Details

WHEREAS local governments invest considerable time and effort in researching, preparing and submitting proper (early) resolutions, through their respective councils, boards and area associations to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities;

AND WHEREAS the necessity for late resolutions is recognized, they often result in time constraints that in turn pre-empt early resolutions from debate and becoming no longer the property of the membership as they are referred to Union of British Columbia Municipalities executive for decision:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the North Central Local Government Association requests the Union of British Columbia Municipalities enable all early resolutions to remain the property of the membership at convention until they are duly debated and disposed of.

Background Information

UBCM Comments:

The UBCM membership has not previously considered a resolution asking that all resolutions received before the deadline remain “the property of the membership” until duly debated and disposed of by the membership.

For any resolution not printed in the Resolutions Book, the UBCM membership is the body that decides whether or not to admit the resolution for debate at Convention. This includes late resolutions as well as resolutions from off the floor. The requirement to admit such a resolution for debate is support from a sixty per cent majority of the voting delegates present. The UBCM membership holds the authority to determine whether debate can be completed at Convention on all resolutions received before the June 30 submission deadline.

The sponsor’s proposal raises a number of practical challenges for Convention organizers. Instances will arise when the time frame allotted in the Convention agenda to debate resolutions, expires. Should then the entire Convention agenda be changed on an ad-hoc basis to finish debate of all resolutions? Should the Convention policy session be allowed to run late on the final day of Convention? There are end times for room rental at the convention centre, as well as travel plans made by Convention attendees who begin to make their way home.

UBCM notes that members endorsed resolution 2012-B142, which asked the UBCM Executive and staff to undertake policy amendments to “ensure that sufficient time is provided to hear and decide upon all resolutions submitted for consideration at the annual UBCM Convention.”