Whereas local governments across North America are partnering with other levels of government to provide incentive programs to property owners to save money and reduce the environmental impact of buildings, including incentive programs funded through local service charges to support the installation of solar energy technology options for solar photovoltaic, solar hot air and solar hot water; And whereas municipal local improvement charges in British Columbia cannot currently include the provision of cost recovery for municipal services on private property; Therefore be it resolved that the Province of British Columbia work with local governments, First Nations governments and the federal government to introduce robust incentive programs to support residents, property owners and property managers in improving energy efficiency of buildings to address climate action and housing affordability objectives, and that the Province of British Columbia enact legislation to allow the cost recovery of municipally-financed green energy technologies on private properties through municipal local improvement charges.
Ministry of Municipal Affairs Housing The Provincial Government supports local governments in the implementation of programs to promote a green economy. Under existing legislation, municipalities may provide grants to individual households to subsidize a portion of the acquisition of acquiring solar panels. This would be a direct grant from the municipality to the individual property owner, and would not be done through a local improvement charge. The money to fund such a grant program would come from the Municipal General Revenue Fund. Please note a municipality cannot provide assistance to businesses. Therefore, a municipality can only provide a grant to individual residents and non-profits. Local improvement charges and accompanying public borrowing are reserved for financing the costs of public infrastructure that are owned and controlled by the municipality, such as construction of a sidewalk and wastewater infrastructure. Local improvement charges are not the appropriate vehicle to finance private acquisitions that are owned by residents.
Ministry of Infrastructure and Communities One of the eligible investments categories of the Gas Tax Fund GTF is Community Energy systems, which includes building retrofits. Unfortunately, under all current Infrastructure Canada programs, only tangible capital assets primarily for public use or benefit are eligible for funding.
FCM At the latest board meeting in March 2018, the FCM Board of Directors considered the resolution and categorized it as Category D In accordance with existing FCM policy. This category contains resolutions that have been considered by FCM in the previous three years or that are in accordance with FCMs standing policy and advocacy priorities. In this case, the resolution was received by the Board of Directors for information only.