Archives for January 23, 2020

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING – DELEGATIONS

• Celine Thompson, Executive Director, and John Yarschenko, Director of Recovery and Addictions, from The Bridge Youth & Family Services made a presentation to Council requesting support for a youth recovery house in the Okanagan, which would be the first of its kind in the Interior Health region. Council directed staff to prepare a letter of support for the youth recovery house.
• Don Nettleton, Chief Executive Officer, and Georgia Bruyel, Head Librarian, from the Okanagan Regional Library presented their Fall 2019 update to Council.
• Debbie Dundass, on behalf of several volunteer organizations (Festival Society, Fireworks Committee, Cactus Jalopies, Wine Country Drag Racing Association, Market on Main, Piano in the Park, and Music in the Park), presented the concerns facing volunteer organizations around lack of volunteers and funding. The groups asked that Town staff, Destination Osoyoos, the Osoyoos and District Arts Council, and the business community work collaboratively to find solutions to these issues. Council directed staff to facilitate a meeting with the community groups and the requested parties.

 

BUSINESS

• Janette Van Vianen, Director of Corporate Services, presented an update to Council on upcoming changes to BC Transit, as well as future public consultation opportunities.

 

REGULAR OPEN MEETING

 Bylaws

 

• Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 1085.126, 2019 was read for a third time. If adopted this amendment would allow for a site specific retail cannabis store to be located at 9150 Main Street (Lakeview Plaza).
• Council approved Zoning Application Z19-11 and Official Community Plan Amendment Bylaw No. 1230.25, 2020 and Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 1085.127, 2020 were read for a first and second time. If adopted these amendments would allow for the implementation of Phase 2 of the Meadowlark Plan. Council referred the Official Community Plan amendment to the Agricultural Land Commission and set a Public Hearing date for both bylaw amendments on March 2, 2020 at 4:00pm in Council Chambers at Town Hall.
• Council approved Zoning Application Z19-12 and Official Community Plan Amendment Bylaw No. 1230.26, 2020 and Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 1085.128, 2020 were read for a first and second time. If adopted these amendments would allow for the implementation of Phase 3 of the Meadowlark Plan. Council referred the Official Community Plan amendment to the Agricultural Land Commission and set a Public Hearing date for both bylaw amendments on March 2, 2020 at 4:00pm in Council Chambers at Town Hall.

 

Business

• Council supported the RDOS in a Joint Grant Application in the amount of $25,000.00 to the UBCM Indigenous Cultural Safety and Cultural Humility Training Program. Council also approved the RDOS to make application for, receive, and manage the grant funding on the Town’s behalf.
• Council declined moving forward with a Universal Water Metering Implementation Plan, instead directing staff to provide Council with more information on the implementation plan.
• Council designated all senior management employees as ‘municipal employees’ pursuant to the Financial Disclosure Act.

Obituary for the late Elsie Rilkoff 

 July 7, 1920 – January 19, 2020

 

On Sunday January 19, 2020, Mrs. Elsie Rilkoff of Oliver passed away peacefully at Sunnybank Centre at the age of 99 years,

She was predeceased by her husband Nick Rilkoff in 1995; a daughter and six grandchildren.

Elsie will be fondly remembered by her loving family including children Pauline, Elsa, Chris, Kathy, Darlene and Val and families; fifteen grandchildren; twenty-two great-grandchildren and twenty-six great-great grandchildren.

Elsie moved to Oliver in the mid 1950’s and worked with the family construction business and at the Packinghouse.

Elsie enjoyed traveling, gardening, knitting and was a great cook and baker.

A funeral service will be held at 1:00 pm, Monday January 27, 2020 at the Nunes-Pottinger Funeral Chapel, 5855 Hemlock Street, Oliver, BC. A graveside service will take place at 11:00 am, Tuesday January 28, 2020 at the Oliver Municipal Cemetery.

