Rules For Resolutions Sessions
Rules For Resolutions Sessions
Rules For Resolutions Sessions
Change
RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE
L to R: Eileen Clarke, AMM Urban Vice-President; Denis Carter, Reeve, RM of Woodworth, Western District; Doug Dobrowolski, AMM President; David Single, Reeve, RM of Westbourne, Midwestern District; Jacques Trudeau, Councillor, RM of Tach, Eastern District; Roger Wilson, AMM Rural Vice-President; George Fontaine, Mayor, City of Flin Flon, Northern District; Craig Mohr, Councillor, RM of Shell River, Parkland District; Don Wiebe, Reeve, RM of Rhineland, Central District; and Kurtiss Krasnesky, Councillor, RM of St. Andrews, Interlake District
1. 2.
Members of the resolutions committee will read out the operative clauses of a given resolution - i.e. the resolved portion. The chair will move the resolution. The chair will call for a seconder who will second the resolution by providing their name and municipality. at hand.
3. 4.
The seconder will open debate on the resolution. Then any municipal Anyone speaking to a resolution will have a maximum of two minutes. The time remaining for speakers will be displayed, counting from two
6.
The seconder will be invited to close debate. to vote with their assigned handheld voting device.
8. 9.
Should more than two amendments come forward, the chair may send the resolution to the resolutions committee and the parliamentarian for their consideration.
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RESOLUTION CATEGORIES
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rESOLUTiON CATEGOriES
The following categories shall apply to all resolutions submitted for consideration by the Association of Manitoba Municipalities at either the Annual Convention or the District Meetings.
Resolutions in this grouping will not be presented at the District Meetings or the Annual Convention; instead, they will be dealt with by the Board of Directors as
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RESOLUTIONS INDEX
rESOLUTiONS iNDEX
1 - 2012 2 - 2012 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 Convention Agenda Two Minute Speaking Time Limit at the Ministerial Forum Insurance Premiums 1% Municipal Infrastructure Levy Community Pastures Control of PFRA Community Pastures PFRA Shelterbelt Program Notice for Pipeline Abandonment Pipeline Abandonment & Removal Administration Program Continued Funding for Regional Development Corporations Coal Use in Manitoba Conservation Agreement Timelines Nature Conservancy of Canada Land Purchases Drainage on Crown Lands Water Level Information Improve Water Quality of Manitoba Waterways Amend Winter Fertilization Application Restrictions Support for LIDAR Coverage Handling Fee for Collection of School Taxes Adequate Flood Compensation for All Losses to Assiniboine Valley Producers Emergency Volunteer Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba Exempt Municipal Governments Regional Health Authority Board Representation for Hospitals Amend The Real Property Act Purposes Merging Lanes
12 - 2012 13 - 2012 14 - 2012 15 - 2012 17 - 2012 18 - 2012 19 - 2012 20 - 2012 21 - 2012 22 - 2012 23 - 2012 25 - 2012 26 - 2012 27 - 2012 28 - 2012 30 - 2012
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31 32 33 34 35 36 37
38 - 2012 39 - 2012 40 - 2012 41 - 2012 42 - 2012 43 44 45 46 47 48 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012
Gravel Inventory Report 2011 Flood Levels Channel to Drain Lake Manitoba Special Constable Training Programs Building Manitoba Fund Base Base Amount for Infrastructure Funding Implement School Land Dedication or Cash in Lieu of Land for Subdivisions Amend The Planning Act Use of True Market Value for Assessment Purposes Include Mines and Minerals in Land Titles Exemption of Regional Partnership from Real Property Taxes Exempt Public Libraries from Education Levies and Taxes PSAB Training and Assistance Amend Population Base for Policing Provincial Per Capita Funding for RCMP Assessment Losses Pipeline Abandonment Funding Formula for Oil Related Revenue for Municipalities Amend The Planning Act to Allow Use of Fines as Enforcement High Speed Internet and Cell Service for Rural Manitoba (Standing Policy) Maintenance of Right-of-way on Provincial Drains (Standing Policy) Additional Funding for Palliative Care Services in Manitoba (Standing Policy) Base Tax for Essential Services (Standing Policy) Increase Funding for Mobility Disadvantaged Transportation Program (Standing Policy)
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WHEREAS the Provincial Veterinary Service Commission involves members from the majority of municipalities in Manitoba and meets regularly during the time of the AMM Annual Convention; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities include an afternoon timeslot and meeting room for the Provincial Veterinary Services Board.
