Council to meet in person starting June 22 

Town council will end its remote meetings and get together face to face on June 22, although the public won’t be allowed access.

“Be prepared to be together on stage at the Venables Theatre on June 22,” chief administrative officer Cathy Cowan told council members this afternoon.

Cowan said council will be seated on the stage at the theatre, practising appropriate social distancing. However, the public won’t be permitted because appropriate contact tracing is not possible at this time.

Cowan didn’t say whether or streaming of the meetings would occur to allow the public and press to watch and listen to the proceedings.  

Starting April 14, regular and committee-of-the-whole meetings have been held virtually, with members of council and senior staff hooking up on the Zoom meeting app. The meetings have been available live through the video system in the council chamber. 

At the May 25 meeting, several councillors urged staff to figure out a way for the mayor and council to meet face to face.

Townhouses approved for long-vacant Co-op site 

Council approved a seven-unit townhouse development at Fairview Road and Co-op Avenue along with allowing reductions to the side and rear set-back requirement from six to three metres.

Councillor Larry Schwartzenberger lauded the development, pointing out that the piece of property has been vacant for some time. Mayor Martin Johansen said the addition to the residential rental pool will be welcome.

The development includes one four-unit townhouse complex and one three-unit building. Each two-storey unit will have three bedrooms, an upstairs deck and a single garage.

Development services director Randy Houle noted in his report to council: “(T)he two-storey height of the buildings will be a better fit for the neighbourhood than a four- to six-story building that would be permitted under the current zoning.” 

$3,000 grant to get tourists back to South Okanagan    

Council okayed a $3,000 grant to the Oliver Tourism Association (OTA) to take part in a post-COVID campaign to attract tourists back to the South Okanagan.

The grant-in-aid request is technically ineligible because the OTA receives other funding from the town, but council members agreed the project is important enough that they would ignore the technicalities.

As well, the grant will be matched by the provincial Destination BC and so the town will get “more bang for our buck,” said Councillor Larry Schwartzenberger.

The so-called “Visit South Okanagan” campaign involves jurisdictions from Peachland to Osoyoos and aims to “use our collective voices to safely bring back visitors when the time is right.”

Food Action Advisory Committee disbanded

Despite objections that the move is “disrespectful,” council voted to disband the Food Action Advisory Committee. 

The goal of the committee in 2018 was to create the town’s Food Secure Plan, which has been accomplished.

Councillor Dave Mattes said, “(The group) has achieved their purpose, so I see no reason to keep them around.”

Councillor Petra Veintimilla objected to the summary disbanding of the committee. “(It is) quite disrespectful,” she said, that the group would be disbanded “without their input.” She pointed out that some members have been working on the project for four years.

Mattes, Mayor Martin Johansen and Councillor Larry Schwartzenberger voted to disband, while Veintimilla and Councillor Aimee Grice voted against.

by Roy Wood