2024

Whereas gaps within the BC Ambulance Service BCAS service delivery continue to be filled by local government fire departments, by way of their regular response to a high-volume of Medical Emergency Service Alarm MESA calls; resulting in significant direct costs to local governments; And whereas to date the solution provided by the Province of BC recommends that concerned local governments stop responding to select MESA calls; thus, failing to rectify the gap in service internally or financial impacts externally, and simultaneously shifting the accountability for health decisions onto local

Whereas the provision of pre-hospital care is a critical aspect of health care in British Columbia and Fire Departments, funded by local governments, have traditionally played a significant role in delivering pre-hospital care and that pre-hospital care falls under the jurisdiction of the provincial government; And whereas the increasing workload related to pre-hospital care, particularly in the area of medical first response, has put significant pressure on local governments arising from the need to allocate additional resources for training, fuel, vehicle maintenance, consumables, and s

Whereas BC fire rescue service departments, operating under career, composite, or volunteer models, are experiencing increased demands in emergency medical response calls in support of the BC Emergency Health Services BCEHS system; And whereas the fire departments that provide these services, authorized under the Emergency Medical Assistant EMA first responder program, currently do not receive remuneration or funding for their critical support within the BCEHS system: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM endorse and advocate to the Province for the establishment of a remuneration system for

Whereas local governments are crucial stakeholders in ensuring the provision of essential healthcare infrastructure within their communities; And whereas transparent and accurate cost estimates for healthcare infrastructure projects are essential to enable effective budget planning and financial management by local governments; And whereas recent experiences with escalating costs for hospital projects highlight the importance of transparent cost estimates and equitable funding arrangements to mitigate potential financial strain on taxpayers; And whereas equitable funding arrangements are

Whereas local governments are crucial stakeholders in ensuring the provision of essential healthcare infrastructure within their communities; And whereas transparent and accurate cost estimates for healthcare infrastructure projects are essential to enable effective budget planning and financial management by local governments; And whereas recent experiences with escalating costs for hospital projects highlight the importance of transparent cost estimates and equitable funding arrangements to mitigate potential financial strain on taxpayers; And whereas equitable funding arrangements are

Whereas capital infrastructure project costs for healthcare facilities in North and Central British Columbia have been shared between the provincial government and Regional Hospital Districts with 60 percent contributed by the Province and 40 percent contributed by Regional Hospital Districts; And whereas since 2004 local governments in British Columbia have raised concern that the 60:40 cost-sharing split is financially unsustainable because it necessitates continuous increases in local property taxation being the primary source of revenue available to local governments; this revenue alre

Whereas investing in arts, culture, and heritage has proven social, economic, and educational benefits for communities small and large across the province; And whereas the arts, culture, and heritage sector has been chronically underfunded in BC compared to other regions in Canada: Therefore be it resolved that the Province of BC increase the BC Arts Councils annual budgetin alignment with the BC NDPs 2017 campaign pledge of a 48 million annual BC Arts Council budget by 2021indexed for inflation, to a minimum of 58 million in the 202526 budget.

Whereas many BC libraries are currently operating eciently under the grandfathered Public Library Association model; And whereas BC libraries not currently operating under the PLA model but wishing to, are not allowed to apply: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the Province of BC reactivate the Public Library Association model.

Whereas Alkaline Hydrolysis Process funeral services present an opportunity to reduce the environmental impact of preparing and interring human remains by significantly reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emitted from burials and land use requirements for storing human remains; And whereas the Cremation, Interment, and Funeral Services Act does not permit Alkaline Hydrolysis as an acceptable process for preparing a deceased persons remains: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM call on the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General and Deputy Premier to prepare and introduce a bill in

Whereas Advanced Metering Infrastructure AMI, comprising of smart meters, data management systems, and communication networks, is a key tool in providing efficient, reliable and environmentally sustainable utility services; And whereas the implementation of AMI comes at a significant cost for public utilities: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM encourage the Province of British Columbia to begin exploring a funding model to support the implementation of Advanced Metering Infrastructure AMI across public utilities in the province.