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AMM Resolution #2-2012 Two Minute Speaking Time Limit at the Ministerial Forum
Sponsor(s) Piney, RM (Eastern) Department(s) AMM
WHEREAS the Association of Manitoba Municipalities hosts the Ministerial Forum at the Annual Convention for municipal members to ask current questions to the Ministers; AND WHEREAS there is a two minute enforced speaking time limit per municipal member; AND WHEREAS there is no time limit during the Ministerial Forum; AND WHEREAS this has allowed municipal members to dominate the Ministerial Forum discussion, limiting the opportunity for other municipal members to question the Ministers regarding issues; AND WHEREAS the Association of Manitoba Municipalities represents all municipalities facing a multitude of issues; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities enforce a two minute speaking time limit at the Ministerial Forum.
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WHEREAS municipal corporations in Manitoba obtain property insurance, equipment and other insurance coverage through Western Financial Group Insurance Solutions with assistance from the Association of Manitoba Municipalities and the Municipal Trading Company of Manitoba; AND WHEREAS many factors are taken into consideration in determining cost of insurance premiums, one of which is property and equipment valuation; AND WHEREAS property and equipment values are determined by Western Financial Group Insurance Solutions based on asset type, construction, age, etc. and may or may not include on-site inspections or appraisals; AND WHEREAS land values and infrastructure continue to rise at an alarming rate; AND WHEREAS property and equipment values are important for municipalities to make informed decisions on insurance coverage and are supplied to municipalities upon request; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities request Western Financial Group Insurance Solutions to provide property and equipment values to all municipalities on an annual basis prior to policy renewals; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLvED THAT Western Financial Group Insurance Solutions provide municipal corporations with on-site property inspections or appraisals on a bi-annual basis.
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WHEREAS a report produced by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) stated that 69% of Canadians regard local infrastructure as the most important priority for continued pending; AND WHEREAS municipalities are responsible for 53% of Canadas infrastructure while receiving only 8 cents from every tax dollar; AND WHEREAS the Putting Communities First campaign organized by the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) received 151 council resolutions from Municipalities within the Province of Manitoba to address the increased concern regarding the growing AND WHEREAS 40% of current federal investments in municipalities are scheduled to expire by 2014, including the Building Canada Fund; AND WHEREAS the Government of Canada and Province of Manitoba have indicated there are limited funds available to municipalities to address this concern; AND WHEREAS the AMM, after meeting with the Federal Conservative Members of Parliament from Manitoba, has been assured the Government of Canada will listen to the needs of communities before implementing the new long term infrastructure plan; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Government of Canada to place an additional 1% Municipal Infrastructure Levy over and above the existing levels to be distributed as they are with the Gas Tax Fund; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLvED THAT the monies collected by the Municipal Infrastructure Levy would be for the sole purpose of infrastructure works.
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WHEREAS the Government of Canada has announced they will no longer be administering the community pastures program and will divest themselves of the land base over the next six years and transfer responsibility to the Province of Manitoba; AND WHEREAS community pastures are crucial to the viability of cattle producers in Manitoba;
many years making community pasture space critical; AND WHEREAS land designated for a community pasture is best suited for this use and change to that use would be detrimental to said land; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Government of Canada and Province of Manitoba to continue the community pasture program and include municipalities and cattle producers in discussions regarding future decisions with the program; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLvED THAT community pasture land remain intact and available for pasturing to area residents.
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WHEREAS the Government of Canada has announced community pastures will be transitioned out of federal management gradually over 6 years; AND WHEREAS the Government of Canada will divest 10 pastures in 2013, followed by additional pastures each year until full divestiture is achieved in 2018; AND WHEREAS there are many livestock producers who without these pastures for summer grazing will have to reduce their herds or be forced into a herd dispersal position, which would have a THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Government of Canada to turn control of the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) community pastures over to the municipalities in favour, either by ownership or management.
