FILE PHOTO

(MARSHALL JONES / iNFOnews.ca)

December 13, 2016

Agricultural Advisory Committee
Mayor Doug Findlater rose and reported that Council had appointed the following people to the Agricultural Advisory Committee, to serve for a period of four years to end December 31, 2020:

• Jan Bath
• Colin Cruickshank
• Sheri Paynter
• Serina Penner
• Graham Pierce

Councillor Conflict
Mayor Doug Findlater rose and reported that Council addressed an incident at the November 22 and December 13 In-camera Council meetings. The incident revolves around a phone call made by Councillor Rusty Ensign to the Chief Administrative Officer in regards to a matter for which Councillor Ensign had declared a conflict of interest.

It is in regards to the 2016 Pedestrian Improvement Program construction contract award for which Councillor Ensign declared a conflict in regards to this project as the Councillor’s company was a potential bidder and eventually became a sub-contractor for the project.

In short, the incident occurred when the Councillor made a request to the CAO to intervene with a City employee’s decision to restrict access to City property by the Councillor’s company vehicles as part of the construction process. A change to the City employee’s decision may have resulted in a financial advantage to the Councillor’s company.

In response to this incident, Council resolved unanimously (including Councillor Ensign) to:

• Rise and report on the issue
• Direct Councillor Ensign to take Conflict of Interest training and other conduct standards training; and,
• Direct Councillor Ensign to pay 100% of the legal costs incurred by the City as a result of this matter.

2017-2026 Financial Plan
Council was provided the draft 2017-2026 Financial Plan which includes a 3% tax increase. Growth is projected by BC Assessment to be 1.46% but a final number will not be determined until March 31, 2017. Council will discuss the draft financial plan at its January 17, 2017 meeting.  A public presentation on the budget will be held at the Westbank Library on Wednesday, February 15, 2017 followed by further presentations to Council. Final adoption is slated for April 2017. The plan includes supplemental budget requests for 6.2 new full time staff, two of which are RCMP staff.

2017-2018 Fire Department Full Time Employees
Council was provided information that the West Kelowna Fire Department has requested eight new firefighters to allow Station 32, at 2708 Olalla Road in Lakeview Heights, to respond with four firefighters instead of three. Currently firefighters are working an excessive amount of overtime and extended hours to ensure the fire station is not browned out – limited service to limited available personnel. Firefighters responding from Station 32 are not permitted to make entry into a burning building until at least on additional firefighter arrives on scene. The addition of eight new firefighters would prompt a tax increase of 5% overall. Staff is reviewing the request in anticipation it will be included as a budget request in 2018.

Tallus Ridge Drive Rezoning
Council gave first and second readings to an OCP and Zoning Amendment application for Tallus Ridge Drive. The application is a proposal to amend the land use designation from Low Density Multiple Family to Single Family Residential and Parks and Natural Areas; and to rezone from the R3 Low Density Multiple Family Zone to the RC3 Compact Single Detached Residential Zone and
P1 Park and Open Space Zone. This amendment is necessary to accommodate a proposed compact single family residential subdivision and to ensure that a small undevelopable portion of the existing multiple family area is being rezoned to P1 Parks and Open Space. The area being rezoned is approximately 2.699 ha (6.67 acres) located at the end of Tallus Heights Drive near the centre of the larger 41.66 ha subject property.

Temporary Use Permit – Glenrosa Road
Council approved a Temporary Use Permit to allow wedding ceremonies to take place at 3705 Glenrosa Road for three years. Council stipulated that parking needs to be on site, attendees be limited to 100, the number of events restricted to 8 ceremonies per month during June to September and hours restricted from noon to 6 pm.

Westbank Centre Redevelopment
Council approved a Commercial Development Permit for 2528 Main Street (former Cattle Country site) to allow the renovation and re-construction of a gasoline service station and commercial mall. The site currently has derelict buildings including a former gas station and car wash. The Development Permit will allow the renovation of a commercial mall, which includes demolition and reconstruction of the eastern portion of the existing mall and the construction of a gas station. The mall will contain four units with one unit housing a Co-Op convenience store with associated gas station.

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News from © iNFOnews, 2016