Penticton Mayor Garry Litke met this morning with a surprise. He showed for a Regional District meeting and was told he would have to do the paperwork before being accepted back on the board.

His council will have to appoint him and then he will have to be sworn in at the RDOS before getting his old seat back.

Transport Canada has indicated to the RDOS, City of Penticton and the Penticton Indian Band that it is reviewing the operations locally as it is with all airports in Canada.

The RDOS voted today to keep in close contact with the Federal Department after hearing there are no issues with the local native band. Locally politicians say that just is not true and it was important that all the players keep  in contact with each other on the future of the Penticton Airport. One potential change could be that the operations of the airport could be contracted out. RDOS politician says they are obligated to be fair and transparent in dealings with local native bands.

The regional district will be writing to the Provine on two matters. The RDOS wants all- terrain-vehicles to be licensed. The second item concerns a recent spill of contaminated water in the Tulameen/Coalmont area. District staff were notified a day late by the owners of the mine and no provincial government department communicated with local authorities. Protocols are in place for a number of departments and the RDOS has asked that those protocols be invoked when an emergency like this spill occurs. Some of the contaminated tailings water crossed the border before anyone knew of the problem.

Two recent newspaper stories published in the last month were termed “inaccurate” by the Regional District Chair Mark Pendergraft in a letter to all volunteer agencies under the RDOS umbrella.

CEO Bill Newell told the board today the RDOS has the highest level of safety in the province with a 3 year certificate given out by the Workers Compensation Board. But an audit completed in 2013 showed some problems that needed to be rectified.

Pendergraft says ” falling short while attempting to reach an advanced standard is not failure “.  The RDOS says news articles were premature and inaccurate. All volunteer agencies have now been notified of the concern and advised that full consultation on this matter will happen soon.