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WHEREAS the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) was established by the Federal government in 1935 to help mitigate the impacts of a prolonged and disastrous drought with a mandate to deal with the problems of soil erosion and lack of water resources areas of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, including on-farm dugouts for the conservation of water, strip farming to prevent extensive soil drifting, seeding of abandoned land to curb erosion and create community pastures, and extensive tree planting projects to protect the soil from wind erosion; AND WHEREAS the Federal government announced the AND WHEREAS this program has been instrumental in building the agri-forestry of the prairies and has provided over 650 million trees to farmers and rural landowners since 1901; trees on the agricultural landscape, including carbon sequestration, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, soil and water conservation; AND WHEREAS the loss of this program will have far-reaching THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Government of Canada to maintain the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) Shelterbelt modify the program, while still maintaining it for future generations and future farm yards.
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WHEREAS many Manitoba municipalities receive tax revenue from pipelines running through their municipality; AND WHEREAS the revenue received can have a major impact on a AND WHEREAS these pipelines will potentially be abandoned; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Government of Canada to have the owners budgets can be adjusted accordingly; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLvED THAT the Government of Canada notify municipalities when federally regulated pipeline companies plan for physical abandonment and provide information regarding requests for cost estimates, and pipeline abandonment plans on municipal rights-of-way and agricultural lands.
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THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Government of Canada to oppose the abandonment in place of any National Energy Board regulated pipeline located anywhere within the jurisdiction of any Manitoba municipality; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLvED THAT any federally regulated pipeline must be removed upon abandonment.
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THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba through the Assiniboine Community College, comparable to the University of Manitoba CMMA program; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLvED THAT a regular day or evening program to be completed within one year, versus the current distance education program which can take up to
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WHEREAS Regional Development Corporations play a vital role throughout Manitoba by providing a regional entity to promote community and economic development in rural Manitoba; AND WHEREAS Rural Development Corporations are often the only economic development organization representing small rural communities, therefore their presence throughout regions of Manitoba is necessary. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba for continued and sustained funding for Regional Development Corporations to ensure they are equipped to provide services and resources to help rural communities continue to grow and thrive.
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WHEREAS the Province of Manitoba has initiated the emissions tax on coal to every person purchasing more than one tonne of coal for use in Manitoba as of January 1, 2012; AND WHEREAS the Province is banning the use of coal used for space and water heating as of January 1, 2014; AND WHEREAS many areas in Manitoba are limited to hydro energy only as other products are limited or not accessible; AND WHEREAS the Province introduced the Manitoba Biomass Energy Support Program on January 1, 2012 with a submission deadline of March 9, 2012; AND WHEREAS the Province did not allow adequate time for municipalities and residents or industry to plan for the conversion of infrastructure necessary to utilize alternate energy sources; AND WHEREAS biomass energy sources are not yet available to meet the needs of Manitobans; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to abolish the banning date on use of coal in Manitoba; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to provide alternate incentives to Manitobans to convert existing coal systems to alternate energy sources.
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WHEREAS there has been an increase in conservation agreements throughout the Province of Manitoba; AND WHEREAS these agreements between land owners and the conservation agency are in perpetuity; AND WHEREAS these agreements tie the hands of the municipalities for future land development and use of land; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba term on conservation agreements that would not exceed twenty years.
