2019

Whereas Public libraries require continuous and increasing investment to provide opportunities for life-long learning, increase equity and social inclusion, and create cities that are healthier and more affordable; And whereas provincial funding for public libraries has declined in the past decade as a portion of total revenue allocated to individual BC library systems, from 7 to 4.6, while the municipal portion has risen from 72 to 80; And whereas this decline in provincial funding reflects a regressive approach of shifting cost to municipal property tax payers: Therefore be it resolve

Whereas renters are facing the risk of displacement and housing insecurity as a result of renovations to existing rental buildings; And whereas the Residential Tenancy Act does not currently require landlords to provide proof of permits or a description of the scope of work for renovations where tenancies are likely to be terminated, and municipalities have limited authority to require notification related to tenancy issues as a condition of issuance of certain permits; And whereas existing renters facing evictions due to renovations could benefit from information on the type and extent o

Whereas when an elected official or senior staff leaves their municipal role and takes a new role with a private firm that does business with the municipality it undermines the publics trust in the elected official or senior staff member. Elected officials and senior civil servants have valuable knowledge and relationships that can potentially create unfair and profitable advantage for new employers simply because of the position they currently occupy with the City; And whereas conflict of interest rules improve public confidence in municipal governance.

Whereas donation bins are an important part of zero-waste programs in many municipalities contributing to textile diversion, and deliver an important revenue stream for non-profit organizations.

Whereas businesses are beginning to switch to compostable single-use items for to-go meals and beverages, yet this material is not designed to biodegrade if littered, and is not guaranteed to biodegrade in industrial compost facilities because standards and certifications are not aligned with existing infrastructure that is designed to compost food scraps and yard waste; And whereas local governments are facing increasing pressure to collect and manage this material, yet it is beyond local governments ability to control compostable packaging design or finance the specialized collection and

Whereas the British Columbia extended producer responsibility EPR program for packaging and printed paper currently provides recycling collection for single-use items generated by the residential sector, but does not yet focus on reduction or reuse, or cover single-use items that are compostable or disposed of at businesses or in the public realm; And whereas inter-municipal differences in policy for single-use items make it challenging for businesses to comply with multiple regulations, and the business community has expressed a strong desire for harmonization and consistent regulation fo

Whereas the Province of BC has legislated that all new light-duty vehicle sales will be zero emission vehicles ZEVs by 2040 to support its goal of reducing greenhouse gases by at least 80 by 2050, and that access to home charging infrastructure will continue to be a prerequisite for many ZEV owners; And whereas British Columbians living in multi-family buildings without access to home charging infrastructure do not have legal recourse if they are refused permission to install andor use electric vehicle charging infrastructure in their own parking stall: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM

Whereas currently, the Motor Vehicle Act MVA stipulates a speed limit of 50 kilometers per hour kmh within city limits; And whereas the probability of pedestrian survival is about 90 if struck by a motor vehicle travelling at 30 kmh, while survival is reduced to 20 if struck by a motor vehicle travelling at 50 kmh; And whereas lower speed limits are more compatible with active transportation, and create safer, better engaged, healthier and more inclusive communities; And whereas in 2015, the BC Road Safety Strategy set out the goal of zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries and disc

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 conductive to convenient incidental access to trail networks connecting multiple communities as a separate operation

Whereas financial investments form a critical part of the activities of a municipality, providing a source of revenues for capital expenditures and to offset cash flow fluctuations; And whereas allowable investment parameters as laid out in the Community Charter is considered a prescribed set of legislated guidelines; And whereas the Provinces of Alberta and Ontario have implemented a wider scope for local government investment, which responds to the needs of local governments of all sizes: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the Ministry of Finance to amend the Community Charte