Council Briefs: Building permits up sharply in 2017

Osoyoos saw a sharp increase in building permits in 2017, an indication of new housing development that members of Osoyoos town council welcomed as good news.

Figures presented at last Monday’s council meeting showed $14,266,192 in newly permitted construction and renovation in 2017 – up from $6,882,594 in 2016.

Figures for December 2017 totaled $1,570,900.

“I had a look at this with great interest,” said Mayor Sue McKortoff. “We have several single family dwellings that are in the process of being built.”

She described the increase in 2017 over 2016 as “quite a jump.”

Coun. Mike Campol observed that there have been recently published reports of strong development in the Okanagan.

“Certainly Osoyoos has been part of that growth,” he said. “It’s always good to see.”

Participating in the meeting by phone from Arizona, Coun. C.J. Rhodes indicated he wants the public to know about this growth.

“I’m not sure if there’s any press in attendance, but I sure hope they report about those results from last year in a very favourable way,” said Rhodes.

Pit bull attacks and injures woman

A pit bull attacked an adult woman on Jan. 5 and the Town of Osoyoos is currently reviewing legal options.

Barry Romanko, town chief administrative officer noted the attack in his report to council last week and later clarified the breed of the dog and basic details about the victim.

“There were injuries to the person – enough to warrant further investigation and action by the town,” said Romanko, adding that the town is looking into legal options and he couldn’t comment further.

He reminds people that dogs must be kept on a leash at all times except at the dog park.

Dogs of restricted breeds must be muzzled at all times and dog owners must clean up after their dogs, Romanko said.

Council sets cemetery fees

Osoyoos town council has adopted a bylaw setting new fees in Osoyoos Lakeview Cemetery.

The bylaw was necessary because a new 40-unit columbarium was installed at the cemetery in the fall.

A columbarium is a compartmentalized structure with niches typically holding urns with a deceased person’s cremated remains.

Fees for interment of $1,820 will recover the costs to the town of purchasing and installing the columbarium.

There are minor changes to other cemetery fees with most going up by a few dollars, except fees for child-sized grave spaces and child-sized grave space care funds, which are lowered by a few dollars.

The bylaw, which amends an existing bylaw, was given all three readings in December.

Archery school gets one-year land use extension

The Osoyoos Traditional Archery School will get another year to use town lands on Strawberry Creek Road above the industrial park.

The school uses the land under a “license to use” agreement that ran for a three-year term from 2015 to the end of 2017.

The town declined to be locked into another three-year agreement because it is currently in discussions with the province about a Strawberry Creek Area Conservation Park Plan.

“We’re dealing with the province on a bigger scale on that whole West Bench area and we’re having a meeting in January in relation to that,” said Barry Romanko, town chief administrative officer. “There may be some implications relative to planning in that area and planning on the West Bench as well.”

Until last Monday, the town’s planning director position was vacant and Romanko said in a report that the one-year term would allow the new planning director, Gina MacKay, a chance to provide further advice.

The town may cancel the agreement with six-months’ notice.

Storm sewer excavation will reduce Main Street parking this spring

Plans to install a storm sewer between 85th Street and Park Place this spring will interfere with parking spaces near Shoppers Drug Mart this spring.

Council voted Jan. 15 to award the contract worth $630,460 to H & M Excavating Ltd., the lowest of five bids. The province is paying half because most of the storm water the project addresses is from provincial Hwy. 3.

“Likely as a result of climate change, the town is experiencing more short-duration, high-intensity rainfall events than was typical in the past,” said Jim Dinwoodie, director of operational services, in a report to council.

There has been flooding damage in the past.

There will be four bump-outs added to the corner of 85th and Main Street to improve pedestrian safety, but no additional crosswalks are being added to the existing one between Osoyoos Home Hardware and BMO.

“We are working to finish this by April 30, weather dependent,” said Dinwoodie, adding that the project can’t start until “Februaryish” after frost comes out of the ground.

Town staff appointed as election officers despite attempted ‘point of order’ by local gadfly

A discussion by council of the appointment of election officers for the October municipal election drew a brief interruption from Osoyoos gadfly Sy Murseli before Mayor Sue McKortoff quickly shut him down.

Murseli, who ran unsuccessfully as a councillor in the 2014 election, receiving 458 votes, spoke from the audience to say he was raising a “point of order.”

McKortoff told him he wasn’t permitted to raise a point of order and that the regular council meeting didn’t allow public input.

Murseli in the past has claimed that automated voting machines aren’t reliable and can be hacked and he has made aspersions about town staff.

Councillors agreed unanimously to support a staff recommendation that Janette Van Vianen, director of corporate services, be appointed as chief election officer and that Brianne Hillson, deputy corporate officer, be appointed as deputy chief election officer.

Dog park committee begins meetings

A town committee looking at developing a new dog park to replace the present one began its meetings on Jan. 17.

This development was reported at last Monday’s council meeting by Barry Romanko, town chief administrative officer.

Coun. C.J. Rhodes also made a point of asking people to contact him by email at [email protected] if they have ideas or opinions for the dog park.

“At this time we’re starting with a clean slate,” said Rhodes, speaking by phone from Arizona.

RICHARD McGUIRE

Osoyoos Times

(Correction: This story has been corrected to show that Sy Murseli received 458 votes in the 2014 municipal election. The number 74 given incorrectly previously was only his total in the advance poll. We regret the error).