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WHEREAS municipalities, adjacent to Riding Mountain National Park, are prime habitat areas for wildlife due to the forestation, vegetation and abundance of water; AND WHEREAS the Nature Conservancy of Canada has been actively acquiring substantial tracts of property within municipalities adjacent to Riding Mountain National Park for aforesaid purposes; AND WHEREAS some municipalities contain numerous quarter sections of unoccupied and leased Crown lands, most suitable and conducive for wildlife, in addition to Riding Mountain National Park and numerous provincial parks, thereby making further land acquisition by the Nature Conservancy of Canada counterproductive and unnecessary; AND WHEREAS the Nature Conservancy of Canada retains all of its property in a natural state without any improvements resulting in low assessments and low property taxes; AND WHEREAS such practices by the Nature Conservancy of Canada has proven detrimental to the well-being of many of the municipalities in the area, in that residents must compete with the Nature Conservancy of Canada for the acquisition of aforesaid lands required for agricultural purposes; AND WHEREAS some municipalities are alarmed at the rate of lost productive agricultural lands here and elsewhere in the province;
...continued
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families reside on and farm these lands. Families normally would make improvements to the land and erect buildings including housing and other structures, thus generating essential tax revenue. Families contribute to the general well being of their community by virtue of stabilizing school enrolments; ensuring the existence of health care facilities in their communities and maintaining the vitality within the local business community; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to implement a moratorium on the purchasing of land by the Nature Conservancy of Canada and impose a recreational tax on existing Nature Conservancy of Canada properties; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLvED THAT the Province of Manitoba held lands have on municipalities throughout the province.
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WHEREAS Ducks Unlimited Canada has purchased and/or signed leases on a substantial amount of acres within the boundaries of some municipalities; AND WHEREAS some municipalities have concern for the conservation of land but are also responsible for maintaining the infrastructure in the municipality; AND WHEREAS municipalities have no recourse for private landowners selling or leasing their lands to Ducks Unlimited Canada; AND WHEREAS projects undertaken by Ducks Unlimited Canada in past years have become in need of serious repair and Ducks Unlimited chooses not to repair or monitor these projects; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to classify land owned by Ducks Unlimited Canada or other conservation groups municipalities to maintain projects and/or repair infrastructure that projects sponsored by Ducks Unlimited Canada or other conservation groups.
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WHEREAS some municipalities have large amounts of Crown lands in their jurisdictions; AND WHEREAS drainage of all agricultural land is important to some municipalities; AND WHEREAS the Province of Manitoba has decided not to allow any drainage works, minor or otherwise, on Crown land; AND WHEREAS drainage improvement is essential for the improvement of land and potential sale; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to reverse its decision and allow drainage works to continue on Crown land under the same rules as all other lands in the province.
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WHEREAS the Province of Manitoba has made improvements to the AND WHEREAS the Red River and Assiniboine River have created AND WHEREAS there is room for more improvements on the water level portion of the Province of Manitoba website; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to provide water level information in a more timely manner in times of high water
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WHEREAS water issues have been at the forefront facing municipalities of today; AND WHEREAS we understand the issues associated with nutrient loading of phosphates and nitrates within our streams, rivers and lakes, within Canada and the world; AND WHEREAS Manitobas streams, rivers and lakes of Manitoba are under continuous pressure from nutrient loading; AND WHEREAS Manitoba municipalities have an opportunity to lead the way in procurement, purchasing and practices for preserving our fresh waters; AND WHEREAS municipalities, through a solution strategy, agree to work on a continuous improvement of our watersheds, where the practices will maximize social, economic and environmental THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to have municipalities adopt and support lake friendly practices which will reduce nutrients and improve water quality in Lake Winnipeg and in all of Manitobas waterways.
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WHEREAS weather patterns change year to year; timely fashion; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to change the winter fertilization application ban listed in Section 12(2) of the Nutrient Management Regulation to be based on soil temperature and weather conditions rather than a set date.
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WHEREAS municipalities are increasingly acquiring LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) coverage to assist with infrastructure and drainage planning; AND WHEREAS provincial government agencies with to acquire LIDAR coverage for similar reasons; savings to public agencies with such information; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to provide the necessary resources for a partnership arrangement with local governments to achieve LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) coverage.
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WHEREAS the collection of school taxes by municipal governments creates an administrative burden and cost for the municipality; AND WHEREAS the burden of collecting delinquent accounts becomes a cost to the municipality; AND WHEREAS municipalities often bear the brunt of criticism for high taxes and tax increases, which are often the result of school taxes;
collection of school taxes for local school divisions; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to support a 2% handling fee for the collection of school taxes, payable to the municipality.
