Former mayor has many concerns with joint neighbourhood improvement project concept

Dear Editor:

I wish to make some comments about Town of Osoyoos council’s recent decision last week adopting new procedures for joint venture neighborhood improvement projects.

I do think it could be a sound alternative to residents who need some action and an alternate way to achieve change in their neighbourhoods.

However, there is a number of contentious issues which I urge council to give further consideration to.

What I am cautioning about is the 50 per cent plus one majority that would be needed to initiate tchange and start the project.

Some of the example changes profiled could easily be $1 million dollar projects.

The affected property owners could be facing a substantial charge whether they were in favour of this project or not.

I think a more appropriate approval percentage for majority would be two thirds of voters in favour (or 67 per cent) or even 75 per cent approval and maybe even higher before the project could proceed.

You will never get everyone to agree, but a higher majority approval percentage is needed.

Council and senior administration does have experience with big projects from the Northwest Sewer project and understands the sensitivity of the local property owners.

A second area for council consideration would be the eligibility issue.

Using Jasmine Drive as an example, I am worried about the residents on either the  north or south ends of the street – neither uses the street for town access.

I see that if it was a project for curbs, gutters, and sidewalks it would it be on a frontage basis.

Using Harbour Key as an example of a street with a flooding issue,  how does one proceed with the houses that are on the town side of the issue?

They are on the street, but should they pay for the upgrade that really doesn’t affect them?

I would hope there would be some public input before this is implemented.

I can see this policy potentially pitting neighbours against one another and the 50 per cent plus one is far too low a trigger to encumber residents with a substantial debt.

Many times we don’t get things right the first time, so I would encourage members of the current council to have a second look at this endeavour.

This could be a very divisive issue and I don’t think that I would like to see it in my neighbourhood as it has been presented.

Stu Wells

Osoyoos, B.C.

(Editor’s note: Stu Wells was the mayor of the Town of Osoyoos for several years preceding the 2014 municipal election and was a member of town council as a councillor for several terms before being elected mayor.)