Finance Standing Table Terms of Reference to replace the UBCM/Provincial Finance MOU,
• For the Committee to develop and implement incoming and outgoing executive surveys,
• To create a new committee to support local government engagement in the development of the (Provincial) Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan,
• To extend the end date of the Local Government Advisory Committee on EDMA Regulations until June 30, 2026, and
• UBCM appointments to the Municipal Pension Board of Trustees, the Municipal Retirees Benefits Trust Board of Directors and the Local Government Leadership Academy.

Community Economic Development Committee – Approved its terms of reference and priorities for 2025-2026 including: 

• Ensuring local governments are considered in nation building projects,
• Effective use of industrial lands,
• Promotion and support of the tourism sector,
• Developing and retaining a skilled work force, and 
• Identifying opportunities to work with the construction sector.

The Committee also received a Forest Policy Update and considered referred resolutions from the 2025 Convention.

Health and Social Development Committee – Approved the terms of reference and priorities for 2025-2026 including advocacy, monitoring and input on: 

• Regional Hospital Districts,
• Decriminalization of illicit substances,
• Mental health and addictions,
• Homelessness, 
• Health equity and emergency room closures, 
• Physicians and health care professionals, and
• The overdose crisis. 

Indigenous Relations Committee – Approved terms of reference and priorities for 2025-2026 focused on monitoring and engaging the Province on the implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. This includes:

• Continuing to work with the Province on implementing UBCM’s MOU with the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, 
• Advocating for a toolkit for implementing UNDRIP at the local level, 
• Monitoring the incorporation of Okanagan Falls,
• Monitoring provincial action related to Aboriginal title over private land and the Cowichan Tribes landmark ruling, 
• Monitoring UBCM member sentiment, and
• Providing opportunities for member education, and
• Finding opportunities to collaborate with First Nations Leadership Council.

The Committee considered a report on a proposed resolution from Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA) who is seeking to create an Indigenous-led multi-sector alliance to address Indigenous housing and homelessness. As well, the Committee received for information a LGPS Grant Programs update and a report on a new policy initiative by the Province to provide municipal property tax relief to First Nations who own fee simple property that is vacant or used for community/cultural purposes.

Community Safety Committee – Received a delegation from RoadSafetyBC regarding its Intersection Safety Camera program review. The Committee also considered its Terms of Reference and priorities for the upcoming year, as well as referred resolution 2025-NR81, Strengthening Regional Emergency Management Capacity. 

Reports received by the Committee pertained to 911 emergency services; repeat offenders and bail reform; policing issues of relevance, including the future of RCMP contract policing, RCMP collective bargaining, border enforcement, implementation of body worn cameras, recruitment and vacancy management, and the provincial Police Act and public safety review; cannabis policy; emergency management; and, grant programs administered by UBCM.

Environment Committee – Recommended that Executive endorse NR75 Mobile Live Animal Programs with a small amendment, and that Executive not endorse NR68, BC Building Code Amendment to Include Natural Gas. Reviewed a report on issues and priorities and identified key areas of work in this portfolio for UBCM over the coming year. A particular focus will be ensuring local government priorities are reflected in Provincial permitting and environmental assessment updates, water security and stewardship initiatives, and climate action policy.

Convention Committee – Reviewed its terms of reference and the Convention planning cycle for 2026. Reviewed the ‘Guiding principles: Convention finance & sponsorship’. Debriefed from  2025 Convention and received reports on attendance, preliminary staff comments, sponsorship, a preliminary financial report, a media relations report, and the delegate evaluation report including the full list of comments from the post-Convention survey. Evaluations were largely positive and provided constructive feedback for future planning. 

2025 Referred Resolutions