Committee of the Whole 4pm
This was a short meeting but there was a report from the Mayor on RDOS discussions regarding recycling and a serious issue with some long term impacts for a Rural Oliver Family.
Recycling
Mayor Hovanes advised Council that he has had discussions with Director Patton and the RDOS Board regarding moving all recyclables from the Land-Fill and directing them to T-2 Market. However industrial recyclables could not be transferred to the Market so RDOS has deferred the matter to the first meeting in January.
Very soon T-2 Market will be receiving OK Falls recyclable products from now on and will receive the license necessary to accept plastics.
A Serious Washout in 2013
According to an up-dated report from Shawn Goodsell, Director of Operations, a washout which occurred late August 2013, damaging RDOS property and the road at 247 Oak Avenue, has resulted in some real problems for Kehar & Sharanjit Khaira. Their Insurance Company has denied responsibility for the damage and has refused to pay any portion of the $9,475.30 bill received from the Town for repairs.
Apparently an irrigation filter had either ruptured or had been vandalized at night-time resulting in water washing out surrounding land exposing Town water lines and creating a debris flow which extended onto Oak Avenue.
Mr. Talwinder Bassi attended the Committee meeting to represent the Khaira Family and assist them in presenting their request for relief of the cost.
It appears that Mr. & Mrs. Khaira were new owners of the property when the washout occurred and did not fully understand the details of the issue. Further to the water damage, there had been vandalism of a tractor and sprayer which caused additional concern as to the cause of the rupture of the filter.
After considerable discussion Council decided to defer the matter until Town Staff separate costs for which the Town would be directly responsible to protect its’ water lines and costs which the Town would be responsible for as a result of other damage. Council also requested a legal opinion to establish whether or not some of this work should have been performed by Argo and/or the RDOS.
Chair, Councillor Mattes suggested that the Khairas should ask their Insurance Adjustor why this damage was any different than damage which would be covered if the leak had damaged their home.
Regular Meeting November 10th 2014.
Delegation regarding expansion of a western Canada Electric Vehicle charging station system.
Rob MacGregor from Sun Country Highway (https://suncountryhighway.ca/)
has offered the Town an opportunity to get in on an Eco conscious project which will see Oliver as part of a regional program of charging stations extending into Washington State. These charging stations have already been located in Sicamous, Princeton, and Black Hills Winery. Highway 97 and Highway 3 are logical routes fro expansion.
Mr. MacGregor commented that the reason there are so few electric cars is because there are so few charging stations and providing charging stations will encourage more people to buy electric cars. He hopes to change that with installation of stations and is offering the hardware at no cost to the Town. His plan is to encourage American electric vehicle owners to come to Canada and spend their tourist dollars here.
One location under consideration is Fairview Golf Course which is ideally suited to this system because there is a restaurant which allows electric car owners to golf and eat while their vehicle battery is charged (typical time is now reduced to three hours). Another location is Manning Park.
It was suggested that Oliver Parks and Recreation is an ideal site being so close to downtown and offering lots of space.
Councillor Kim Maynard drove all the way from Princeton in his Chevy Volt to tell Council about Princeton’s charging station. Council voted “heartily in support of the program and wants a charging station in Oliver” (sic).
Full details on Mr. MacGregor’s project can be read in his correspondence to Council; click on: https://oliver.civicweb.net/Documents/DocumentList.aspx?ID=49868 and read item G-1.
Future Dog Pound
We are one step further towards having a Town owned and operated Pound. A historic zoning error has prevented the Town from proceeding with this project to date but we are getting closer and the remaining step appears to be a Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure approval which should be a mere formality!
Oliver Parks and Recreation UBCM Grant Application
Carol Sheridan, Manager of Oliver’s Parks and Recreation Center has applied to The Union of BC Municipalities for a grant and has requested Council vote in support.
This initiative in conjunction with the Oliver Healthy Living Coalition is to ensure that all residents have access to an ‘Age-Friendly’ fitness park in Oliver with the primary focus being to increase fitness levels in our older adult population by offering a fitness circuit that caters to people with mobility issues but also close to Downtown, residential areas and our hospital/long term care facility. Council voted its support which will be forwarded to the UBCM.