Parksville council hopes the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities will urge the provincial government to consult more with municipalities prior to passing legislation that will affect their capacity and authority.
The AVICC represents municipalities, regional districts and other local governments on Vancouver Island and coastal B.C.
It meets every spring for a convention where members vote on resolutions, with some continuing on to the Union of BC Municipalities convention in the fall — important for requesting funding from the province.
The resolution is looking for "meaningful technical level consultation with municipalities about the feasibility and practicality of implementation" and "reasonable timelines for local governments to adapt to legislative changes". It also brings up the prospect of funding for municipalities to come along with permanent changes that create additional work for municipal staff.
“We feel that we’re being left out of the loop with all the latest housing changes that have happened in the last year," said Mayor Doug O'Brien during council's Dec. 2 meeting. "We want to increase the capacity for seeking further funding for a lot of these projects that are ongoing for infrastructure and so forth.”
The motion notes "a significant volume of legislative and regulatory amendments", with changes spread across "multiple, diverse topics and require specialized knowledge to implement locally". It also mentions that many Island municipalities are small organizations with limited capacity.
"The Provincial government has adopted legislation at a rapid pace, leaving local governments scrambling to keep up and maintain compliance with the requirements," reads the background section that accompanied the draft motion. "Council’s strategic priorities have been deferred as staff are redeployed to provincial mandates."
Coun. Joel Grenz noted the motion "speaks to the need for more of a two-way dialogue between local government and province when it comes to some of the provincial legislation coming our way.”
The motion was carried unanimously.
The 2025 AVICC convention is scheduled for April 11 to April 13 in Nanaimo.
