The three new members of Town of Osoyoos council will be kept very busy with numerous orientation sessions in the coming weeks as they learn the ropes about what it takes to become an effective municipal politician.

During the last week of November, newly-elected councillors Jim King, Carol Youngberg and Mike Campol joined numerous other newly-elected councillors from across the Okanagan Valley at a full-day session in Kelowna led by well-known municipal governance expert George Cuff.

New Mayor Sue McKortoff and incumbent councillor C. J. Rhodes and the three new councillors were officially sworn in to their new positions on Dec. 1 – their inaugural meeting following the Nov. 15 municipal election.

This past Monday, chief administrative officer Barry Romanko and the town’s department directors spent a full day during another orientation session for the new town council.

Romanko and the directors will once again be meeting with town council on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at the Sonora Community Centre to review the town’s long-term business plan.

After taking some time off to enjoy the Christmas and New Year holidays, members of council will be kept busy early in the new year as they are scheduled to attend a strategic planning and priority setting workshop at the Walnut Beach Resort the evening of Jan. 16.

They will then be attending a Local Government Leadership Academy council orientation session weekend from Jan. 20-22 in Kelowna.

And finally, there will be a freedom of information and privacy session, which will take place over half a day in Penticton on Feb. 3 or 4.

“An important part of enabling the new council to become effective as soon as possible is a comprehensive orientation program,” said Romanko. “This orientation needs to focus on the role of council and individual council members, council and administration role clarity, organizational structure and function, legislative requirements and important council-related processes and procedures.

“Best practices recommend that some of the orientation be provided by local staff and other information is best provided by outside educators.”

“An important part of enabling the new council to become effective as soon as possible is a comprehensive orientation program.”

Town of Osoyoos CAO Barry Romanko

Romanko said administration always plans orientation sessions following a municipal election because it’s vitally important that council members know their roles as members of council and the business of governance as elected officials.

“Although it is recognized that personal priorities may cause you to miss planned orientation sessions, I can’t overstate the importance of you making every effort to attend all of the scheduled events,” said Romanko following the swearing in ceremony. “

Following the extensive series of orientation meetings, the new council will continue to be kept extremely busy as the first scheduled budget meetings are scheduled for Feb. 10 and 11 at the Sonora Centre.

Campol said the orientation session with Cuff shortly after the election provided some valuable information and insight and he’s greatly appreciative that these sessions are available to new councillors so soon after being elected to office for the first time.

“There’s a lot to learn and we’re benefitting from the knowledge of some experts in municipal politics,” he said. “I know I learned a great deal from Mr. Cuff … and I’m really looking forward to learning a lot more at the upcoming sessions organized by staff.”

One of the first things you learn at these orientation sessions is to not be afraid to ask questions and to absorb as much information as possible, said Campol.

King concurred that the orientation sessions are very valuable not only as a new councillor being elected to political office for the first time, but also to getting to know his fellow members of council on a more personal basis.

“We’ll be spending a lot of time getting to know each other over these next few weeks,” he said. “I definitely appreciate the information that we’re receiving because there’s a lot to learn.”

Youngberg also commented that she appreciates the efforts of administration to organize these orientation session, which will allow her to gather pertinent and important information as she enters her first term in office.

KEITH LACEY

Osoyoos Times