Whitehorse Daily Star

AYC delegates adopted resolutions

The Association of Yukon Communities’ (AYC’s) new executive has its work cut out for it over the next year.

By Stephanie Waddell on May 19, 2016

WATSON LAKE – The Association of Yukon Communities’ (AYC’s) new executive has its work cut out for it over the next year.

Acclaimed last weekend were Faro councillor Diana Rogerson as its new president, Haines Junction Mayor Michael Riseborough as first vice-president and Carmacks Mayor Lee Bodie as second vice-president.

As well, at its annual AGM, the association, made up of municipal councils and local advisory committees across the territory, adopted a total of seven resolutions it will work on over the coming year.

Executive director Bev Buckway said Monday the resolutions will see the AYC:

• advise the Yukon government that municipalities will need financial support to implement the Access To Information and Protection of Privacy Act should municipal governments fall under the legislation as it has been indicated;

• request the territory to continue to report on the progress of the territory’s infrastructure plan to AYC and all municipalities;

• encourage the Yukon government to continue its municipal matching rental housing construction program and make it part of the territory’s annual budget;

• strongly urge the territory and emergency medical services personnel to develop a policy defining a service standard, including ambulance coverage;

• lobby the federal government through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to enhance the existing tax credit and lobby the Yukon government to establish a tax incentive for ambulance volunteers;

• provide support to the Association of Yukon Fire Chiefs’ efforts to petition the territory to streamline the application process for first responders to receive coverage for PTSD; and

• request the Yukon government to review and update legislation that would allow for the management of domestic animals in unincorporated communities.

The resolutions reflect a variety of concerns that have come up for communities around the territory, though not all the issues brought forward were adopted.

One resolution, put forward by Whitehorse city council, would have seen the AYC encourage the territory to be clear on what forms of revenue generation and taxes municipalities can implement.

That motion, however, was defeated, as it was felt the territory has already been clear that municipalities do not have the authority to charge a hotel tax, Buckway explained Monday.

Another proposed motion from Whitehorse was withdrawn before it got to the floor in light of recent changes to the territory’s regulations around electronic waste, Buckway said.

The motion would have had the AYC encourage the territory – in co-operation with businesses and stakeholders – to establish a recycling program that would register all electronic distributors in the territory, assign recycling fees collected when electronics are purchased in the Yukon and create a fund where collected recycling fees are used to cover recycling costs.

The territory recently announced upcoming changes to how electronics and other recyclables will be handled.

Such items as computers and cellphones will have point-of-sale disposal surcharges applied, though tipping fees at the dump will be waived.

The AYC’s annual meeting wrapped up last Sunday afternoon.

At Monday evening’s Whitehorse city council meeting, Coun. Betty Irwin, who had served two terms on the AYC’s executive, reflected on her time with the organization.

She said it was her work with the AYC where she learned there are more commonalities among communities than differences.

Most communities – large and small – are facing the same issues, and the AYC is an organization where they can share and work on those issues.

“I really, really enjoyed my time on AYC,” Irwin said.

Former president Wayne Potoroka will continue to serve on the board as its past president.

Be the first to comment

Add your comments or reply via Twitter @whitehorsestar

In order to encourage thoughtful and responsible discussion, website comments will not be visible until a moderator approves them. Please add comments judiciously and refrain from maligning any individual or institution. Read about our user comment and privacy policies.

Your name and email address are required before your comment is posted. Otherwise, your comment will not be posted.