As reported on ODN early Thursday – the Highways Department is backing off on an agreement made last year to complete a joint project cleaning up signs on Hwy 97 near Oliver before this summer.

It was designed as a pilot project with the support of the Highways Minister, ministry staff and the Regional District. MOTI district Manager Murray Tekano was set to enter the lion’s den in Penticton but decided instead to phone on a conference call. He was grilled by Planning Committee chair Allan Patton – as the regional director felt slighted and hardly let the highways spokesman speak his piece. Patton said “We look like fools.” Osoyoos Mayor Stu Wells said he thinks the decision by Highways will slow the process and the project will lose momentum.

Tekano said the working arrangement still stands but the ministry has decided it might be more appropriate to wait until after the growing and selling season is complete. Patton was incensed with the breaking of an agreement he had helped arrange. Letters had been sent to violators in January and the final letter was set to go. Patton says he will contact the minister. After the phone call was over Patton himself faced some gentle criticism for chairing a meeting but acting  as spokesman and clearly some other directors were offended by his remarks saying that  maintaining a good relationship with the Ministry of Highways is very important.

The regional board does want the highway cleaned up – however.

The ministry will focus on safety issues (if any), with greater enforcement in the fall. Patton says; “If you are deferring a decision, enforcement, until later in the fall, you made this decision without consulting our staff here or the board,” he said. “That is really problematic for me. And when you say, later in the fall, that is election time. We will not be dealing with this then and the board will not be dealing with this next year. Basically this whole agreement is over.” Tekano said there will not be a large scale sign removal between now and the fall, but they will address areas where they feel public safety is at risk. “We are not abandoning the partnership, but we are addressing an implementation strategy,”  he apologized it was not brought to the board more formally.

There has been some support for the plan, but several business owners believe the removal will negatively impact their businesses.