Announcements MINISTRY OF CITIZENS’ SERVICES WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ON NEW PROCUREMENT TRADE REQUIREMENTS AND IMPACT ON PROVINCE, MASH Trade Obligations for Municipalities, Academic Institutions, Social Sector and Hospitals (otherwise referred to as MASH): New Procurement Trade requirements will come into force effective September 23, 2022. The Province of BC has been working with the Federal government to meet our trade reporting obligations under the Comprehensive European Trade Agreement (CETA). The details can be found here Canada-European Union (EU) Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement (CETA). What Municipalities need to know: If Municipalities are currently posting or cross posting their procurement opportunities to BC Bid, they will meet this obligation with no further action on their part. If for any reason municipalities are not posting or cross-posting to BC Bid, then municipalities will need to review their procurement posting process. It is up to each individual entity to verify with their legal team their obligations under trade. A Trade Overview document is available here of all the trade obligations. Procurements from MASH entities that are posting or cross posting to BC Bid will be forwarded to the Federal Government Single Point of Access. Further Support or Questions: Should anyone have any questions or concerns please feel free to reach out to [email protected]. Advice related to specific procurement practices or a municipality’s compliance with Trade Agreements should be presented to their legal counsel. LOCAL GOVERNMENT MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION | SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR FALL 2022 |
The Local Government Management Association of BC offers a number of scholarships for those pursuing courses and programs in various studies related to public policy and public administration. Review the 2022 Scholarship Brochure for information and scholarship criteria, and submit your application by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, October 7. BC FIRST NATIONS PUBLIC SERVICE SCHOLARSHIP This scholarship aims to provide support for Indigenous professionals working in a non-elected role in any BC First Nation government who is enrolled in full or part-time study in an accredited post-secondary course or program related to the administration or management of core public services in First Nations government. DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS LEGACY FUND SCHOLARSHIP The purpose of the Distinguished Members Legacy Fund Scholarship is to encourage students with an interest in local government management and administration to pursue post-secondary opportunities. GRANT ANDERSON COMMEMORATIVE SCHOLARSHIP The purpose of the Grant Anderson Commemorative Scholarship is to encourage those students with an interest in local government administration, local government law and governance, and in planning and land-use law to pursue post-secondary education in one of those fields. KEN DOBELL PUBLIC SERVICE EDUCATION FUND SCHOLARSHIP This scholarship has been established to encourage students with an interest in federal, provincial, local government or First Nations administration and policy studies to pursue post-secondary opportunities. Please note: some of the criteria has changed. Visit LGMA | Scholarships to access all application forms. Successful scholarship applicants will be contacted, at the latest, by December 15, 2022. BC 1 Call
BC 1 Call Seeks Strong Public Sector Input to its 2022 Member Survey A message from Chris Hyland, BC 1 Call President: "BC 1 Call is a member-driven organization, and we rely on member feedback through our annual survey. Please take 8-10 minutes to let us know how we're doing, and where we can improve in the future." BC 1 Call encourages all members to take the 2022 survey. Member respondents who submit their answers by July 31st will be entered into a prize draw for a $200 gift card from Home Depot and a BC 1 Call-themed gift package. Members from the public sector represent 47% of BC 1 Call's total membership, making it critically important that we hear from you! In 2021, BC 1 Call launched a new set of survey questions, canvassing views on topics at the heart of membership value, including: Services and service enhancements Member communications Promotion of BC 1 Call Member damage incidents and reporting Many average ratings were reported in the 2021 Report to Members and Partners, along with statistics from the 2021 User Survey. To enable year-over-year comparisons, the 2022 survey questions have remained the same as 2021, excluding questions regarding fee structures. As always, member feedback will be used in business planning. For more details and to take the survey, visit BC 1 Call’s latest blog post: Members: BC 1 Call Wants to Hear from You! BOARD OF EXAMINERS
Three local government employees have been recognized for their education and work experience while working in the local government field in B.C. and are being awarded a Certificate by the Board of Examiners. Certificate in Local Government Service Delivery * Francis Rawlings, Manager of Bylaw Enforcement and Animal Control, District of Squamish * Gillian Villeneuve, Manager of Development Planning, City of Chilliwack Certificate in Local Government Administration * Gerald Davis, Director of Community Services, Town of Osoyoos Congratulations Francis, Gillian and Gerald! MINISTRY OF MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS
Local Government Election Resources The Ministry of Municipal Affairs resources for the October 15, 2022 general local elections are now available online at: www.gov.bc.ca/localelections. Resources include: Candidates Guide to Local Elections in B.C. 2022 Thinking About Running for Local Office Brochure Voter’s Guide for Electors Living on Reserve Videos for prospective candidates (www.gov.bc.ca/localgov-thinking-running-local-office), including the new panel discussion series “Being an Effective Elected Official”. The general local elections webpages also include information about elections administration, voter eligibility & voting, scrutineers and election organizations & endorsements. Elections BC also has a variety of resources for candidates, elector organizations and third party sponsors about the campaign financing and election advertising rules under the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act available on its website. FRASER BASIN COUNCIL
Refreshed BC Climate Action Toolkit Website Goes Live The updated BC Climate Action Toolkit website launched on June 15, 2022, providing communities with access to over 200 Climate Action Tools. Created in 2008, the Climate Action Toolkit is designed as a one-stop shop for climate action resources aimed at BC local governments. The Toolkit is a product of the joint Provincial–Union of BC Municipalities Green Communities Committee (GCC), partnership with the Fraser Basin Council (FBC). Its purpose is to support local governments in meeting their commitments under the BC Climate Action Charter (Charter) in partnership with the Fraser Basin Council (FBC). Its purpose is to support local governments in meeting their commitments under the BC Climate Action Charter (Charter).?The Charter commits local government signatories to work toward corporate carbon neutrality; measure their community emissions; and create complete, compact and energy-efficient communities. The user-friendly web interface makes it accessible to search for tools used to improve climate action in your community. Enhanced features of the refreshed website include: • Updated Tool Library • Ability to filter Tools by topic of interest • Calendar access to upcoming climate action events • User-friendly site structure and design Visit the Climate Action Toolkit here: Home - BC Climate Action Toolkit For media inquiries, please contact: [email protected] |