(SHELBY THEVENOT / iNFOnews.ca)
August 30, 2019 - 3:00 PM
VERNON - City council is looking to ensure that the community’s interests are met before an overdose prevention site gets the green light in Vernon.
A draft letter submitted by the director of community infrastructure and development Kim Flick, which will be before council for review on Tuesday, Sept. 3, requests the Interior Health Authority conducts, or requires as part of the proposal, a community engagement process.
According to the letter, the consultation report must include a description of all community engagement activities utilized by Interior Health, as well as any comments and feedback.
“We need this information to understand the efforts that have been made to engage with the community to inform them of the proposal and ensure that the voices of community members have been heard,” the letter reads.
“We appreciate that IHA is taking steps to help address the public health overdose emergency. Council would like to ensure that the interests of the surrounding community are considered in the siting of any overdose prevention site.”
The request notes that the community engagement process should include all properties within 120 metres of the proposed facility.
Council is recommended to endorse the draft letter to the Interior Health Authority at Tuesday’s meeting.
READ MORE
To contact a reporter for this story, email Parker Crook or call (250) 864-7494 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
News from © iNFOnews, 2019