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AMM Resolution #23-2012 Adequate Flood Compensation for All Losses to Assiniboine valley Producers
Sponsor(s) Woodworth, RM (No District) Shellmouth-Boulton, RM (No District) Department(s) Manitoba Emergency Measures
approximately 40,000 acres (120 miles) of crop, hay and pasture land in the Assiniboine River Valley from the Shellmouth Dam to Brandon; AND WHEREAS the cultivated land in this area had already been seeded, fertilized and sprayed costing the agricultural producers a substantial amount of money; AND WHEREAS because of the way Manitoba Crop Insurance is operated, most of these producers will not see insurance payouts on this property; AND WHEREAS because of the operation of the Shellmouth Dam, it manner and was not within the control of these producers; AND WHEREAS for these same producers this is the third THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to assist all Assiniboine Valley producers with adequate compensation for all losses.
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WHEREAS it is deemed in the case of a state of emergency declared within the Province of Manitoba, a municipality may be asked to provide a reception centre for evacuees; AND WHEREAS the municipality is responsible for the facility and the employees maintaining same; AND WHEREAS an emergency of a large magnitude is considered a provincial responsibility and not a local taxpayer responsibility; AND WHEREAS the expected roles of the municipalities are due to cancellation of local events and damage to the facility as a result of the reception centre status; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to clarify the roles for the future, and ensure the Province dedicates adequate provincial employees to the emergency event, and has agreements in place
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AMM Resolution #25-2012 Emergency volunteer Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba Claims
Sponsor(s) St. Franois Xavier, RM (Interlake) Cartier, RM (Central) Department(s) Manitoba Family Services and Labour
WHEREAS during emergencies municipalities are heavily reliant upon volunteers; AND WHEREAS much of the volunteer work is of a physical nature, performed by unprepared persons, leading to injuries; AND WHEREAS such injuries are covered by the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba program; AND WHEREAS any workers compensation claims are processed by municipalities, which are then added to the municipal claim history and serve to raise the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba levy, possibly dramatically, for a multi-year period; AND WHEREAS in emergencies which cross municipal boundaries, or where municipalities group in an emergency management district, where the claim is made; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to take responsibility for emergency volunteer workers compensation claims.
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WHEREAS Section 112(1) of The Tax Administration and Miscellaneous Taxes Act (C.C.S.M., cT2) provides that every person who tenders for registration a transfer shall, at the time of tendering the transfer, pay land transfer tax in accordance with the formula set out therein; AND WHEREAS Section 113(2) of the Act provides for an exemption from land transfer tax where the transferee is a registered charity as AND WHEREAS municipal governments are not registered charities but are under sub-paragraph 118.1(1)(d) of The Income Tax Act (Canada) allowed to issue receipts for donations received by the municipal government; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to include municipal governments as exempt entities under Section 113(2) of The Tax Administration and Miscellaneous Taxes Act.
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AMM Resolution #27-2012 Regional Health Authority Board Representation for Hospitals
Sponsor(s) Grandview, RM (Parkland) Department(s) Manitoba Health
WHEREAS the number of Regional Health Authorities has been reduced to 5 from 11 with no prior consultation with stakeholders; AND WHEREAS there has been no organizational structure available for review; AND WHEREAS this reduction is unfavorable to rural communities; AND WHEREAS this situation can only be remedied by more location representation; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to ensure that communities with a hospital facility have representation on the Board; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLvED THAT representation be appointed or elected by the community it serves.
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WHEREAS Winnipeg Land Titles has implemented changes to the signing of transfer documents stating a lawyer must witness all signatures; AND WHEREAS many municipalities do not have a local lawyer available for witnessing signatures which results in increased costs and delays; AND WHEREAS the Province of Manitoba and Government of Canada have been exempt from this requirement; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba and Government of Canada to be granted the same exemption; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLvED THAT The Real Property Act be amended to add municipalities to the list of exempt bodies under Section 72.4(2).
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AMM Resolution #29-2012 Allow Use of Off-Road vehicles for Municipal Purposes
Sponsor(s) Morden, Town (Central) Department(s) Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation
WHEREAS due to their large size, a truck or tractor may not be suitable for certain maintenance tasks and municipalities have the need for vehicles that can be used for these various applications; these applications; road vehicles as an alternative to tractors for municipal purposes; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to allow municipalities purposes.
