2020

Whereas companion animals have significant quality of life and health benefits for pet owners, and there are also significant benefits to landlords of pet-friendly housing, such as higher rents and longer-term and more reliable tenants; And whereas no pet clauses in lease agreements greatly reduce the availability and adequacy of rental suites for renters who own pets, further exacerbating extremely challenging rental market conditions for renters: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM call on the provincial government to amend the Residential Tenancy Act to reduce no pet clauses in lease ag

Whereas stormwater run-off and drainage related problems such as flooding, erosion, and slope instability are becoming increasingly prevalent in rural areas due to development pressures and are being exacerbated by the effects of climate change which results in more variable, intense, and frequent storm events; And whereas the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, as the subdivision approving authority, is primarily responsible for the design and maintenance of drainage works related to public roads in rural areas, and does not enforce or regulate stormwater and drainage related p

Whereas there is growing concern about the state of secondary roads in rural communities that are in need of safety improvements such as more frequent refreshment of pavement lane markings which are essential to ensuring the safe flow of vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic, especially in more remote areas where street lighting may be minimal or non-existent; And whereas the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, as the responsible authority for the public road network in rural areas, oversees rural road maintenance through highway maintenance service contracts according to ter

Whereas the federal Cannabis Act controls the production, distribution, sale and possession of cannabis in Canada, including the application and licensing of personal and commercial medical cannabis production, which should be compliant with local bylaws according to criteria set out for applicants in the process administered by Health Canada as the agency responsible for approval of cannabis production facilities; And whereas local governments have responsibility for the enforcement of local bylaws and ensuring life-safety compliance with fire and building code regulations, but Health Can

Whereas a large volume of marine debris including plastics, styrofoam, components of boats, docks, and fishing gear is increasingly washing up on local shores which is environmentally damaging to marine environments, poses risks to fish and wildlife, creates a safety hazard for marine traffic, and places added pressure on communities to collect and haul shoreline marine debris to disposal facilities which is costly and logistically complex; And whereas local governments have no jurisdiction on shorelines, as that is under the authority of the Province, and provincial efforts to increase pr

Whereas the Community Charter provides municipalities the authority to regulate businesses through a business licensing structure, while regional districts have not been granted business licensing authority and must undertake a lengthy legislative application process in order to be granted that authority through provincial regulation; And whereas municipalities may utilize business licensing as a tool to assist with the enforcement and compliance of local bylaws such as the regulation of cannabis and short-term rentals, while regional districts with similar bylaw enforcement challenges do

Whereas the RCMP and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure have authority for enforcing parking regulations outside of municipal boundaries, including the removal of abandoned or unlicensed vehicles that may be illegally parked on rural roads, which is time consuming, costly, and takes away resources from other important community priorities; And whereas regional districts have no authority for parking enforcement or removal of abandoned vehicles from rural roads but, as the representative local government with a direct connection to the community, must address resident concern

Whereas we live on one planet, and in Canada we use 3-4 planets resources per resident which is an unsustainable share of the Earths bio capacity and resources, thus threatening the well-being of current and future generations; And whereas Saanich has declared a Climate Change Emergency, and has successfully used the One Planet Saanich model for resident engagement to help reduce our communities ecological footprint to one planets worth of bio capacity: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM share with local governments who wish to take steps to engage their citizens in reducing their ecologi

Whereas the Local Government Act provides that an Electoral Area Director must appoint an Alternate Electoral Area Director who may take the place of, vote and generally act in all matters for the absent Electoral Area Director; And whereas the bylaws of UBCM disqualify Alternate Electoral Area Directors from participating in debate and voting at the Annual and Special Conventions; And whereas this provision of the UBCM bylaws: - prevents an Electoral Area from having a voice at UBCM Conventions when the Electoral Area Director is absent; and - could be improved by permitting an Alternat

Whereas the Building Officials Association of British Columbia, under an administrative agreement with the Province, is responsible for education and examinations for persons applying for membership, and certification of members as registered building officials; And whereas the current lengthy process for certifying a Level One Building Official affects local governments ability to hire and retain qualified staff and provide building inspection services in a timely manner: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the Province and the Building Officials Association of British Columbia to re