2007 Resolutions

Year: 2007 Category: Referred Resolutions Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Log Export Crisis in BC

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that: 1) A moratorium be placed on the closure of any mills in British Columbia until a full and comprehensive plan for a revitalized manufacturing sector is created; 2) Cabinet cease to issue any permits for log exports and place a moratorium on exports from all Crown lands; 3) The government reverse its earlier decision to allow Weyerhauser to remove its private lands from Tree Farm Licence (TFL); 4) The government ensure full public consultation on any future proposal to remove land from any TFL; 5) The government increase the export tax on raw logs from private lands to ensure there is no economic incentive to export, rather than process locally; 6) The provincial government re-introduce measures that will once again make clear the connection between companies logging British Columbia trees and their commitment to manufacturing capacity in the province; 7) The federal government retain legislation restricting raw log exports and align federal and provincial forest policies; and 🙂 The federal and provincial governments vigorously oppose the legal challenge to federal legislation restricting raw log exports, which would further erode rights to protect Canadian jobs.

Year: 2007 Category: Referred Resolutions Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Home Owner Grant Program

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Province be requested to reinstate a Home Owner Grant for properties in excess of the current limit of $894,000.

Year: 2007 Category: Special Resolution Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Ultimate Limitation Period

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities support a reduction in the ultimate limitation period from 30 years to 10 years.

Year: 2007 Category: Legislation Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Glass Sponge Reefs

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities urge the federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to implement permanent legislated protection to protect the glass sponge reefs along the coast of BC.

Year: 2007 Category: Legislation Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Development Cost Charges

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities and the Union of BC Municipalities lobby the provincial government to amend the Local Government Act to allow for the imposition of Development Cost Charges in areas other than sewage, water, drainage, highway facilities and parkland.

Year: 2007 Category: Legislation Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Acquisition of Emergency Fire Fighting Equipment Without Voter Assent

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Community Charter be amended to permit the purchase of replacement emergency fire fighting equipment that is mandated under the United Laboratories of Canada (ULC) and the National Fire Protection Standards without the process of seeking the assent of the voters either through a vote or the alternative approval process.

Year: 2007 Category: Legislation Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Amendment to Wildfire Act

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of British Columbia Municipalities be asked to request that the Province enact an amendment to the Wildfire Act to make it clear that the Wildfire Act and the Wildfire Act Regulation:

(a) remain in force within the boundaries of a regional district electoral area jurisdiction even where the regional district electoral area may have enacted its own bylaw relating to the lighting, fueling or use of open fires, and (b) permit local bylaws relating to the lighting, fueling or use of open fires to be enacted provided that they are not in conflict with the Wildfire Act and Wildfire Act Regulation.

Year: 2007 Category: Legislation Status: NOT Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Liability Arising From Natural Occurrences

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities and the Union of BC Municipalities be asked to request that the Province enact legislation to relieve local governments from responsibility for addressing risk to or liability to owners of neighbouring lands arising from natural occurrences of rock fall, landslide, erosion and other geological events.

Year: 2007 Category: Legislation Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Motor Fuel Tax

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Provincial Government be urged to amend the Motor Fuel Tax Act to expand the ability for a tax on gasoline and motor fuel to be instituted by local governments in all Transit Service Areas in order to raise additional revenue for the purposes of the British Columbia Transit Act.

Year: 2007 Category: Health Status: Endorsed and Referred to UBCM Healthy Communities Committee by AVICC Resolution: Health Authority Governance

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities urge the Province to consider the appointment of local government elected representatives from each Regional Hospital District to the Boards of Health Authorities to enable direct decision making on capital priorities and budgets.

Year: 2007 Category: Health Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Appointments To Regional Health Authorities Board

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Provincial legislation be changed to require that the government appointments to the Board of Directors of the Regional Health Authorities include appointments from a list of nominees provided by the local government councils within each regional health area.

Year: 2007 Category: Transportation Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Maintenance of Public Highways

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities and the Union of BC Municipalities request the Ministry of Transportation to revisit the contract to determine if all the terms, conditions, specifications and standards with regard to Public Safety as contained in the contract are being met by the contractors.

Year: 2007 Category: Transportation Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Coastal Ferries

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities petition the provincial government to work with local government and ferry advisory commissions to ensure that coastal ferries remain an affordable and viable part of British Columbia’s transportation network.

