TOWNSHIP OF ESQUIMALT STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE: June 16, 2025 Report No. ADM-25-026
TO: Committee of the Whole
FROM: Sarah Holloway, Manager of Corporate Services/Deputy Corporate Officer
SUBJECT: 2025 UBCM Convention - Delegate Meeting Requests
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
That the Committee of the Whole consider recommending that Council direct staff to request meetings with the appropriate provincial Ministers or Ministries, Agencies, Commissions or Corporations during the 2025 UBCM Convention on the topics provided by the Committee and within the guidelines listed in Staff Report ADM-25-026.
Body
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The 2025 Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) Convention will be held in Victoria from Monday, September 22 until Friday September 26. During the convention there will be opportunities to meet with the Premier, Cabinet Ministers and provincial Ministries, Agencies, Commissions, Corporations (MACC) staff, to discuss topics of interest to the Township of Esquimalt (see Attachments 1 and 2 for invitations).
Staff are seeking feedback from the Committee of the Whole on whether there is an interest in setting up meetings with the province, and if so, detailed information on the topics for discussion.
BACKGROUND:
Meetings with the province afford Council the opportunity to conduct advocacy on matters of community and regional importance and provide a platform for open dialogue; however strong preparation is required to be successful in a request and to result in greater overall effectiveness of these meetings.
There is no obligation for Council to request meetings every year, and not all requests for meetings are granted, as Ministers base their approval on a variety of criteria and receive more requests than their schedule can accommodate.
Of importance to note is that the submission deadline to request a meeting with the Premier or Cabinet Ministers is July 2, 2025, so ratification of the Committee of the Whole’s motion must be made at the Council meeting on June 23, 2025. Whereas the submission deadline to request a meeting with MACC staff is August 20, 2025, so if Council wishes to request meetings with this group, staff direction would be required no later than the meeting scheduled to be held on July 21, 2025.
ANALYSIS:
The following guidelines have been provided by the province to ensure an efficient request process is followed and should be considered in your direction to Township staff:
• Multiple meetings per Minister are not allowed.
• Discussion topics are limited to three per meeting.
• The same topic should not be submitted to multiple Ministers.
• Clear and detailed background information should be provided on each topic including context, timeframe, parties involved, and previous steps or actions taken (maximum 700-character limit).
• Include a one sentence summation of what you would like from the meeting (maximum 300 characters).
• Provide a list of the participants that will attend the meeting.
• Provide information on a primary contact for the meeting.
• Include whether Esquimalt’s MLA will be invited to attend the meeting.
• Provide a preference of either Cabinet Minister or a MACC staff meeting, should the same topic be submitted for both parties and only one meeting is able to be accommodated.
Meeting discussions with Cabinet Ministers will be of a high level and limited to a duration of 15 minutes. Meeting discussions with MACC staff can be more technical as they are the subject matter experts and will allow for a longer discussion, with meeting durations of 30 minutes, with the exception of the Ministry of Transportation and Transit staff, which are limited to 20 minutes.
The 2025 Provincial Appointment Book for the UBCM Convention is attached (Attachment 3) to offer guidance on the Provincial Ministries, Agencies, Commissions, and Corporations that will be available for meetings during the 2025 UBCM Convention.
OPTIONS:
1. That the Committee of the Whole recommend that Council direct staff to request meetings with the province during the 2025 UBCM convention, on the topics provided by the Committee, within the specific guidelines listed in Staff Report ADM-25-026.
2. That the Committee of the Whole recommend that Council direct staff to request meetings with the Premier and Cabinet Ministers during the 2025 UBCM convention, on the topics provided by the Committee, and postpone the decision on a recommendation on requesting meetings with MACC staff to the COTW meeting on July 14, 2025.
3. That the Committee of the Whole receive this report for information.
COUNCIL PRIORITY:
Good Governance and Organizational Excellence
Strong Relationships and Partnerships
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
N/A
COMMUNICATIONS/ENGAGEMENT:
Based on directions given by the Committee of the Whole, meeting requests will be submitted, and staff will advise of the outcome once notified.
TIMELINES & NEXT STEPS:
Provincial timelines for notification of meeting regrets and confirmations will occur from late August until mid September 2025.
REPORT REVIEWED BY:
1. Ian Irvine, Director of Finance, Reviewed
2. Deb Hopkins, Director of Corporate Services, Reviewed
3. Dan Horan, Chief Administrative Officer, Concurrence
LIST OF ATTACHMENTS:
1. Email - Meeting Request Process - Premier and Cabinet Ministers
2. Email - Meeting Request Process - MACC staff
3. 2025 Provincial Appointment Book for the UBCM Convention