Condolences and tributes may be directed to the family by visiting www.nunes-pottinger.com

This winter the Oliver Curling Club has partnered with Rock Solid Productions Inc. and Curling Canada to bring the popular Rocks & Rings floor curling program (including all the equipment and instruction) to local elementary schools.

About 345 students at Oliver Elementary School, SenPokChin Elementary School and Tuc-el-Nuit Elementary School got to try out floor curling this month. Instructor Garry Wilson and Oliver Curling Club volunteer Walter Colk introduced students to some curling basics in their gyms. As Walter can confirm, the students enthusiastically embraced the game and had a great time!

And now we add the ice!

Kids of all ages and their families and friends are invited to the Oliver Curling Club’s FAMILY FUN DAY on Saturday, January 25 from 10 am to 2 pm. The cost is $20 per family, or $5 per person. On-ice lessons, equipment, lunch, game and prizes for kids are all included! No curling experience is needed. Just dress in warm, stretchy layers and bring clean runners and mitts or gloves (plus a bike or hockey helmet for kids under 12 years). Please sign up with Cathy Pidduck: call 250-689-9295 or email cpidduck@gmail.com.

Plus we have more opportunities for any youth (7-17 years old) wanting to curl—and for all experience and skill levels. Check out our website: eastlinkcurlingcentre.ca for more information and how to register in our:
•    Oliver Junior Curling Bonspiel on Saturday, February 1 from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm
•    Junior League on Tuesday afternoons from 3 to 4:30 pm (look under Leagues)

We hope to see you all on Saturday at the Eastlink Curling Centre (735 McKinney Road, Oliver)!

Okanagan

British Columbia’s southern interior is home to unique wildlife like the pallid bat and the desert nightsnake – species that thrive in the region’s hot, dry summers and mild winters. The mix of grasslands, forest, desert-like areas and rich riparian ecosystems provides highly diverse habitats that host many of the province’s at-risk species. Unfortunately, these habitats score poorly in our assessment of ecological representation. Expanding human population, and related road and housing infrastructure, and agriculture development have added pressure to the region where many stressed species have already been extirpated. In addition, the Okanagan is a species hotspot, and contains areas that have high levels of forest biomass and climate refuges.

Key findings

Species at risk – habitat is not being protected:

• 84 per cent of habitats with high concentrations of at-risk species are inadequately or not at all protected.

Across Canada we are not protecting the wide variety of physical habitats that wildlife need:

• 76 per cent of physical habitats in Canada are inadequately or not at all protected.

In particular, our protected areas do not safeguard critical species freshwater habitat including lakes, rivers and wetlands:

• 91 per cent of physical habitats do not have adequate protection of shorelines.

Finally, the vast majority of Canada’s carbon-rich habitats – those forests, peat bogs and soils that are storing significant amounts of carbon and preventing increased warming associated with climate change – have not yet been protected.

• 77 per cent of habitats with high densities of soil carbon are inadequately or not at all protected.
• 74 per cent of habitats with high densities of forest biomass are inadequately or not at all protected.

 

Source: World Wildlife Federation  with no editing

Upcoming Council Meetings – Council Chambers

Monday January 27th

Committee of the Whole @ 5:00 pm.

Regular Meeting @ 7:00 pm;

Budget Deliberations January 28 and January 29 if required – both scheduled for 3:00 pm

 

Some time ago the Town was bragging about a new website and communications improvements on civic matters.

We had to prod a couple of departments this morning to provide simple info on the 2020 budget process. It appears budget information might be available for public review prior to the weekend

or on Monday next.

 

In a number of municipalities the process is well underway with budget/tax increase determined or forecast at between 2 and 5 percent in increases.

Kelowna – 4.15 percent

Summerland – 4.0 percent

Penticton – 2.9 percent – with a dollar increase of $2.1 million

 

Oliver has yet to issue its general budget or a projection of revenue and expense.

To be fair Oliver water and sewer utilities have determined their increases and the Municipality is in a position to bill customers January 1st, 2020.