Year: 2007 Category: Transportation Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: BC Ferries Service Fee

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities requests that the Minister of Transportation recognize the importance of reliable and affordable ferry service to coastal communities by:

1) Increasing the service fee the Province will pay BC Ferries for the next performance term sufficiently to ensure that fare increases do not exceed increases in the Consumer Price Index; 2) Contributing to BC Ferries’ capital costs in a similar proportion to the support given for highway construction and other public transportation infrastructure; 3) Paying a share of extraordinary expenses, such as higher than predicted fuel costs, at least equal to the percentage of operating costs covered by the service fee; and 4) Recognizing the need to regularly assess the impact of the Province’s ferry policies on coastal communities by establishing ongoing consultation with elected municipal, regional and Islands Trust representatives and with the Ferry Advisory Committees whose members are appointed by BC Ferries through local government.

Year: 2007 Category: Transportation Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Coastal Ferry Act

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities and the Union of BC Municipalities request the provincial government to undertake a comprehensive and consultative review of the effects of ferry fares and service levels on coastal communities, prior to signing the contract for Performance Term 2, and before the commencement of Performance Term 2, to incorporate any amendments to the Coastal Ferry Act that are necessary to sustain the economic and social vitality of coastal communities and to preserve this vital element of British Columbia’s image as a world-class tourism destination.

Year: 2007 Category: Transportation Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Motorized Scooters

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Provincial Government be requested to establish province-wide guidelines for the safe operation of motorized scooters.

Year: 2007 Category: Transportation Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Highway 19 Location Markers

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Ministry of Transportation be requested to reconsider its policy with a view to spacing highway location markers closer together.

Year: 2007 Category: Transportation Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Highway 19 Design Review

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Ministry of Transportation be requested to undertake a design review of Highway 19 with a view to initiating repairs to the Highway as required, particularly in the following areas identified by the RCMP: 1) Northbound lane – McNaughton Creek Bridge to Buckley Bay turnoff 2) Southbound lane – Buckley Bay turnoff to McNaughton Creek Bridge 3) Northbound Lane – Comox Valley Parkway to Mt. Washington/Dove Creek turnoff.

Year: 2007 Category: Transportation Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Bike Lane Funding

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities urge the Provincial Government to amend their grant application criteria to include consideration of funding for 1.5 metre (shoulder) bike lanes located on only one side of a road.

Year: 2007 Category: Land Use Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Parkland Dedication

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Provincial legislation be changed to increase the amount of land that may be required for parkland dedication or a minimum of cash in lieu to 10%.

Year: 2007 Category: Land Use Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Woodlot Program Expansion

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities and the Union of BC Municipalities encourage the Minister of Forests and Range to give priority effort to resolving any administrative obstacles that might be inhibiting expansion of the woodlot program.

Year: 2007 Category: Land Use Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Noise on Private Managed Forest Lands

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the provincial government allows local government noise bylaws to apply and to be enforced on private managed forest lands adjacent to residential areas.

Year: 2007 Category: Land Use Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Crown Leases Within Local Government Jurisdiction

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities urge the Province to require the Integrated Land Management Bureau to consult with the applicable local government prior to the renewal of a Crown lease and to provide language in standard tenure agreements to clarify that tenure holders must pay all taxes, fees and charges levied by any government, including a local government jurisdiction and, should a Crown lessee default upon their local taxes, that the Province will compensate the local government for this loss of revenue and, at its earliest opportunity, cancel the Crown lease.

Year: 2007 Category: Land Use Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Geoduck Farming

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Province provide local governments with the scientific information that would provide the rationale for the Provincial Government’s decision to proceed with commercial geoduck farming.

Year: 2007 Category: Environment Status: Withdrawn by Sponsor Resolution: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the provincial government not give approval to coal-fired electrical generation operations until technologically advanced methods of generating electricity have developed that do not result in greenhouse gas productions.

Year: 2007 Category: Finance Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Property Transfer Tax Revenues

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities support the BCREA recommendation to direct a portion of Property Transfer Tax revenues to address the affordable housing infrastructure deficit, and further, that the Union of BC Municipalities be requested to provide a unified supporting voice.

Year: 2007 Category: Finance Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Capital Funding For Emergency Programmes

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that funding is made available to local governments so they may make appropriate infrastructure or capital acquisitions improvements to deal with forest fires, floods, windstorms, and earthquakes and the breakdown in utility systems and earthquakes.

Year: 2007 Category: Finance Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Streamlining Funding Applications

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the federal and provincial governments immediately undertake an overhaul of their Infrastructure Grants application forms to realistically accommodate for the capacities of all communities so all may have reasonable and equitable opportunity to access these vital funds.

Year: 2007 Category: Tourism Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Northern Vancouver Island Tourism Marketing Campaign

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities requests that the 2006 tourism marketing campaign for the communities of northern Vancouver Island, as administered by Tourism Vancouver Island, be continued in 2007 and on an on-going basis.

