2019

Whereas the Community Charter acknowledges that municipalities and their Councils are democratically elected, autonomous, responsible and accountable; require the authority to determine the public interest of their communities; and the Local Government Act grants local governments the powers and flexibility required to fulfill their purpose and respond to the needs of their communities; And whereas the Ministry of Municipal Affairs Housing has taken unilateral action in Maple Ridge that undermines the jurisdiction of the Council of the City of Maple Ridge to determine and represent the p

Whereas the Ports Canada Police was disbanded in 1997 and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority discontinued its financial contribution to the RCMP-led Waterfront Joint Forces Operation in 2015; And whereas this loss of police resources has weakened the security of Canadas ports and allowed organized crime elements to proliferate, as evidenced by the 2019 Peter German report Dirty Money; And whereas both the federal and provincial governments have committed funding and resources to enhance law enforcement at Canadas borders, and improve policing capacity to fight money laundering: There

Whereas the highest and best use valuation methodology used by BC Assessment determines the value of commercial property according to what it could be in the future, rather than what it is today; And whereas in areas experiencing rapid growth, such as Metro Vancouver, many properties have redevelopment potential which causes property values to soar, even if there are no plans to redevelop the property; And whereas this valuation methodology has created a significant and unsustainable financial burden for many businesses across Metro Vancouver: Therefore be it resolved that the BC gove

Whereas there has been a shift away from the institutional care of seniors to supporting them ageing in place in their own homes and communities; And whereas municipalities and non-profit organizations play a key role in supporting seniors through transportation, housing, recreational and physical activity programming, social engagement, and the provision of health promotion and prevention services; And whereas the necessary collaborative structures and processes between different levels of government, community foundations, etc.

Whereas the current residency waiting period in BC of 6 months to register to vote is too long; And whereas that limits newly arrived BC residents their ability to vote: Therefore be it resolved that the Province amend relevant legislation to reduce the waiting period to register to vote from 6 months to 30 days.

Whereas increasing the effectiveness of BCs beverage container recycling system will result in fewer containers becoming ocean litter, while reducing greenhouse gases through recycling, avoiding taxpayer waste management costs, and creating green jobs: Therefore be resolved that UBCM request that the Province of BC support the Ocean Legacy Foundation request to: 1. Increase the regulated deposit rate; 2. Add all beverage containers to the deposit refund system; 3. Require producers to collect and report on the recycling of bottle caps; 4.

Whereas libraries are a social justice equalizer that provide universal access to information and learning materials irrespective of income levels; And whereas restoring funding to libraries supports the BC Governments agenda to eliminate poverty and address social justice in BC; And whereas funding rates have been frozen since 2009 and inflationary costs have increasingly been put on municipal property tax payers which is a regressive approach to funding public libraries; And whereas libraries now provide a huge diversity of services and resources beyond books, requiring additional fund

Whereas the Provincial Homeowner Grant reduces the property tax paid on a principal residence and not secondary residences; And whereas the grant cutoff has increased by only 50,000 3.12 between 2017 and 2019; And whereas the average home in many urban centers has now surpassed the 1.65M cutoff resulting in an up to and immediate 570 tax increase as homes cross the 1.65M threshold; And whereas many average homeowners are now facing significant tax increases when assessments rise beyond the exemption limit; And whereas high average prices indicate that there are not significantly less ex

Whereas use of motorized watercraft during a flooding event can accelerate shoreline erosion and impact flood damage mitigation efforts; And whereas local governments have no authority to impose temporary boating restrictions on waterways to reduce the flood damage risk to properties and critical infrastructure: Therefore be it resolved that in order to support emergency response and damage mitigation efforts during freshet and other flood events, the Province be lobbied to amend the Emergency Program Act by including the authority for local governments to restrict and prohibit the use a

Whereas the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC SPECIAL REPORT: GLOBAL WARMING OF 1.5 C states that heating of the planet must be contained to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels to avoid catastrophic weather events, mass species extinction and irreparable damage to global economies; And whereas many local governments in BC, across Canada and around the world have declared a Climate Emergency in part due to students striking from classes to raise awareness about the seriousness of the issue and the threat to their future; And whereas students in K-12 have the rig