No love from UBCM for local resolutions
Not one of the resolutions put forward by local governments in this region was approved at this week’s convention of the Union of B.C. Municipalities.
Delegates, who are attending virtually, punted on three items put forward by the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, plus rejected one from the City of Penticton.
The city’s resolution called on the B.C. government to fund 50% of the cost of a social development co-ordinator in communities with more than 10,000 people “in order to work collaboratively with stakeholders in the alignment of policy, strategies and resourcing.”
The UBCM’s own resolutions committee recommended delegates reject the Penticton proposal, which emerged after the city hired its own social development co-ordinator.
“Such a request for funding may be perceived as a request for downloading insofar as support and integration of social services is a provincial responsibility,” the recommendation noted.
All three resolutions from the RDOS were passed on to the UBCM executive for consideration, simply because delegates ran out of time for debate.
The resolutions call for expanded use of forced-air burning systems to help spread out the agricultural burning season; new recycling regulations to allow more effective disposal of sharps and non-refillable pressurized tanks; and permission for regional districts to create seats for First Nations on their boards.
The UBCM is a provincial umbrella group for local governments. Policies that are approved at the annual convention are passed along to the B.C government, which responds to them – typically by explaining what the province is already doing on each issue.