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WHEREAS the Province of Manitoba is responsible for the provincial trunk highways and provincial highways; AND WHEREAS municipalities must apply to the Province if and when they want to install an access driveway to their property, or create a new adjoining roadway; AND WHEREAS the Province will often take such an opportunity to force municipalities to create merging lanes, thereby forcing municipalities to incur major additional costs; AND WHEREAS the Province has numerous present roadway intersections that are much busier that do not have merging lanes; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to amend the practice of forcing municipalities to pay for merging lanes when they are required and that those costs be borne by the Province.
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WHEREAS the Province of Manitoba provides comments to Manitoba municipalities on all subdivision applications; AND WHEREAS the Province provides comments regarding availability, quality and quantity of gravel deposits on lands being developed; AND WHEREAS the aggregate report the Province refers to in the review of these properties is dated 1994 and much of the mapping was done prior to 1976; AND WHEREAS the information often seems outdated; AND WHEREAS developers have had to provide their own studies and reports in order to verify the quality, quantity and availability of gravel of certain parcels of land; AND WHEREAS this has proven costly and time consuming to the developers and often delays the subdivision approval process; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to update the gravel inventory report in order to assist Manitoba municipalities with a better development reporting system.
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WHEREAS the Province of Manitoba increased the capacity of the Portage Diversion and ran it at the full capacity of this new level; Manitoba; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to not use the 2011
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THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to build a channel to drain water from Lake Manitoba at the same rate as the Portage Diversion puts water in the lake.
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enforce all bylaws of the municipality and being trained for special AND WHEREAS there is a provincial training program available for year; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba for more training and funding for any special constable training programs.
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WHEREAS rural municipalities with policing contracts receive a higher amount from the Manitoba Building Fund Base amount than rural municipalities without policing contracts; policing contracts to pay for the required policing services; AND WHEREAS the Province of Manitoba has now requested that all funds received from the Manitoba Building Fund Base be used AND WHEREAS this is putting an unnecessary burden on our taxpayers; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to allow the Building Manitoba Base Fund which must be spent on infrastructure, be restricted to the per capita amount applicable to rural municipalities who do not have policing contracts.
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WHEREAS the majority of grant funding from the Province of Manitoba and Government of Canada is based on population as set by Census Canada; AND WHEREAS rural Manitoba, beyond the immediate radius of large centers, is experiencing population declines with each census year, AND WHEREAS providing necessary infrastructure for citizens in lower populated municipalities is an essential component in attracting and maintaining economic growth which in turn increases and secures population levels; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba and Government of Canada to create a more equitable method of infrastructure funding by establishing a base amount followed by per capita above the base.
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AMM Resolution #37-2012 Implement School Land Dedication or Cash in Lieu of Land for Subdivisions
Sponsor(s) Rhineland, RM (Central) Argyle, RM (Western) Department(s) Manitoba Local Government
WHEREAS the Province of Manitoba passed The Planning and Land Dedication for School Sites Act on June 16, 2011; AND WHEREAS this legislation will require all developers subdividing land that will result in four or more parcels and a public road to convey a portion of that land or cash in lieu of land to the applicable school board; AND WHEREAS this legislation will increase lot prices in communities due to the extra development charges; AND WHEREAS developers rarely pay the entire cost for the use of existing municipal infrastructure associated with their development; AND WHEREAS many municipalities have programs which assist developers with the installation cost and maintenance of new infrastructure to promote population and economic growth in their municipalities; from a growing property assessment and an increase in the number of students in their school divisions; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to allow municipalities the option to implement the school land dedication or cash in lieu of land for subdivisions.
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river lot areas are under utilized due to limitations of The Planning Act; AND WHEREAS current legislation does not enable facilitated resubdivision of such areas; AND WHEREAS local authorities in other provinces are enabled to initiate re-plotting processes; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to amend The Planning Act to enable local authorities to pursue the re-plotting process to improve subdivision design, service and land use
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AMM Resolution #39-2012 Use of True Market value for Assessment Purpose
Sponsor(s) Cameron, RM (Western) Department(s) Manitoba Local Government
WHEREAS quarries such as gravel pits are presently assessed for agricultural value and the market value of the quarries is not considered in calculating the assessed value for taxation purposes; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to allow the true market value of quarries to be used for assessment purposes.
