That Council direct Staff to submit the following resolutions to the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities for consideration at their 2024 Annual General Meeting:
1. Investment in Complex Care Beds
"WHEREAS in 2022, the BC Emergency Health Services reported a 75% total increase in annual overdose/poisoning events since the toxic drug crisis was declared a public health emergency in 2016 and the BC Provincial Overdose Cohort reports that brain injury is 15 times more likely among people who had experienced drug poisoning than those who had not;
AND WHEREAS the number of supports available for individuals requiring complex care due to health challenges related to substance use disorder has proven grossly inadequate for the ever-increasing demand in communities all across British Columbia;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM lobby the Province to increase investment in complex care beds to address the growing demand from those who have suffered serious health impacts from substance use disorder."
2. Mental Health Liaison Officers
"WHEREAS RCMP members continue to respond to a significant number of calls for service for individuals dealing with mental health challenges and Mental Health Liaison Officers have proven to be an effective resource for assisting vulnerable citizens requiring support;
AND WHEREAS local governments are not provided funding to pay for healthcare and social services and there has been no increase in the Provincial funding model to support these officers responding to chronic/crisis mental health calls;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM advocate for the Province to fund RCMP Mental Health Liaison Officers within local detachments."
3. Provincial Housing Coordinator
"WHEREAS the number of people experiencing homelessness or housing instability across the Province has been increasing at an unprecedented rate;
AND WHEREAS the Province has invested considerable funds in supportive housing, the majority of which operate as low barrier facilities making it challenging for individuals in recovery to secure housing options that support an addiction-free lifestyle;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM lobby the Province to establish a Provincial Housing Coordinator to work directly with those persons who are experiencing homelessness and who are not in need of supports, to find suitable housing."
4. Provincial Core Funding for Evolving Public Libraries
"WHEREAS core funding for public libraries in British Columbia has remained unchanged since 2009, limiting their ability to expand and evolve their programming as demand for their services increases;
AND WHEREAS the operational requirements of public libraries increasingly require significant and diverse resources to provide front-line community services, including supporting patrons with mental health and addiction issues as well as barriers to housing, providing critical locations of refuge during extreme weather events, providing services to new Canadians, and supporting the process of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that AVICC call on the provincial government to recognize the evolving and challenging situation for public libraries as well as their unique role as community spaces, and increase annual core funding for libraries to $30 million in keeping with the request made by the BC Public Library Partners and the recommendation of the province’s Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this increase in core funding be increased on a yearly basis in keeping with cost of living and inflationary pressures."