Despite a horrific vandalism spree and reports of transients sleeping inside the facility, Town of Osoyoos councillors weren’t willing to support a staff recommendation to close the Gyro Park public washrooms over the coming winter months.

Vandals broke into the washroom facility in late January of this year and caused close to $40,000 in damage, which is still being repaired to this day, said Jim Dinwoodie, the town’s director of operational services, in a report to council on Monday.

“Typically during the autumn and winter seasons, operational services closes all but two public washrooms in town parks, as a result of decreased public demand,” said Dinwoodie.

Last winter, operational services maintained the Gyro Park and Goodman Park washrooms, he said.

Besides the terrible vandalism incident, staff from his department also received numerous complaints from the public last winter about people “camping” in the washrooms at Gyro Park overnight and leaving the facility in an undesirable condition, he said.

“It has been suggested that in order to reduce the possibility of further vandalism this winter at Gyro Park, that these washrooms would remain closed and the washrooms at the town marina would remain open,” he said. “The marina washrooms are smaller and less likely to be used for overnight camping, but will still provide service to citizens walking the trails along the shores of Osoyoos Lake.”

Operational services proposed to close the Gyro Park washroom for the winter months, but continue to keep open public washrooms at town hall, Goodman Park and the town marina, he said.

Coun. C. J. Rhodes said the vandalism incident was “obviously criminal behaviour” he hopes won’t be repeated in the future.

The issue with transients using the washroom to sleep overnight can be addressed by having bylaw officers be more vigilant, he said.

The reality is this washroom is convenient and heavily used by local citizens and closing it for several months would provide a major inconvenience to a lot of people, he said.

“I would sure like to see the Gyro Park washroom stay open … people use it and they know where it is,” he said. “I have real difficulty supporting closing that facility.”

The doors to several local facilities close automatically using a timing system and hopefully the town can work with bylaw enforcement officers to ensure transients aren’t slipping inside the washroom to use it as a place to rest, he said.

Coun. Carol Youngberg agreed that closing the Gyro Park washrooms for the winter months would upset a lot of local residents and she couldn’t support the staff recommendation.

Dinwoodie said he would discuss having bylaw officers check to make sure the doors are closed when the washroom facilities at Gyro Park are shut down for the evening at 6 p.m. during the winter months.

Council supports efforts to clean up Lakeview Cemetery

Town staff are going to take steps to try and clean up the Osoyoos Lakeview Cemetery grounds.

Jim Dinwoodie, director of operational services, said staff from his department carries out all maintenance activities, as well as interments, at the town’s cemetery facility.

These maintenance activities include grass mowing and trimming, litter pickup and removal and clearing snow.

“Over time, a large number of graves at the Lakeview cemetery have had numerous items added to the gravesites by their surviving members,” said Dinwoodie during a presentation to town council on Monday. “These items range from elaborate fencing, vases, toys, solar powered lights and even the occasional alcoholic beverage bottle to numerous flower displays. All of these items are in contravention of our current cemetery bylaw.”

The presence of these items impedes the activity of his staff to maintain the grounds to the highest standards possible, he said.

If stricter enforcement is desired, his department suggests surviving family members of those interned at the cemetery whose gravesites are in contradiction to the existing bylaw be notified and given an opportunity to remove the various items, said Dinwoodie.

“Not all grave sites may have local family contacts in the community, therefore, information related to potential removal of prohibited items will be advertised in the Osoyoos Times to ensure wide public knowledge of bylaw enforcement. If after a period of two months, the items are still in place at the cemetery, Operational Services staff will then remove and dispose of these items.”

Numerous gravesites have also had various concrete borders and coverings installed by family members, several of which have deteriorated significantly, said Dinwoodie. Operational Services staff suggests these surviving families also be contacted and informed of the state of these gravesites and be given a two-month notice to effect repairs.

“Anyone could trip and fall quite easily,” he said.

Mayor Sue McKortoff said she recently visited the local cemetery to attend a funeral and couldn’t help but notice how many gravesites were in rough shape.

Coun. C. J. Rhodes said trying to track down family members could prove to be very difficult, especially for people who have been buried at the cemetery for decades.

“Many are gone … if they refuse (to clean up) is it worth all of the trouble? This might be a whole can of worms we may not want to open up.”

McKortoff didn’t agree and said she believes staff should try and contact as many families as possible and ask them politely to remove items and clean up the affected gravesites in a timely manner. “I definitely think that to be more respectful and ask them politely to follow the rules is the way to go.”

At the end of the discussion, council voted unanimously in favour of allowing Operational Services staff to contact family members to enforce rules and regulations under the current bylaw.

KEITH LACEY

Osoyoos Times