By Roy Wood, Special to the Times Chronicle

Two-thirds of the capital projects on the Osoyoos operational services department’s agenda are currently stalled, after the department was virtually decapitated when three senior managers resigned over the last eight months or so.

The delays and the inevitable cost increases, which will eventually passed on to the taxpayers, may be a case of the actions of an uncivil few last winter coming back to haunt the town’s future. 

The department’s quarterly report, presented to town council at a recent meeting, includes a table of “capital projects included in the 2024 budget and their status.”

Twenty of the 31 projects are denoted as “delayed,” 10 are “on schedule” and one is “complete.” The delayed projects account for about $8 million of the budgeted $11 million.

Among the major delayed items are $4 million in projects related to the town’s sewer system and $3.3 million related to water. 

Operational services is divided into two sub-departments: 

  • Utility services, which is responsible for all things related to water and sewer, including domestic water, agricultural irrigation, stormwater collection and wastewater collection and treatment; and 
  • Public works, which is responsible for roads, sidewalks, parks, the cemetery, the airport, municipal fleet and facilities and the landfill.

In a recent interview, town Chief Administrative Officer Rod Risling was asked why so many operations projects are delayed. 

“No staff,” he answered.

“Unfortunately, in the operations area, we were pretty much wiped out on the administration side. The director left. The two superintendents left. Even our technician left,” he said. “When you have nothing, it’s pretty tough.”

The three senior staffers left following the public uproar that followed the large tax and utilities increases last fall. Large public meetings and demonstrations occurred following the announcement of the increases. Eventually town council reconsidered the budget and mitigated the increases by putting off some needed expenditures.

During that period there were cases of individual staff members being harassed by irate members of the public.

Risling acknowledges that personal attacks were part of the reason the department lost its senior staff.

“I think the bigger part was the (number) of attacks that were made personally on staff members. Really for just doing their job,” he said. “Unfortunately, it’s having a lasting effect that’s going to cost us for a long time.”

Part of the lasting effect is turning out to be the difficulty in finding replacements for the senior staffers.

“Certainly, what transpired … made the news. And people have seen that,” Risling said, “We’ve had people apply and they start looking at what happened here, and they withdraw.”

The CAO is reluctant to discuss the situation. “The more I talk about it, the more it riles people up and there’s less chance for us to get staff … means the cost of these projects keep going up. …

“I feel for the taxpayer because that’s where it’s going to hit.”

Risling said the department continues to function and to tend to the higher priorities.

He said two members of the operations staff are filling in as acting superintendents. “They’re doing their best. … They’re doing what they can and I’m very proud of them

“They’re putting in hours like you wouldn’t believe trying to keep this stuff going forward.”

He said the town is contracting out some things. “Some engineering and that type of thing. But obviously the more you (contract out) the higher the cost.”

Risling said the focus right now is moving forward with the installation of water meters throughout the community. “(We’re) hoping to start some of the installations. Hopefully, we can keep that one on schedule. Still hoping for some action toward the end of the month.”

Elsewhere the report highlighted several other ongoing projects:

  • The water treatment plant project, with a budget of $51.7 million, is in the “pre-planning stage,”
  • The 85th Street Pedestrian Plaza is virtually completed; and
  • The flood mitigation program, with a $1.8 million budget is “nearing design completion” and construction will start in the fall.