2019

Whereas Search and Rescue volunteers are key partners of the RCMP, BC Ambulance, Emergency Management BC, Fire Departments, and local governments during emergencies; And whereas Search and Rescue organizations are spending an increasing percentage of their time fundraising to cover training and equipment costs to comply with training requirements and record keeping responsibilities they must meet under Emergency Management BC; And whereas in February 2018, the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General approved in principle the development of a government administered framework mod

Whereas the increase in rail shipment of petroleum products and other dangerous goods pose an increased chance for spills and greater environmental risk: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM lobby the provincial and federal governments to improve Environmental Emergency Program regulations around rail transport of petroleum products and dangerous goods to strengthen and include improvements to spill preparedness, response and recovery.

Whereas many of the highway accident scenes in unincorporated areas in BC are supported by volunteer first responders who may have limited resources to attend to the accident scene including caring for accident victims while also having to control traffic passing through the accident scene; And whereas these first responders and accident victims are regularly put at unnecessary risk by careless drivers who do not focus on their driving andor do not lower their vehicle speed to a reasonable rate while moving through an accident scene: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the Pr

Whereas wildfire events are increasing in frequency, intensity, and duration, and local governments and the BC Wildfire Service are required to implement an efficient, effective, and coordinated approach to address the demand for persons, equipment, and supplies requiring entry into an evacuation order area; And whereas the BC Wildfire Service does not have a comprehensive permitting process to facilitate the entry of support personnel, equipment, and supplies into an evacuation order area, and the Emergency Program Act and British Columbia Emergency Management System do not address, recog

Whereas the Off Road Vehicle Act ORV was intended to create safe and more convenient incidental access to public roads and highways to better connect BCs rural communities and support a first-rate ORV trail network and to allow local governments to expand their trail networks to take advantage of economic development opportunities by way of tourism; And whereas the current administrative process to obtain Operation Permits as permitted under the ORV Act is onerous and not conducive to convenient incidental access to trail networks connecting multiple communities as a separate operation p

Whereas publicly available data indicates that rural BC residents are paying substantially more in ICBC insurance premiums than they are receiving in claims settlements and payouts; And whereas ICBC has not released specific data showing, by postal code, the amount of money rural BC residents have collectively paid for ICBC insurance premiums and received in claims settlements and payouts over the past 5 years; And whereas ICBC holds a vehicle insurance monopoly in BC and has made a strong public commitment to fairness in pricing: Therefore be it resolved that ICBC release the data for t

Whereas wildfire events are increasing in frequency, intensity, and duration, and local governments and the BC Wildfire Service are increasingly required to deal with the issues created by residents who stay within an evacuation order area to defend their property and farmers who stay to look after livestock sheltering in place; And whereas the Emergency Program Act and the British Columbia Emergency Management System do not address, recognize, or provide direction regarding the management of issues created by persons choosing to stay and defend their property from wildfire: Therefore b

Whereas Section 2 of the Community Charter states that the Provincial government must not assign responsibilities to municipalities unless there is provision for resources required to fulfill the responsibilities; And whereas legislated changes have shifted responsibility for managing a wide range of complex issues, including but not limited to the significant impact of emergency response services onto local governments placing notable strain on local government resources: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM lobby the provincial government to ensure that adequate resources and funding are

Whereas the Province of British Columbia has a responsibility to consult with local governments as a stakeholder prior to implementing new programs that may affect local governments and their constituents and this consultation has been decreasing; And whereas local-governments can provide vital insight when new programs are being considered due to the vast local knowledge of their area: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM remind the Province of British Columbia that open and transparent consultation with local governments and local stakeholders at the preliminary stages of a proposed prog

Whereas the Province of British Columbia and UBCM entered into a Memorandum of Understanding MOU titled Local Governments Participation in the New Relationship with First Nations; And whereas this MOU establishes local governments role as primarily being a respected advisor to the Province on First Nation issues, however local governments responsibilities to their constituents place them as a stakeholder which goes beyond simply advising the Province on these issues: Therefore be it resolved that the parties to this MOU recognize this MOU is considered non-binding on local governments unl