Long-Term Borrowing for Fire Apparatus Acquisition

Whereas the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General has indicated that private insurance industry standards are not in the control of the Province of British Columbia; And whereas current insurance industry guidelines require fire apparatus to be replaced on a maximum 25-year basis or the fire insurance grades of a community will be adversely affected; And whereas the cost to replace fire apparatus is a large financial burden for small communities; And whereas a municipality is not permitted to utilize long-term borrowing from the Municipal Finance Authority to purchase new fire apparatus without a costly referendum process: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Province of British Columbia to enact legislation that permits municipalities local governments to utilize long-term borrowing from the Municipal Finance Authority over a 20-year period, without the requirement to go to referendum or AAP Alternative Approval Process; And be it further resolved that the Province of British Columbia work with insurance underwriters and change legislation to allow the use of older fire apparatus that pass an annual inspection without an affect to the insurance grading of the community.