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WHEREAS all roads within a municipality, other than those provided for provincially, are registered in the name of and are the responsibility of the municipality; AND WHEREAS the mines and minerals associated with municipal roads are registered with Her Majesty The Queen; AND WHEREAS when a municipal road is closed, the mines and minerals remain with Her Majesty The Queen, which requires the municipality to submit an application to have the mines and minerals transferred back, which application can only occur after the municipal road has closed; AND WHEREAS the process to have the mines and minerals transferred back to be included in the title to the municipal road is a very lengthy process and discourages a municipality from initiating the process and thereby creates titles to properties where a portion of the title to the property will include mines and minerals and a portion will exclude mines and minerals; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to have the mines and minerals automatically revert back to be included in the land title whenever a municipal road is closed.
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AMM Resolution #41-2012 Exemption of Regional Partnership from Real Property Taxes
Sponsor(s) St. Andrews, RM (Interlake) Department(s) Manitoba Local Government
WHEREAS municipalities are increasingly providing public services through regional partnerships; AND WHEREAS current legislation does not exempt partnering municipalities from paying property taxes to the host municipality; AND WHEREAS it is acknowledged that host municipalities should be compensated for the services provided to the partnership owned real property; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to amend The Municipal Assessment Act to exempt regional partnerships from real property taxes.
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AMM Resolution #42-2012 Exempt Public Libraries from Education Levies and Taxes
Sponsor(s) Stonewall, Town (Interlake) Rockwood, RM (Interlake) Department(s) Manitoba Local Government Manitoba Culture, Heritage and Tourism
WHEREAS there are ninety-two public libraries in the Province of Manitoba formed under The Public Libraries Act and funded by the Province and member municipalities; AND WHEREAS public library properties are subject to the other property provincial education support levy and the local school division education levy; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to amend The Municipal Assessment Act to exempt public library properties from provincial and local school division education levies and taxes.
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WHEREAS the Province of Manitoba introduced PSAB reporting in 2009; the reporting requirements; AND WHEREAS municipal audits are being held up because of PSAB reporting which has resulted in the Province of Manitoba withholding gas tax money until audit reports are completed; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to provide assistance to municipalities to ensure they receive the necessary tools and training to meet the requirements of the municipal auditor and PSAB that were set out in 2009.
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WHEREAS the Province of Manitoba has constitutional jurisdiction over the administration of justice which includes the responsibility of policing; AND WHEREAS Section 13(1) and (2) of The Police Services Act of 750 or greater must provide policing services; AND WHEREAS the population threshold requiring municipalities Canadian provinces; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to amend the population base to 5,000 or greater.
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WHEREAS the current system for provincial funding of RCMP service municipalities paying too much, relative to their population, for policing services, while others pay too little; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to revise the provincial funding formula for policing costs so that provincial policing services from the RCMP participate in funding RCMP service based on their population, on a per capita basis, with the Province
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The Challenge of
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RESOLUTIONS
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RESOLUTIONS
The Challenge of
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WHEREAS currently pipelines are assessed based on a rate per mile abandoned lines are removed from assessment; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to maintain the assessments, regardless of the pipeline being abandoned. The assessment should continue to be applied as long as the pipe remains in the ground.
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The Challenge of
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RESOLUTIONS
AMM Resolution #48-2012 Funding Formula for Oil Related Revenue for Municipalities
Sponsor(s) Pipestone, RM (Western) Department(s) Manitoba Local Government Manitoba Innovation, Energy and Mines
WHEREAS the Province of Manitoba acquires a great deal of revenue from oil activity in some municipalities;
AND WHEREAS substantial provincial revenue is derived from the oil industry; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba for a funding formula whereby a percentage of oil-related revenue be returned to the generated by the oil industry.
