Member of the current RDOS board of directors include (front row left to right) Peter Waterman, Mayor District of Summerland; Frank Armitage, Mayor Town of Princeton; Andrew Jakubeit, Mayor City of Penticton; Mark Pendergraft, RDOS Board Chair; Karla Kozakevich, Director Electoral Area E; George Bush, Director Electoral Area B; Judy Sentes, Councillor City of Penticton. Back row (left to right) are Andre Martin, Councillor City of Penticton; Toni Boot, Councillor District of Summerland; Ron Hovanes, Mayor Town of Oliver; Terry Schafer, Director Electoral Area “; Michael Brydon, Director Electoral Area “; Sue McKortoff, Mayor Town of Osoyoos; Manfred Bauer, Mayor Village of Keremeos; Tom Siddon, Director Electoral Area D; Helena Konanz, Councillor City of Penticton; Bob Coyne, Director Electoral Area H; and Elef Christensen, Director Electoral Area G. (Photo supplied)
The municipal government body that has been providing services to rural residents spread across the South Okanagan and Similkameen valleys is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2016.
Many events are planned to remember and honour the good work done by the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) over the past five decades, said Nona Lynn, a veteran administrative assistant for the RDOS.
“If anyone knows of a past director or longtime staff member who hasn’t been contacted by us already, we would like them to contact us,” said Lynn. “We would really like to speak to them.”
Regional districts were incorporated in the mid-1960s by the provincial government through the issuance of legal documents called Letters Patent. Each Letters Patent contained the names of the regional district, its boundary and boundary of its electoral area, while providing a formula for weighting the votes of directors.
Two YouTube videos detailing the history of the RDOS have already been produced and the plan is to produce several more throughout 2016, said Lynn.
“We will be working on producing several more YouTube videos throughout our 50th year anniversary celebrations,” she said.
At present, the RDOS board is comprised of 18 directors. A total of 10 municipal directors represent the City of Penticton, District of Summerland, Town of Osoyoos, Town of Oliver, Town of Princeton and Village of Keremeos. Eight electoral area directors represent Kaleden/Okanagan Falls, Naramata, Okanagan Lake West/West Bench, Keremeos/rural Hedley, Cawston, rural Princeton, rural Oliver and rural Osoyoos.
This unique representational arrangement provides the necessary cross-communication venue to promote co-ordination between the activities of the individual municipalities and rural areas spread across the region.
The assumption of powers by individual Regional Districts is based upon continued negotiations and dialogue between the board and participating municipalities and Rural Electoral Areas.
As stated on the RDOS website, “We envision the RDOS as a steward of our environment, sustaining a diverse and livable region that offers a high quality of life through good governance.”
The RDOS Mission Statement is “to initiate and implement policies which preserve and enhance the quality of life and serve the broader public interest in an effective, equitable, environmental and fiscally responsible manner.”
The RDOS currently employs 160 firefighters across the region and close to 80 fulltime and part time employees’ work in various departments out of the head office in Penticton.
The list of services provided by RDOS staff includes operating the 911 emergency system, bylaw enforcement, bear aware program, building permits, fire protection, garbage and recycling programs, land use planning, pest control, recreation commission, regional parks, street lights, tenders and Requests for Proposals and water systems.
The community services department is also responsible for regional economic development and transit.
The public works department is in charge of air quality, engineering reports and studies, the regional cemetery, invasive species program, pest control, sewers and subdivision development.
Other departments include finance, human resources, information services and the office of the Chief Administrative Officer.
The RDOS officially came into existence on March 4, 1966, so the organization will be officially celebrating its 50th anniversary next Friday (March 4) with a private gathering of former directors and staff, said Lynn.
The governance of Regional Districts is managed by a board of directors composed of appointees from municipalities and a director elected from each electoral area. The municipal directors serve on the regional board until their council decides to change the appointment. The directors from the electoral areas serve for a four-year term.
For more information, contact Lynn in Penticton by calling 250-492-0237 or email her at [email protected].
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
