2023

Whereas the UBCM membership endorsed the UBCM Select Committee on Local Government Finances report entitled Ensuring Local Government Financial Resiliency Report in 2021; And whereas the 2021 UBCM Ensuring Local Government Financial Resiliency Report included a recommendation to identify emerging sources of revenue and opportunities to share revenuetaxation, including examining province-wide revenue sharing focused on consumption taxation; And whereas a Memorandum of Understanding on Local Government Financial Resiliency was signed in 2022 between UBCM and the Ministries of Finance and Mu

Whereas the Ministry of Education and Child Care is responsible for BCs 10day child care program, and ChildCareBCs growing system of universal child care has been life-changing for families, with demand far outstripping supply; And whereas the current grant-based process to expand universal child care relies on grant applicants to coordinate all aspects of design and implementation, and local and Indigenous governments and nonprofit organizations often lack the resources to successfully manage this process in accordance with UBCM-funded child care needs assessments and action plans: Ther

Whereas local governments require baseline and consistent data to inform policy design, implementation, and evaluation, and to measure progress towards achieving greenhouse gas and vehicle kilometers travelled reductions targets; And whereas the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia ICBC is now committed to usagedistance-based insurance discounts that require odometer data: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the Province mandate ICBC to collect odometer readings for all licensed vehicles annually and provide greenhouse gas and vehicle kilometers travelled data sets to l

Whereas the Province is taking important steps to deliver quality and affordable child care to more families, as outlined in the Child Care BC Blueprint; And whereas the Province acknowledges the critical role of municipal governments in this process and financially supported the Community Child Care Planning program and continues to administer the New Spaces Fund; And whereas municipalities are uniquely positioned to plan, manage, design, and implement programs within their local communities, but are limited in their capacity to implement community child care action plans: Therefore be

Whereas extreme heat events are becoming more common and, during such heat events, temperatures inside residential buildings can rise significantly; And whereas vulnerable populations, including seniors and people with mobility challenges may have difficulty leaving their homes during extreme temperature events, and may suffer from heat-related health impacts, including heatstroke and death; And whereas stratas and landlords can restrict the ability of residents to install window or portable air conditioners, or use heat-shielding window-coverings: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM as

Whereas local governments are working to promote the use of public transit and active transportation over traditional automotive commuting; And whereas industrial areas and business parks are, by design, located some distance away from urban centres and residential areas, and public transit options, such as regular bus services or shuttles, are not provided with the same frequency or convenience for workers in those areas who may have no option but to rely on a single occupancy car to get to and from work: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the provincial government to develop a compr

Whereas there is an urgent need to increase housing supply across BC and the Province has indicated its desire to encourage pre-planning and reduce spot rezonings; And whereas under the current legislative framework, many local governments rely on discretionary zoning approvals as a means to regulate land use change, obtain road dedications and infrastructure servicing requirements, and negotiate amenity contributions andor site specific development requirements; And whereas many municipalities are exploring opportunities to pre-zone lands for increased residential development: Therefore

Whereas the provision of funding from the Province to shelter providers through the local government for the provision of temporary, just-in-time warming shelters during cold weather creates ineffective bureaucracy, places unreasonable pressure on local government resources and creates unnecessary financial and other liabilities for local governments; And whereas the Province has responsibility and existing funding mechanisms through BC Housing to provide reliable and stable funding to shelter providers for this purpose: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM contact the Ministry of Emergency

Whereas the Ministry of Education and Child Care is responsible for BCs 10day child care program, and ChildCareBCs growing system of universal child care has been life-changing for families, with demand for outstripping supply; And whereas the current grant-based process to expand universal child care relies on grant applications to coordinate all aspects of design and implementation, and local and indigenous governments and non-profit organizations often lack the resources to successfully manage this process in accordance with UBCM funded child care needs assessments and action plans: Th

Whereas British Columbia and Canada have committed to protecting and restoring biological diversity, including in the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Together for Wildlife Strategy; And whereas protecting and restoring biological diversity contributes toward more resilient and healthy local communities, as well as ecosystem health, while helping to contain emergency management and infrastructure costs in the context of climate change: Therefore be it resolved that the Province work with local governments and First Nations to support the protection and restoration of biological