— Peachland says valley growth calls for single regional body —
(OSOYOOS TIMES — August 29, 2007) —
By Chad IngramrnOsoyoos Times
A study investigating the possibility of replacing the Okanagan's Regional Districts with one all-encompassing governing body may soon be underway.
In a letter to B.C. Minister of Community Services Ida Chong, Peachland Mayor Graham Reid explained Peachland Council had passed a resolution to urge the Minister of Community Services to review regional governance in the Okanagan Valley with a view considering a single regional governance structure that covers the entire Okanagan Basin.rnPeachland is part of the Regional District of the Central Okanagan.
Reid says the unprecedented growth in the Okanagan Valley in recent years calls for such a governing body, and that a joint government would be better suited for dealing with some of the valley's unique issues.
Water quantity and quality, transportation and public transit, air quality, waste water management and the mountain pine beetle infestation all come to mind, he said. Often, the optimum solution to these challenges is valley-wide in scope.rnA wearer of multiple hats, Reid is also Vice-Chair of the Okanagan Basin Water Board.
I have seen how basin-wide issues can be tackled effectively if a governance and taxation structure is in place to support the initiative, he said.
The Peachland mayor also believes that Westside's June 16 vote for incorporation puts extra weight on the Regional District of the Central Okanagan, and could be better supported under one large, amalgamated body.
Like Reid, Osoyoos Mayor John Slater also sits on the Okanagan Basin Water Board. He is Chair.
Remember I've got my regional hat on here, Slater said as he responded to questions dealing with the proposed study.
Like Reid, Slater said he could see potential benefits to such a system, including transportation and water issues, but emphasized that he is not endorsing the idea, only the study.
We need to look at this thing, the mayor said. When the Regional Districts came into being, they were just an idea that was thrown out there. Maybe this is one of those ideas.rnHowever, Slater also expressed concern over how, with such a large governance system in place, it could be assured that the needs of each community were being properly addressed.
The centre (for such a system) would be Kelowna, he said. The concern would be how does rural Princeton get a fair shake with the centre in Kelowna?rnThis conundrum is a big problem for Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) Vice-Chair Tom Chapman, who is vehemently opposed to the idea.
Rural areas need to have a voice, Chapman said bluntly, adding that under a larger, centralized regional system, areas like rural Princeton and rural Osoyoos would be left by the wayside.
Huge population bases tend to get more (grant) money, he said.
The Vice-Chair said the RDOS is doing just fine as it is, and commended Chair Dan Ashton and the district directors for the fine job they are doing.
Chapman also said that while it may make sense for the Central and North districts, with larger urban populations, to unite, the RDOS should be left alone.
He expressed anger towards Peachland Mayor Reid, calling him a tin can dictator and a one term wonder.
To make a request like that without consulting other districts is arrogant and self-serving, he added.
Chapman said he had just recently learned of Reid's letter to Chong, and that the RDOS has responded to the Province with its own letter.
Chapman also said that he felt that some people at the provincial level feel the Regional Districts have too much power when it comes to zoning.
The initiative for these types of things comes from the people, was the response of Penticton-Okanagan Valley MLA Bill Barisoff.
It comes down to services, he said of the proposed initiative, which he seemed to support. How do you make the services available to all the people?rnBarisoff said that a larger, centralized tax base may be a better way of addressing service and infrastructural issues.
Chong, for her part, seemed interested in Reid's request. In her return letter, addressed to the Chairs and members of all three districts, she concluded: I look forward to working with you and your board members in the coming months to design a process for realizing these opportunities.
