Discussions and Decisions by Oliver Town Council – Monday November 26th, 2012

1. Tradewinds Estates – a delegation of home owners met council asking for a letter to be sent to the landlord indicating that Town of Oliver is responsible for enforcing its bylaws. The delegation stated that the owner of the manufactured home park W. (Gus) Kirsch has sent out letters to tenants asking them to remove sheds and other outbuildings that are not in conformance with town bylaws.

2. For the first time ever – a water bylaw setting rates will have go to Victoria before receiving final approval. More than twenty years ago – water councillors were elected to help supervise the water utility representing rural water consumers. In law, all water bylaws in Oliver must receive unanimous consent at the council table or they must be sent off to the provincial government for review. Councillor Rich Machial voted no on several water rate bylaws Monday stating that he is concerned that some consumers are not paying the actual cost of getting the water to them. The majority of council stated that the rates reflect a true cost of running distribution system-wide.

3. Council endorsed a proposal sent to it by the Heritage Society. The town will investigate further where funding would be coming from to conduct a Dynamic Downtown Community Workshop. The Real Estate Foundation of BC, the Heritage Branch of BC, and the Columbia Institute are behind this project that will be looking at heritage values as a key to sustainable downtown revitalization. Council is concerned about unknown local costs.

4. Council has agreed to extend certain arrangements it has with the Osoyoos Indian Band on sewer services: a. emergency backup system if OIB plant failed for any reason and b. extension by one year of agreement to get Vincor waste  off the system. The present arrangement is that all waste from the winery would not go to the Oliver plant after July 2014. That has been extended until 2015 and the completion of the Corrections facility.

5. Okanagan River Linear Park: Council voted to support the concept presented by Murray Soder and Bill Ross to both the council and the Park and Recreation Society. Councillors however were cautious as to the next step – seeking a report from Manager Tom Szaly prior to January 31st on what council’s options might be in pushing the concept further ahead.

6. Sewer and Water rates bylaws all received first, second and third reading enabling staff to set up a billing procedure for 2013.