2023

Whereas increasing usage of crown land for overnight camping and other recreational uses requires additional amenities, such as pit toilets, to protect the environment and additional trail and road maintenance and litter pick-up, to provide for sustainable and enjoyable usage; And whereas with increased backcountry use there is additional need for education and compliance resources to mitigate aesthetic and environmental impacts, humanwildlife conflicts, and improve public safety: Therefore be it resolve that UBCM petition the Province to implement a crown land camping fee structure, wit

Whereas the Province of British Columbia is in a healthcare crisis; And whereas the Province of British Columbia is struggling to fill healthcare positions in rural British Columbia: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Province of British Columbia to approve physician assistants to work alongside physicians and other health professionals to help produce better outcomes, access for patients and alleviate burnout.

Whereas local governments across British Columbia are increasingly being impacted by severe weather events that are creating complex emergency situations; And whereas local governments are legislated to plan for, respond to, and assist their communities in recovering from these emergencies: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the Province of British Columbia to create an annual funding model for local governments to more adequately prepare for, and respond to, local emergencies.

Whereas adding more routes between our rural communities and more trips on existing routes will benefit our health system by helping seniors and others access healthcare services; And whereas reliable regional rural transit is a critical component of a British Columbia wide affordable housing strategy; And whereas improving our rural transit systems will deliver significant economic benefits by providing more reliable transportation for students and frontline workers; And whereas an expanded rural transit system will deliver significant GHG reduction, by shifting kilometers travelled fro

Whereas the 911 dispatch levy is applied to landline subscribers and not mobile subscribers; And whereas landline subscribers continue to diminish and transition to mobile, resulting in increasing losses of necessary funding for effective delivery 911 dispatch services: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the Province to legislate a 911 service levy on mobile phones to the benefit of all dispatch operators in British Columbia.

Whereas the Province has required all local governments to develop accessibility plans that must be renewed every 3 years: Therefore be it resolved that the Province establish a granting stream with UBCM to support local governments in the development and implementation of their accessibility plans.

Whereas all local governments are required to decide on the implication of code of conduct within the first 6 months of a new term, which may include the designation of a local ethics commissioner officer; And whereas local governments may often lack the resources or expertise to develop local ethics commissioners role: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Province to create a shared local government ethics commissioners offices to serve local governments in the efficient and effective implementation of Code of Conduct policies.

Whereas regional district fire services across British Columbia are facing increasing financial pressure with respect to replacing fire apparatus and are not permitted to utilize long-term borrowing from the Municipal Finance Authority to purchase the same without costly referendum processes; And whereas should these referendums fail, communities will be left without fire protection during a time that sees increasing risk from wildfires as well as increased insurance rates, particularly for those without fire protection services: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Province of Bri

Whereas communities across British Columbia relying on surface water systems as their only source of drinking water are facing historic droughts and becoming increasingly aware of the need to maintain the integrity and hydrological production capacity of their community watersheds while they continue to be adversely impacted by other tenure holders or developers; And whereas community expectations are often not aligned with requirements for tenure holders and developers to prepare and provide comprehensive watershed mapping and management plans in collaboration with such water user commun

Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to rising global inflation, labour shortages and supply-chain issues, which in turn have led to higher costs for consumers; And whereas provincial grants provided to local governments for projects will likely not cover the increased costs associated with supplies and construction, therefore leaving jurisdictions unable to complete projects aimed to benefit their communities and citizens: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the Government of BC top up those grants given to local governments since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic