A resolution proposed by the Town of Smithers to have the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) urge the provincial government to have BC Hydro promptly replace all streetlights within BC municipalities to LEDs was endorsed at the UBCM’s 2019 annual convention.
The resolution also requests that UBCM urge the Province to provide municipalities with the financial resources necessary to continue paying for streetlight inefficiencies if they are unable to replace a municipality’s lights with LEDs.
“BC Hydro owns a significant percentage of streetlights in BC municipalities, especially in smaller communities, and many of these streetlights still use inefficient incandescent technology despite demonstrated energy and cost savings of 50-70 per cent with conversion to LED technology,” the resolution presented at the convention read.
“Local governments are responsible for paying for the ongoing operating cost of BC Hydro-owned street lighting using property tax revenue: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the provincial government to require BC Hydro to expeditiously replace all streetlights within BC municipalities with LED technology, or provide municipalities with the financial resources necessary to continue paying for the operation of its inefficient streetlights.”
In it’s recommendations to the conference the Resolutions Committee notes UBCM membership has previously endorsed two resolutions addressing street lighting conversion to LED bulbs that focused on the environmental benefits of a reduced carbon footprint with a conversion whereas this resolution “focuses on the economic savings to the local government.”
Another resolution which had been brought up in previous Smithers council meetings is the “Fresh Voices #LostVotes” campaign.
The resolution requested that UBCM ask the Province, which has governing authority to implement electoral legislative changes pertaining to giving permanent residents the right to vote, to make the necessary changes to allow permanent residents to vote in local government elections in British Columbia.
The Resolutions Committee advised that UBCM membership has never considered a resolution regarding asking the Province to grant permanent residents the right to vote.
The resolution was endorsed.
The UBCM convention took place Sep. 23-27 at the Vancouver Convention Centre.