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South Okanagan Photos

Heat is on Regional Board

ODN told you earlier that municipal governments in the Southern Okanagan are not happy with the RDOS trails budget paying for maintenance costs in Penticton.

In a split vote RDOS will fund 1/3 of the cost of maintaining Channel Parkway trail.

Penticton Channel Maintenance Agreement

RECOMMENDATION: That the Regional District enter into partnership with the City of Penticton and the Penticton Indian Band to maintain the Okanagan River Channel through Penticton; and, That the funds be budgeted in the Regional Trails Service

This matter will come up on two fronts this week:

A motion by Director Allan Patton, Area C:  THAT the Regional District enter into a partnership with the four Indian Bands and six municipalities to maintain all trail systems in all government juridsictions within the RDOS (Okanagan Similkameen)

This debate will come up late in the regular board meeting Thursday afternoon but directors will also have before them two letters from councils in Oliver and Osoyoos.

Both letters written last week but not released to the public or media. To get at the arguements we talked with Oliver Mayor Ron Hovanes and Mayor Wells of Osoyoos.

Hovanes says that when he brought the issue to his council members they believed a strong letter should be written to the RDOS.

Mayor Hovanes says the Town’s letter spells out our opposition to the RDOS subsidizing an agreement between the City of Penticton and the local Indian Band for a path primarily used by locals. hovanes jack

Hovanes states the Regional Board has now set a precedent to provide financial assistance to maintain other sub-regional services that it is not doing now. The Mayor states “we have tourists that come from all over the world to enjoy our trail system with no subsidy from Penticton or Summerland.”

Mayor Stu Wells says the letter should be made public and it states: That Osoyoos and other RDOS rate payers have to contribute to a service that they have no direct or indirect connection. The letter goes on to say “it is also offensive that this agreement/contract was presented as a “done deal” before the Board had input or had voted. It would appear it was rammed through.”

The Osoyoos council is requesting that the whole question be revisited so that a “clear direct benefit” can be shown to those now obligated to pay.