Port Moody pet-friendly UBCM resolution passes, sales tax split fails to hit the floor

Port Moody’s pitch for pets got some lobbying muscle last week as the city’s push for more pet-friendly housing was endorsed at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention.

The annual convention is intended to allow local governments to band together over common issues and persuade senior levels of government to pass needed legislation. More than 180 motions were endorsed last week.

The Port Moody motion asked the province to increase both the availability and affordability of pet-friendly housing.

Coun. Amy Lubik thanked B.C. SPCA for “helping craft the motion.”

Lubik previously noted that an inability to find pet-friendly housing is the main reason renters surrender their pet to the B.C. SPCA.

The motion asks the province to work with associations representing landlords, tenants, animal welfare, public health, mental health, seniors organizations and homelessness advocates to figure out how to provide more pet-friendly housing.

Less successful was Coquitlam’s motion asking for the province to review Quebec’s sales tax transfer with an eye toward sending some of the sales tax to B.C. municipalities.

Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart had supported the motion, noting that municipalities are often asked to provide services related to poverty and equity without the “economic tools” to fund those services.

Cannabis cash

Port Moody asked for UBCM to lobby the province for a maximum of 50 percent of the cash generated from the cannabis business in B.C. The motion was endorsed.

Bracing for the heat

UBCM is also set to try to persuade the province to offer incentives for heat pumps and “other climate resilience” measures designed to protect vulnerable renters.

Port Moody also put forward a related motion that would reduce the authority of strata councils in matters that concern heat pumps and other cooling systems.

Currently, strata councils can pass bylaws that restrict tenants from adding mechanical cooling to a strata unit.

The motion ultimately asks the province to change the Strata Property Act so strata tenants can add a heat pump or a cooling system without amending individual strata bylaws.

Both motions were endorsed

Also endorsed was Port Moody’s motion asking the province to ensure high schools have improved mechanical cooling and ventilation systems as well as other resiliency measures, enabling those schools to serve as shelters in an emergency.

Coquitlam lobbied for new legislation that could allow a longer personal leave for elected officials.

Currently, elected officials who miss more than 60 straight days or four consecutive meetings can be disqualified from office unless the absence is due to illness or injury.

The motion was endorsed.

The UBCM delegates also endorsed a motion put forward by Port Moody, Burnaby, New Westminster and the City of North Vancouver to request senior levels of government “provide resources and policy direction” so local government can assess systemic inequalities.