Members of city council are heading down to Whistler next week for the final Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) conference of the current local government term.
The annual meeting serves to set policy for the organization that represents hundreds of local governments across the province.
A big component of the conference is to set policy for the coming year, which is primarily accomplished through the passing of resolutions on the convention floor.
This year, there are five resolutions from Prince George and the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George up for debate.
The regional district is calling for changes to the province's stewardship programs, such as take-it-back programs for electronics, lighting, tires and packaging and printed paper.
A review of 14 different stewardship categories found that while Prince George was being serviced, other electoral areas and member municipalities didn't have reasonable collection access, said RDFFG chair Art Kaehn.
"We'd like to see the recycling regulation changed to ensure product stewards provide collection services in all communities where fees are collected," said Kaehn. "If residents are paying into collection programs, they should have reasonable access to services."
For example, the new packaging and printed paper regulation led to curbside recycling at single-family homes in Prince George already served by curbside garbage collection. However, the service - funded and operated by Multi-Material B.C. - does not provide any pickup or funding for drop depots in any of the remaining RDFFG communities.
The Southern Interior Local Government Association also has a recycling-related resolution for consideration, calling for the province to "ensure full and robust consultation in the implementation of Multi-Material BC to ensure financial fairness to our constituents and maximize diversion rates."
Prince George delegates will also be using their opportunity to meet with provincial cabinet ministers in Whistler to discuss their continued discontent with the MMBC recycling program.
"We've got 500 homes in the city that are not receiving recycling collection service because the MMBC contract chose to match city garbage collection instead of municipal residential recycling collection," said Mayor Shari Green. "And I don't think that's fair and equitable. So we will encourage the province to hold MMBC to the intent of the legislation, which is to provide recycling to every British Columbian."
A Prince George-sponsored resolution calls for the province to reinstate funding for communities to offer programs and services for sexually exploited children and youth.
"We've been able over the years to cobble together some small grants to keep our local CASEY [Community Against Sexual Exploitation of Youth] alive," said Coun. Murry Krause. Council made the decision to move forward with a related UBCM resolution following a presentation by CASEY co-ordinator Diane Nakamura.
The city is one of four municipalities asking the organization to support their federal counterpart's campaign for a stable and secure housing system.
"I think it's really important to start having the conversation that if we're going to reap all the benefits of economic development, which seem to be promised to come our way, we really do have to get out in front of the whole housing issue," said Krause. "Because as we're already seeing lower income people are being removed from their housing to make room for people who can pay more. And of course those are leaving the most vulnerable homeless."
The RDFFG is asking the province to step up funding for operating and equipping hospitals and health facilities, noting "regional hospital districts and local taxpayers cannot be expected to increase their funding contributions to address [the] critical gap."
A final resolution from the regional district looks to encourage the Fire Underwriters Survey - which classifies local government fire protection services for the insurance industry - to recognize small community volunteer fire departments.
Infrastructure issues and crime reduction will also be a point of conversation for Prince George council in meetings with their respective ministries while in Whistler.
"Northern British Columbia is certainly seeing more than its share of crime and much of it is migrating in to Prince George, particularly from northwestern B.C.," said Green. "So we want to hear more from the province on what their northern strategy is going to look like and how we can help them with that."
Election ready
Coun. Murry Krause, who has sat on the UBCM executive as a director-at-large since 2009 is looking to move up the ranks within the group. Next week, Krause is on the ballot for the third vice-president spot.
If successful, and re-elected to council in November, Krause would be on track to be UBCM president by 2018.
"I value the work UBCM does," Krause said, but didn't the think the time was right before to make the leap from director to table officer.
"I think at UBCM we strive to make sure there's good representation from the province on the president's committee," Krause said. And with a Cariboo Regional District director having been elected to the third vice president role in 2012, Krause said he waited and if elected will fill the role currently held by by a Campbell River councillor.
Regional District of Fraser-Fort George director Art Kaehn is also up for re-election to the UBCM executive as the electoral area representative, a role he's held since 2012.
Full agenda
The conference, which officially begins Sept. 24, will feature some pre-convention events, such as a panel Krause is chairing on reconciliation with aboriginal groups.
There will also be another meeting of the B.C. Mayors' Caucus, which Mayor Shari Green helped establish. Green is on the caucus steering committee and as she is not seeking re-election, the meeting will be her last.
"It's really become a valuable resource for mayors because they are only one - there's only one mayor in your community," said Green. "Certainly councillors have peers within their community and neighbouring communities but mayors need to reach out. The best way we were able to do that is the creation of this mayors' caucus."
