Several water issues are on the agenda of today’s Osoyoos town council meeting. (Richard McGuire photo)
April 4: Water is a big item on today’s agenda for Osoyoos town council.
Council will consider giving three readings to the new Water Conservation and Staged Restriction Amendment bylaw.
This bylaw sets alternate watering days for non-agricultural properties so that people with even-number addresses can only water on even calendar days and those with odd-number addresses on odd calendar days.
In more serious drought situations, the town can impose twice-weekly watering, once-a-week watering or no outdoor watering.
Other discussions will deal with a bylaw setting water rates and with a $900,000 project to twin water lines to water systems 8 and 9, providing separate lines for municipal water and lake water to rural areas and bringing the water system into conformity with provincial law.
Council’s Committee of the Whole meeting is at 10 a.m. in the council chambers and the regular meeting is at 2 p.m. in the same place.
Bring a chair and be ready to sit outside as school board makes decision on schools Wednesday
Bring a chair and be prepared to stay outside when the school board meets Wednesday night to decide the fate of Osoyoos schools.
That’s the warning from Brenda Dorosz, chair of the Save Our Schools (SOS) committee, who nonetheless hopes to see 1,000 people come out for the vote.
The meeting is being held at the Osoyoos Community Theatre at Osoyoos Secondary School, which only has a capacity of 264 seats and two wheelchair spaces. It starts at 7 p.m. on April 6.
There is a 30-minute maximum “public forum” in which members of the public may speak, but must complete a form requesting to do so prior to the meeting.
There is also a chance for the public to address the board at the end of the meeting during “question period.”
Despite public concerns about the size of the venue, School District 53 has chosen not to move the meeting to the larger gym next door or the Sonora Community Centre.
Chair Marieze Tarr issued the following statement:
“The April 6 Board meeting is a formal business meeting of the Board of Education and needs to be conducted as such. All Board meetings occur in the school board office; however, the Board has made the decision to relocate this business meeting to an Osoyoos venue that respects parent and community interest as well as supports the business that needs to take place regarding this very important decision. We kindly ask for your cooperation.”
Further details about this meeting are available on the SD 53 website at: www.sd53.bc.ca/district/osoyoos/
Raindrops cover blossoms Monday morning. Sun is forecast for the rest of the week. (Richard McGuire photo)
Today’s rain will soon be gone
Today’s rain showers should end early this afternoon, according to Environment Canada. The high today will only get up to 13 degrees – a reminder after the recent beautiful weather that summer doesn’t officially start for another two and a half months.
Yesterday reached 22 C and Saturday surpassed 23 C.
The rest of the week should be nice with sunshine every day. The temperature Tuesday should reach a high of 14 C, but the rest of the week temperatures will be in the 20s, with a high Friday of 24 C.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
