Definitions

1   In this Part:

"existing bylaw" means a bylaw that is validly in force on the day before the date that the authority for the bylaw is repealed, amended or substituted by this Act or the Community Charter;

"new", in relation to an enactment, means, as applicable,

(a) the relevant provision of the Community Charter, or

(b) the enactment as amended or substituted by the relevant provision of this Act;

"previous", in relation to an enactment, means the provision as it read immediately before its repeal, amendment or substitution by the applicable provision of this Act or the Community Charter.

Deemed continuation of previous enactments

2   Despite the amendment, substitution or repeal of a previous enactment, if this Part or a regulation under this Part provides for the continued application, or the continuation, of bylaws authorized under the previous enactment, the previous enactment is deemed to be continued for this purpose.

Interim regulations

3   (1) Despite this Act, the Community Charter or any other Act, the Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations as follows:

(a) respecting any matter that the Lieutenant Governor in Council considers is not provided for, or is not sufficiently provided for, in the Community Charter, this Act or another Act affected by the Community Charter or this Act;

(b) making provisions the Lieutenant Governor in Council considers necessary or advisable for the purpose of more effectively bringing the Community Charter or this Act into operation;

(c) making provisions the Lieutenant Governor in Council considers necessary or advisable for the purpose of preventing, minimizing or otherwise addressing any transitional difficulties encountered in bringing into operation the Community Charter, this Act or another Act affected by the Community Charter or this Act, including provisions providing an exception to or a modification of a provision in an Act or providing for the continued application of a previous enactment;

(d) resolving any errors, inconsistencies or ambiguities in the Community Charter, this Act or another Act that arise in relation to the Community Charter or this Act.

(2) A regulation under subsection (1) may be made retroactive to a date not earlier than March 11, 2003, being the date on which the Community Charter received First Reading in the Legislative Assembly.

(3) To the extent of any conflict between a regulation under subsection (1) and another enactment, the regulation prevails.

(4) A regulation under subsection (1) ceases to have effect at the end of the last day of the next session of the Legislative Assembly after the regulation is made.

(5) A regulation may not be made under subsection (1) if a regulation has been made under that subsection that has the same effect.

(6) Regulations may not be made under subsection (1) after December 31, 2005.

Continuation of municipal bylaws

4   (1) If a previous enactment provided authority for an existing bylaw that could not be adopted under a new enactment, the bylaw continues in force as a valid bylaw until it is repealed or amended, unless the amendment is adopted after a regulation under subsection (2) has continued the necessary authority.

(2) If a bylaw is continued under subsection (1), a local government that intends to amend the bylaw may request that the Lieutenant Governor in Council, by regulation, continue the authority necessary in relation to the bylaw and the Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations for that purpose.

(3) A regulation under subsection (2) may be made retroactive to the date on which the enactment that provided authority was repealed, amended or substituted.

(4) If an existing bylaw has new authority, the bylaw

(a) is deemed to have been adopted under that authority, and

(b) in the case of a bylaw to which section 9 [spheres of concurrent authority] of the Community Charter would apply if the bylaw were adopted after that section came into force, is deemed to have been adopted with the approval of the minister responsible.

Reasons for bylaw adoption

5   Section 8 (9) of the Community Charter does not apply in respect of a bylaw deemed under section 4 (4) of this Act to have been adopted under section 8 (3), (4), (5) or (6) of the Community Charter, unless the council

(a) amends the bylaw in a manner that requires the exercise of a power under section 8 (3), (4), (5) or (6) of that Act to regulate, prohibit or impose requirements, or

(b) repeals the bylaw.

Counter petition opportunities in process

6   (1) If a previous enactment required that a counter petition opportunity be provided in relation to a bylaw or other matter, and if notice of the counter petition opportunity has been given in accordance with the previous section 172.4 [notice of counter petition opportunity] of the Local Government Act,

(a) the rules under the Local Government Act respecting a counter petition opportunity continue to apply so long as the bylaw is adopted or the relevant action is taken, as applicable, within one year after the requirement for a counter petition is repealed, and

(b) the provisions of the new enactment respecting approval of the electors do not apply.

(2) A bylaw adopted or another action taken under a previous enactment following a counter petition opportunity is deemed to have been adopted with the approval of the electors.

Hazard and nuisance requirements in process

7   If, before Division 12 [Remedial Action Requirements] of Part 3 of the Community Charter comes into force,

(a) a bylaw under the previous section 698 [dangerous buildings] or 711 [hazardous trees and shrubs] of the Local Government Act has been given first reading, or

(b) a resolution under the previous section 727 [declared nuisances] of the Local Government Act has been adopted,

the local government may proceed under the previous enactment and, if so, the previous enactment continues to apply.

