Province reverses decision on Fire Safety Act
In 2016 the Province passed the new Fire Safety Act. The Act placed new responsibilities on regional districts related to fire safety/inspection. UBCM members actively lobbied against the new responsibilities and received a letter from the Minister making a commitment to amend the legislation to remove this new obligation, before the Act was brought into force.
Two years have passed and the amendments have not been made. Recently the Province announced it is reversing the decision to remove these new obligations on regional districts. UBCM has signalled its opposition in a joint letter to Ministers Robinson and Farnworth. A working group has also been established to consult with the Office of the Fire Commissioner on the implications of this new direction for regional districts.
Ad-hoc committee on alternate “unelected” Electoral Area Directors
In April 2017 UBCM established an ad-hoc committee to discuss the issue of alternate “unelected” directors. Committee members were specifically asked to identify possible courses of action for addressing the challenges faced by regional district boards when elected directors are unable to serve an alternates take on a more permanent role.
The Committee drafted a discussion paper and made a presentation to both the EA Forum and the CEO/CAO Forum in early 2018. After receiving member direction and feedback, the Ad-Hoc Committee prepared a summary of proposed recommendations for change and has since conveyed that request to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
Regional District Task Force
The final report of the Regional District Task Force has been released.
Member Notice: Regional District Task Force Final Report
Letter from the Minister of Community & Rural Development
Regional District Task Force Final Report