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The Challenge of
Change
AMM Resolution #49-2012 Amend The Planning Act to Allow Use of Fines as Enforcement
Sponsor(s) West St. Paul, RM (No District) Department(s) Manitoba Local Government
WHEREAS municipalities are increasingly required to enforce their by-laws adopted under The Planning Act; AND WHEREAS current legislation does not enable the direct levying AND WHEREAS local authorities in other provinces have found the laws; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to amend The enforcement.
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The Challenge of
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(Standing Policy)
WHEREAS all major urban centres in the Province of Manitoba have decade; AND WHEREAS the Government of Canada recently spoke on the importance of having the proper technology and having options such as high speed internet and cell service; speed internet and in many cases do not even have basic cell service; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba and Government of and cell service in rural Manitoba.
Explanation Note: This resolution is consistent with existing AMM policy. Currently there are three active resolutions requesting improved cell phone and/or internet service in northern and rural communities. delegates request otherwise.
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RESOLUTIONS
The Challenge of
Change
(Standing Policy)
WHEREAS provincial drains are composed of a right-of-way, which includes a constructed drain with riparian area; AND WHEREAS activities destructive to the right-of-way of the constructed drain, create impediments to proper drainage; AND WHEREAS blockages in provincial drains negatively impact municipal drains; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to enforce the maintenance of the undeveloped right-of-way as a riparian area in conjunction with ongoing maintenance of provincial drains.
Explanation Note: This resolution is consistent with existing AMM policy which requests that the Province of Manitoba keep up proper construction and maintenance of provincial drainage systems. delegates request otherwise.
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The Challenge of
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(Standing Policy)
WHEREAS health care is an important service to all Manitobans; AND WHEREAS palliative care is considered a core health service; AND WHEREAS Manitoba is encountering a growing population facing life-threatening disease and an increasing need for palliative care; AND WHEREAS health services are becoming more centralized, leaving some communities with less than optimal health care; AND WHEREAS local palliative care organizations are struggling to provide basic support for clients and the volunteers that serve them at the grassroots level; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba for additional funding for local palliative care services.
Explanation Note: This resolution is consistent with existing AMM policy which requests full provincial funding for the Palliative Care Program. delegates request otherwise.
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The Challenge of
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(Standing Policy)
municipalities to tax residents in a fair and equitable manner for collection, snow removal, street maintenance, administration, etc.;
Province of Manitoba and there needs to be a ceiling to prevent excessive tax burdens on a small group of property owners; AND WHEREAS the current system of assessment creates inequities because the present market value based system allows property owners to receive the same basic level of services as their neighbours, even though they pay minimal tax dollars; to The Municipal Assessment Act and the assessment system needs to be changed to accommodate for property upgrades and the construction of new buildings, which is critical for the sake of cultivating growth; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to change legislation to allow municipalities to charge a base tax for services deemed essential; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLvED THAT the Province of Manitoba undertake a major review of The Municipal Assessment Act.
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The Challenge of
Explanation Note:
Change
RESOLUTIONS
This resolution is consistent with existing AMM policy which requests the ability for municipalities to charge a base tax. delegates request otherwise.
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The Challenge of
Change
(Standing Policy)
WHEREAS providing transportation services to those with a mobility disadvantage situation is considered an essential service within many municipalities; AND WHEREAS handi-van services have been provided within 68 communities across Manitoba to service the mobility disadvantaged persons living in these communities; AND WHEREAS the yearly costs for operating said handi-van services continues to escalate annually due to increasing fuel, maintenance and wage costs, while grants from the Province of Manitoba through the Mobility Disadvantaged Transportation Program continue to remain the same at a maximum of $20,000 for communities operating one vehicle and $30,000 for communities operating two vehicles;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLvED THAT the Association of Manitoba Municipalities lobby the Province of Manitoba to increase the level of maximum funding communities would be eligible to receive under the Mobility Disadvantaged Transportation Program to help current level of service provided to their citizens remains.
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The Challenge of
Explanation Note:
Change
RESOLUTIONS
This resolution is consistent with existing AMM policy, which requests that the Province of Manitoba increase the maximum grant amount and total funding for the Mobility Disadvantaged Transportation Program. delegates request otherwise.
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