Year: 2007 Category: Selected Issues Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement Between BC and Allberta

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities and the Union of BC Municipalities be requested to review the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement between BC and Alberta and consult with the provincial government and local government with the intent of exempting local governments from the agreement, or at the least making the required changes;

AND FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that AVICC and UBCM urgently requests that the Premier of British Columbia negotiate with the government of Alberta, a suspension of the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement until full consultations can be completed with all local governments and other affected bodies.

Year: 2007 Category: Selected Issues Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement Between BC and Alberta

Year: 2007 Category: Selected Issues Status: Withdrawn by Sponsor Resolution: UBCM Procedures For Handling Resolutions

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities request the Union of BC Municipalities to amend Rule 27(i) to provide that only those who would speak in opposition to a resolution may request that it be removed and entered for discussion.

Year: 2007 Category: Selected Issues Status: Endorsed by AVICC and Referred to UBCM First Nations Committee Resolution: Participation Of First Nations At UBCM

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of BC Municipalities enables full participation of First Nations in meaningful discussions and the opportunity to have full membership on all standing and select committees of the Union of BC Municipalities.

Year: 2007 Category: Selected Issues Status: Referred to AVICC to UBCM First Nations Committee Resolution: Participation Of First Nations At AVICC

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities enables full participation of First Nations in meaningful discussions and the opportunity to have full membership on all standing and select committees of the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Committees.

Year: 2007 Category: Selected Issues Status: Endorsed by AVICC and Referred to UBCM First Nations Committee Resolution: Participation Of First Nations At UBCM

Year: 2007 Category: Selected Issues Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Placement of New Power Utility Lines

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Provincial Government and BC Hydro take remedial measures to ensure that future power outages are minimized, if not eliminated by taking immediate measures to protect transformers, hydro poles and power lines and to place power lines underground in areas where they are especially susceptible to damage by weather.

Year: 2007 Category: Selected Issues Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Terasen Gas Locate Policy

R32 TERASEN GAS LOCATE POLICY Nanaimo City

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Province be asked to amend the Gas Safety Regulation to require the gas utility company to attend on site to mark out buried gas line locations in connection with excavation work.

Year: 2007 Category: Selected Issues Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Water Declaration

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities work with all levels of government to develop water policies that protect and conserve natural sources of water, and ensure that the delivery, management and regulation of water and services is a public responsibility, affordable and accountable to BC citizens.

Year: 2007 Category: Late Resolutions Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Community Social Planning

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities and the Union of BC Municipalities ask the provincial government to commit to providing sustained financial support for local community social planning processes that serve to support and integrate responses to social issues throughout BC.

Year: 2007 Category: Late Resolutions Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Provincial Funding For Archaeological Costs Borne By Local Government

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Province of BC consider providing funding equal to 100% of the total expenditures borne by local governments to record and document archaeological findings in accordance with the provincial Heritage Conservation Act.

Year: 2007 Category: Late Resolutions Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Revitalization Programs For Resource Communities

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities and the Union of BC Municipalities request that the province meet to develop effective revitalization programs for the province’s resource communities, including an investigation into tax restructuring to eliminate disincentives to upgrade buildings and reintroduction of the Downtown Revitalization Program.

Year: 2007 Category: Late Resolutions Status: Withdrawn by Sponsor Resolution: Trade and Investment Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA)

THEREFORE the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities requests the Union of BC Municipalities to urgently convene a meeting of concerned municipalities to form a working group that will: (a) be sufficiently resourced to undertake an immediate review of the impact of this agreement on municipalities, and (b) immediately upon conclusion of this review undertake negotiations with the Province Government to have TILMA amended so that it is in alignment with current municipal legislation and protects municipalities from the consequences of this agreement.

Year: 2007 Category: Late Resolutions Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Blood Samples Act

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the AVICC request that the UBCM, through its Executive, direct its staff to pursue and research this issue and work with the provincial government to draft a form of Blood Samples Act, similar to other jurisdictions, such as Ontario and Alberta.

Year: 2007 Category: Late Resolutions Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Conservation Investments And Incentives Initiative Fund

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities lobby the governments of BC and Canada to ensure “ALL” residents of the BC Central Coast are deemed eligible recipients and beneficiaries.

Year: 2007 Category: Late Resolutions Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: BC Ferries Route 40

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities and the Union of BC Municipalities to lobby BC Ferries and the BC Ministry of Transportation to ensure the delivery of service on Route 40.

Year: 2007 Category: Late Resolutions Status: Endorsed by AVICC Resolution: Coastal Impact of The Pine Beetle

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED the Central Coast Regional District requests the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities assistance to petition the BC Ministry of Forests and Range to review and if required, mitigate the coastal impact of the pine beetle.

The AVICC acknowledges that we are grateful to live, work, and play on the traditional territories of the 
Coast Salish, Nuu-Chah-Nulth and Kwak-Waka’wakw Peoples