Penticton City Council has reversed an earlier decision and will join in and help fund this new regional joint function (fund raising effort).
Earlier on ODN
A further delay for advocates of a conservation fund in the sub-region of South Okanagan within the RDOS
Both Penticton and Osoyoos have backed out of a plan but say the door is still open to some form of participation.
The plan was to go to the people of the South Okanogan with a referendum or an Alternative Approval Process to tax about $10 a househould to raise $450 thousand in annual funding.
Penticton council voted 4 to 3 against the plan. Osoyoos Council voted unanimously to hold a consultative process locally before going at it regionally. Mayor Sue McKortoff said her council felt they could raise more money locally and have full control of the projects.
Penticton Mayor Andrew Jakabeit said he would take the matter back to his council in the weeks ahead and supported a deferral motion today at the RDOS board table.
The matter will come back July 7th
One of the proponents of a regional conservation plan is West Bench director Michael Brydon – who lectured the board today that municipalities (councils) should not be voting on regional matters but that directors appointed should be casting a ballot more on a regional basis. His statement seems to not jive with municipalities representing more parochial points of view.
Summerland has voted to join the plan and Oliver is watching carefully. Most if not all of the regional areas: Osoyoos, Oliver, Okanagan Falls, West Bench and Naramata appear to support the plan but need the big money from the municipalities to make it work.
Under the plan the criteria would be value for money spent, some form of regional equity and a technical review committee that would make recommendations to the Regional District board on purchases, acquisitions and conservancy projects. Some directors were concerned that land acquisition could be left to those in that business and the conservation fund would fund societies and others who are cleaning up the land, restoring creeks etc.