By Roy Wood, Special to the Times Chronicle 

Osoyoos has spurned an offer from the regional district to participate in a region-wide economic development initiative, preferring to stay local and work with the South Okanagan Chamber of Commerce.

In a report to town council’s October 28 regular meeting, the administration recommended that the town participate to the tune of up to $10,000 a year in a proposal from the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen (RDOS) to create an economic development position to coordinate activities and initiatives across the region.

The three-year position would be paid for through an annual $50,000 grant from the provincial Rural Economic Development Infrastructure Program (REDIP) along with contributions from Penticton, Summerland, Oliver, Osoyoos, Keremeos and Princeton.

If everyone participated, the contribution from Osoyoos would amount to a little over $4,000 a year. Summerland already said no, raising that number to over $5,000. If other jurisdictions were to opt out, the Osoyoos share would jump even further.

According to the report from CAO Rod Risling, the regional coordinator’s role would include:

  • Leading regional promotion, attraction, retention, and recruitment efforts;
  • Supporting high-level economic development initiatives across jurisdictions;
  • Allocating time to assist with local priorities and community-specific projects; and
  • Fostering inter-municipal collaboration and reduce duplication of effort.

Councillor Johnny Cheong called the RDOS proposal “redundant” to the efforts already being taken up by the South Okanagan Chamber of Commerce on behalf of the town.

“My understanding is that we budgeted money to contract the chamber of commerce to essentially accomplish exactly what this is, but specifically for Osoyoos,” Cheong said, adding that the chamber is also seeking a REDIP grant.

He said the chamber is in the planning stages for holding town hall meetings and outreach to local businesses to determine “what their role will be in the contractor-ship role.”

The chamber is still in the information-gathering stage, “but hopefully we’ll have answers over the next two or three months,” he said.

According to a spokesperson, the chamber had been waiting to see which way the town would go and was excited to get back to the table.

In an interview this week with the Times Chronicle, chamber executive director Denise Blashko said: “We do have sort of a draft plan from a couple of years ago.

“And we’re taking that, along with our business walks information … as well as some outreach with business people in the community. And then we’ll put that together and go to council and present.”

Mayor Sue McKortoff initially suggested that the town ask for a bit more time to consider the regional proposal and to “give the chamber of commerce a chance first.”

Informed that the deadline for a decision was the following day, the mayor said, “Well, this doesn’t seem to be something we can push forward today.”

In the end, council unanimously supported a motion to not support the RDOS proposal “at this time.”