Barry Romanko, chief administrative officer of the Town of Osoyoos, gave an overview of the projects the town is working on in a talk to the Rotary Club of Osoyoos. Pictured with him is Lynda Bliss, Rotary president. It was Jersey Day for Humboldt. (Richard McGuire photo)

The Town of Osoyoos and its regional partners are moving forward with a study into a possible regional aquatic centre.

“That project is still moving ahead, and we will be very shortly putting out a request for proposals for a feasibility study on that initiative,” Osoyoos Chief Administrative Officer Barry Romanko said last week during a talk to the Rotary Club of Osoyoos.

Romanko discussed the pool proposal in a wide-ranging talk giving an overview of issues the Town of Osoyoos is currently working on.

He said discussions are underway with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure about a potential location for the pool next to Highway 97 between Osoyoos and Oliver.

That location is at a former gravel pit west of the highway at the south end of the four-lane section.

“It’s a good regional site,” said Romanko, adding that the location needs to be centrally located to serve all participating communities.

The feasibility study will consider that location, he said.

Osoyoos is partnering with Oliver, the Osoyoos Indian Band and the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) in the proposal.

The Town of Oliver applied to the province for $100,000 in funding under the Rural Dividend program for the feasibility study, but the application was turned down in March.

But Romanko said the partners are still committed and will fund the study with other monies.

The CAO also noted that plans to build a pier at Gyro Park using Resort Municipality Initiative (RMI) funds hit a snag when the town discovered Osoyoos Lake “has no bottom” in the area where piles would have had to be driven to support the pier.

“We had to revisit the basic foundations of our pier, so that delayed us, but we do have a strategy that we want to roll out,” he said, adding that there will probably be an open house to showcase the final design.

Romanko said the RMI program will continue for at least another year, providing about $340,000 annually to Osoyoos for tourism-related infrastructure and other tourism projects.

Although the provincial program is aimed at tourism, Romanko said the town has focused on infrastructure that locals use, including Gyro Park, the canal trail, the marina and new public washrooms.

Osoyoos is one of 14 resort municipalities in the province that is eligible for the funds.

The canal trail is another major beneficiary of RMI funding, and Romanko said the next step will be to extend lighting along the paved walking and cycling trail to illuminate the stretch from 74th Avenue to Highway 3.

In earlier stages, the trail was built and given a gravel surface. Then it was widened and subsequently paved. Last year lighting was added along a first stretch between 62nd Avenue and 74th Avenue.

The lighting, said Romanko, allows people to use the trail during winter months when daylight hours are short.

“We’ve been getting very good feedback on that project,” he said.

Romanko also spoke briefly on other projects the town is working on:

• The first buyers are taking possession of new houses in the Meadowlark Subdivision south of the fire hall, but the town will be re-evaluating the program that allocates four of those homes as “near market” with a subsidy;

• Work has begun on an urban forestry bylaw that will establish regulations for trees planted on public lands and in new developments;

• The water twinning project to rural areas continues;

• A major project will be initiated this year to relocate the sewage lift station from Legion Beach to the nearby traffic triangle at Kingfisher Drive and 89th Street;

• A project to install new storm sewers under Main Street between 85th Street and Gyro Park is nearing completion, with new asphalt being laid last week. Phase II of the project will start in the fall on the portion of Main Street between 85th and 89th Streets, including more “bump outs”;

• Town departments will be working on developing regulations in anticipation of recreational marijuana legalization, now expected in the fall;

• The town is working with consultants on the feasibility study for a possible community health centre and there will be a public consultation on this soon;

• With municipal elections taking place this October, the town is preparing and will be offering an orientation before the election to provide information to potential candidates about what the job of councillor entails;

• After shoring up the dangerous roof in the old fire hall and fixing leaks at the town hall entrance, the town will be taking first steps toward a future new town hall;

• Last year the town started the process toward boundary expansion on the east bench where about 40 homeowners petitioned to join Osoyoos. Their primary motivator is the need for good water and sewer services;

• The town has obtained funding for a study that is a necessary first step toward designation as an “age-friendly” community. The town has already allocated funding to improve accessibility on public property in recent years;

• Preliminary design work will continue for a bicycle trail to close the gap between Cottonwood and Lakeshore Drives to get cyclists off the highway.

Romanko said several public consultations are anticipated this year including on a downtown revitalization plan, the community health centre, the age friendly plan and – if things work out – the regional aquatic centre development.

A local consultation is also expected for residents of the Kingfisher Drive area about reconstruction of the traffic diamond for the lift station and its landscaping.

“We never know what’s going to walk through the door at any particular moment and we try to be as flexible as we can,” said Romanko. “There’s never a dull moment over in our shop.”

RICHARD McGUIRE

Osoyoos Times