Mayor's authority to require reconsideration

8   If a bylaw, resolution or proceeding was voted on by a local government before section 131 [mayor may require reconsideration of a matter] of the Community Charter came into force, the mayor or chair may require reconsideration of the matter only in accordance with the previous section 219 [mayor may return bylaw for reconsideration by council] of the Local Government Act, and for these purposes section 219 of that Act applies.

Construction bylaws

9   (1) If the construction under a construction bylaw adopted under the previous section 623 [works that may be undertaken as local improvements] or 624 [sidewalk canopies as local improvements] of the Local Government Act is started or completed by, or will be started within one year of, the date that the previous Part 19 [Local Improvements and Specified Areas] of the Local Government Act is repealed, the previous Division 1 [Local Improvements] of Part 19 of the Local Government Act continues to apply in relation to that construction.

(2) As an exception to section 189 [use of money in reserve funds] of the Community Charter, the previous section 639 [payment of costs from local improvement fund] of the Local Government Act continues to apply for the purposes of the application of the previous Division 1 [Local Improvements] of Part 19 of the Local Government Act in relation to a construction bylaw referred to in subsection (1).

Heritage, riparian, cemetery and golf course exemptions and valuations

10   (1) In relation to a tax exemption provided under the previous section 342 [exemptions for heritage properties] of the Local Government Act, the previous section 343 [repayment requirement in relation to heritage tax exemptions] of that Act continues to apply.

(2) In relation to a tax exemption provided under the previous section 343.1 [exemptions for riparian property] of the Local Government Act, the previous section 343.2 [repayment requirement in relation to riparian exemptions] of that Act continues to apply.

(3) In relation to a valuation agreement under the previous Division 2 [Golf Course and Cemetery Valuation Agreements] of Part 10 of the Local Government Act, that previous Division continues to apply until the valuation agreement expires.

(4) In addition to its application under subsection (3), the previous Division 2 of Part 10 of the Local Government Act continues to apply after the expiration of a valuation agreement as provided in the previous section 350 [further liability for 10 years after end of valuation agreement] of that Act.

Irrigation bylaws

11   If a bylaw referred to in the previous section 553 [irrigation bylaws override agreements] of the Local Government Act has overridden the terms of any agreement respecting the carriage or supply of water for irrigation, the previous section 553 continues to apply in respect of the agreement.

Disposal of assets acquired with Provincial grants

12   (1) This section applies only in relation to grants provided by the Provincial government before this section comes into force.

(2) As a limitation on section 8 (1) [natural person powers] of the Community Charter and section 176 (1) (d) [corporate powers — property] of the Local Government Act, unless excepted under subsection (3) of this section, a local government must notify the inspector before disposing of land, improvements or works acquired or constructed by or for a local government in whole or in part with a Provincial grant that was provided for that purpose.

(3) The obligation to notify the inspector under subsection (2) does not apply if

(a) the first payment of all or part of the grant was provided at least 20 years before the intended disposal and the local government no longer receives grant payments with respect to that property, or

(b) the land, improvement or work will be used for the public purpose for which it was acquired or constructed for at least 20 years after the date of the first payment of all or part of the grant.

(4) Within 30 days after receiving notice under subsection (2) or, if applicable, within the longer period established under subsection (6), the inspector may, subject to the regulations, by notice in writing require the local government to repay all or part of the Provincial grants paid to the local government with respect to the property, on the terms specified in the notice.

(5) The local government may appeal a decision of the inspector under subsection (4) of this section and, for this purpose, the new section 1024 [appeal from an inspector's decision] of the Local Government Act applies.

(6) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations for the purposes of this section as follows:

(a) respecting the matters or information to be included in the local government's notification to the inspector;

(b) prescribing the conditions under which a grant becomes repayable under this section;

(c) respecting the means and basis for calculating the whole or part of the Provincial grant that is repayable;

(d) specifying the circumstances in which the inspector may take more than 30 days to issue a notice under subsection (4).

Transfer of subdivision park land

13   The vesting of Crown land in a municipality under section 29 [transfer of subdivision park land] of the Community Charter that occurs on the date that section comes into force is subject to any reservations that applied to the Crown's title.

Annual municipal report

14   (1) For the first annual report required under section 98 [annual municipal report] of the Community Charter, the following do not apply:

(a) the obligations under subsection (2) (b), (c) and (d) of that section;

(b) the obligation under subsection (2) (f) of that section to include a statement of objectives for the current year;

(c) the obligation under subsection (2) (f) of that section to include measures that will be used to determine progress respecting objectives for the current and next year.

(2) For the second annual report required under section 98 of the Community Charter, the obligations under subsection (2) (d) of that section do not apply.

Disclosure of gifts and personal benefits

15   Section 106 (2) [disclosure of gifts] of the Community Charter does not apply in respect of any gift or benefit received before the date that section comes into force.

