Last Monday – Town council held a priorities session
Here are the items which I believe are important although everything on the priority list contains matters of importance. I expect that other members of Council will have a different list which is healthy. I have no serious concerns at this time; I believe that Council has achieved a significant amount in the past two and a half years. We whittled down a list of 120+ priorities from previous terms to a list of 19 real priorities which are reviewed every quarter and which will have a positive impact on our ability to provide good government and services to taxpayers. As projects are completed new ones are brought forward for consideration. Our Staff are dedicated and focused on providing us with the best information available so we can make quality decisions on Town priorities.
Firstly; Water metering is now in effect and we will see positive results in the form of a reduction of water use (we expect to level out atabout a 15% to 20% reduction) but more importantly a reduction inwater waste. While some residents have complained, this is the time for all ofus to take stock of the way we use our water; a necessity which we tend to takefor granted. Simple lifestyle changes such as turning off the tap while brushing your teeth, reducing the amount of water in the toilet tank, reductionof plant life which require large volumes of water, cut back watering of grasson a daily basis to once a week to encourage root systems to grow deeper, increasing use of Xeriscape landscaping and drought tolerant plants and grasses.There are more methods which can be researched on the internet.
Airport Strategic Plan;this is an exciting project because for so many years the Oliver Airporthas remained essentially stagnant. Taking into consideration the fact that some residents would like it to remain virtually unused there is a balance of use against quality of life which I hope will see the airport become a financially viable operation with a mix of aerospace light industry and aircraft movementswhich bring more permanent residents and visitors into our community. We have sent out Requests for Proposals for interested, qualified consultants who can prepare a Strategic Plan showing us the direction we should take. Additional Stake holder meetings will be held in 2011 which will give everyone an opportunity to offer positive suggestions.
Road Construction; While this is not exactly sexy, it does have a significant impact on how visitors view a community especially if they are looking to move here.Generally speaking we have been well served by our road work but this is one area where it is all too easy to ignore replacement or improvements for other projects. Poor roads look tacky, damage suspensions and give the impression that no one cares. I use the same philosophy when considering the appearance of our parks, motorized equipment and a host of other things which we have as part of our inventory. If we want to be recognized as a Community in Bloom we have to look the part.
Growth Boundaries;this is part of the RDOS Regional Growth Strategy and is a ‘must do’ in my opinion in order to ensure arable land is available for crop farming. There will be disagreements on what constitutes suitable land for inclusion in Town boundaries and what the final boundaries should look like but I believe in the end it is essential to set parameters for limiting expansion. Part of the process will mean acceptance for building up rather than out which in itself is one tenet of Smart Growth on the Ground. Having said that, SGOG is a document of best practices which you try to adhere to where possible but it is notetched in stone and must be flexible enough to accommodate existing or futureconditions both economic and social.
BC Seniors Games 2014; I may not be mayor in 2012 but I hope I will be able to work with Osoyoos Council in hosting the games in 2014. Any physical activity is beneficial and being asenior myself I can attest to the benefits of being active. We have a 60+% senior community in Oliver so I am sure we will have someone in our area that will participate and win recognition for their physical fitness.
Pat Hampson,
Mayor, Town of Oliver