-Questions arise about Desert Park, Destination Osoyoos –
OSOYOOS TIMES-November 5, 2008-
By Paul EverestrnOsoyoos Times
More than 200 people filled the Osoyoos Secondary School Mini Theatre on Oct. 29 to hear what mayoral candidates Manuel Gosselin, Eike Scheffler and Stu Wells and rural Area A director candidates Sherry Linn and Mark Pendergraft had to say.
Hosted by the South Okanagan Chamber of Commerce, the gathering was the first of two all-candidates forums held in advance of the Nov. 15 municipal and rural election.
Scheffler, who was Area A director from 2002 to 2005, kicked off the evening with an opening statement that outlined what he sees as the five major issues facing Osoyoos Lake, including increased sediment levels, his concern about greater Osoyoos and his guarantee that there would be no tax increase if he was elected mayor.
Newcomer Gosselin followed by introducing a theme he would fall back on all night, that of running on the platform of demonstrating to the youth that their voice can be heard.rnHe added that his lack of experience gave him a fresh perspective on the issues facing Osoyoos and since he has no ties to any local organizations, he could bring objectivity to Town Hall.
Wells, who has served as a town councillor for the past three years, highlighted his record while in office.
He said he helped bring in policies to protect manufactured-home owners if the park where they live was sold as such parks are the basis for affordable housing in the area.
Wells also said the Town needs to operate in a what if mode in light of the current economic upheaval around the world, adding that he would also call for a zero-tax rate hike.rnIn her opening comments, Linn said she is aware of communication problems within the Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) and added that she would make RDOS staff understand how their attitudes apply to the public.rnShe also said she is environmentally aware, is in tune to local attitudes towards the rural Osoyoos Official Community Plan (OCP) and promised action and not just endless studies if elected.
Pendergraft, the incumbent for the director's seat, highlighted the successes he achieved during his term including his role in getting the Northwest Sewer Project off the ground, starting a curbside waste pickup pilot project for Area A and completing 13 kilometres of local trails.
He said that since many other projects are underway, bringing in someone new to the position could mean the delay or abandonment of such projects.
The candidates then faced roughly a dozen questions from the audience about their platforms, records and plans for Osoyoos.
One question focused on how the candidates would deal with the Desert Park event centre.
Wells said there was a breakthrough at the recent Union of British Columbia Municipalities convention regarding past ideas of holding horse racing, gambling and other events at the site.
He added that B.C.'s solicitor general told Osoyoos councillors present at the convention to get a business outline for the site to the province.
Scheffler, however, said help from higher levels of government wasn't needed.
We can fix Desert Park tomorrow with public input, he said.
Later, Wells was asked what he thought the role of Destination Osoyoos (DO) should be in the next three years, especially since their contract with the Town expires in 2009.
He responded by saying DO has taken us a long way.rnBut he added that if and when the contract is renewed, you bet (DO) will look different.rnGosselin said a lot of things should be changed regarding DO and the organization's mandate should be reviewed.
And Scheffler said DO has lost its way, adding that the quarter-of-a-million dollars the organization receives from the Town each year needs to be justified.
The candidates were also asked to comment on why taxes keep increasing while the Town's tax base grows and to share their plans on spending changes if elected.
Wells said that with increasing development comes a larger tax base and a growing tax base gives the Town the means to purchase amenities.
One of the amenities he mentioned as an example is the 2.3-hectare parcel of land the Town purchased in western Osoyoos for a new fire hall and affordable housing.
The land purchase became a point of contention during the forum as Scheffler said the multi-million dollar purchase was a waste of agricultural land.rnScheffler added that he would abandon the purchase if elected.
And one of the few questions directed towards the candidates running for Area A director focused on how the candidates would use land-use documents such as the rural Osoyoos Official Community Plan or Regional Growth Strategy for land-use decisions in Area A.
Linn said there were problems with such documents, highlighted by the recent need to re-enact and repeal the policies.
She said she wants to see one consistent bylaw for the entire RDOS.
Pendergraft said there is room for improvement for such documents but added that a long and arduous process was used to develop them.
He also said the documents are a guide for land-use matters and were not written in stone.rn[email protected]