Procedure bylaws

16   (1) The obligation to adopt a procedure bylaw respecting the matters referred to in section 124 (2) [procedure bylaws — required provisions] of the Community Charter does not apply until 120 days after that section comes into force.

(2) Until a procedure bylaw respecting the matters referred to in subsection (1) of this section is adopted,

(a) for the purposes of section 124 (2) (c) [procedure bylaws — council and council committee minutes] of the Community Charter, the previous sections 236 [minutes of council meetings] and 237 [minutes of council committee meetings] of the Local Government Act apply,

(b) for the purposes of section 124 (2) (e) [procedure bylaws — public notice posting places] of the Community Charter, the municipal hall is deemed to be the public notice posting place, and

(c) section 130 (2) [council members to choose member to preside] of the Community Charter applies whenever the mayor is absent from a council meeting.

Special funds

17   (1) A sinking fund to which the previous Division 1 [Sinking Funds] of Part 13 of the Local Government Act applied and that is in existence at the time that Division is repealed, continues as a sinking fund and, for that purpose, that Division continues to apply until the debt for which the sinking fund was established is paid.

(2) A debt retirement fund under the previous Division 2 [Debt Retirement Funds] of Part 13 of the Local Government Act that is in existence at the time that Division is repealed is deemed to be a reserve fund under Division 4 [Reserve Funds] of Part 6 of the Community Charter.

(3) A reserve fund established for the purposes of the previous section 935 [development cost charge reserve funds] of the Local Government Act is deemed to be a reserve fund under Division 4 [Reserve Funds] of Part 6 of the Community Charter.

(4) A local improvement fund under the previous section 500 [local improvement fund] of the Local Government Act is deemed to be a reserve fund established under Division 4 [Reserve Funds] of Part 6 of the Community Charter.

Parcel taxes

18   If, at the time Division 4 [Parcel Taxes] of Part 7 of the Community Charter comes into force,

(a) a bylaw under the previous Division 2 [Parcel Taxes] of Part 10.1 of the Local Government Act imposes a parcel tax in relation to a service that is provided to land or improvements,

(b) the bylaw imposes the parcel tax for more than one year, and

(c) the parcel tax is imposed on a parcel that does not have the opportunity to be provided with the service as required under section 201 (2) [restriction on parcel taxes] of the Community Charter,

the parcel tax is imposed on that parcel for the calendar year in which section 201 of the Community Charter comes into force, but does not apply to the parcel for subsequent years unless circumstances change such that the parcel has the opportunity to be provided with the service.

Specified areas and business improvement areas

19   (1) Specified areas under the previous Part 19 [Local Improvements and Specified Areas] of the Local Government Act are deemed to be local service areas under Division 5 [Local Service Taxes] of Part 7 of the Community Charter.

(2) Business improvement areas and mountain resort business improvement areas under the previous Part 19 [Local Improvements and Specified Areas] of the Local Government Act are deemed to be business improvement areas under section 215 [business improvement areas] of the Community Charter.

Regulations under this Act

20   The new section 6.6 (3) [variation authority] of the Local Government Act applies to regulations under this Act.

Commencement

550   (1) Subject to subsections (2) to (9), this Act comes into force by regulation of the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

(2) Sections 3 and 20 are deemed to have come into force on March 11, 2003 and are retroactive to the extent necessary to give them effect on and after that date.

(3) Section 39 comes into force on the day that section 205 of the Business Corporations Act, S.B.C. 2002, c. 57, comes into force.

(4) Sections 41 (a) and 42 (b) come into force on the day that the Community Care and Assisted Living Act, S.B.C. 2002, c. 75, comes into force.

(5) Section 41 (b) comes into force on December 31, 2003 for the purposes of the 2004 and subsequent taxation years.

(6) Sections 83, 96 and 108 (a) come into force by regulation of the Lieutenant Governor in Council, which regulation may not be made before the date that sections 8, 12 and 14 of the Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act (No. 2), 2002, S.B.C. 2002, c. 48, come into force.

(7) Section 163, as it relates to the definitions of "regional park" and "regional trail", comes into force on the day that the Park (Regional) Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 345, is repealed, and is retroactive to the extent necessary to have effect on and after that date.

(8) Section 307 comes into force on the day that the Manufactured Home Park Tenancy Act, S.B.C. 2002, c. 77, comes into force.

(9) The following sections are deemed to have come into force on February 19, 2003 and are retroactive to the extent necessary to give them effect on and after that date:

(a) section 40;

(b) section 265, as it enacts section 363.1 of the Local Government Act;

(c) section 330, and

(d) section 498, as it enacts section 2.1 (2) of the Vancouver Charter in relation to the application of section 193.1 of the Community Charter.