WHEREAS the removal of asbestos from municipally-owned buildings that have been taken back in tax enforcement proceedings can be very costly in terms of testing and proper removal, as according to Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) requirements;

WHEREAS quite often the buildings taken back through tax enforcement require demolition proceedings to be carried out, which trigger the proper testing and removal of the asbestos as per OH&S requirements;

WHEREAS municipalities were not the ones that regulated whether or not asbestos could be used during the construction of these buildings, as this is regulated by provincial and federal governments;

WHEREAS it is unfair that ratepayers of a municipality become responsible for the expense of the clean-up of buildings taken back by the municipality which have asbestos;

WHEREAS leaving these buildings in a dilapidated unsafe state would not be proper safeguarding of the public by the local government;

WHEREAS the Provincial Government should bear some of the costs to assist in clean-up of buildings which Municipalities obtain through tax enforcement, similar to the former assistance program that was available to access for the clean-up of abandoned fuel stations underground storage tanks;

WHEREAS it would seem reasonable that the provincial government establish a fund that municipalities can access to cost share the clean-up of asbestos that is based on a minimum share of 50/50;

BE IT RESOLVED that SARM lobby the provincial government to create a fund that municipalities can access to assist in the removal of asbestos from municipal properties that require demolition.