OSOYOOS TIMES-July 14, 2010

By Paul Everest – Osoyoos Times

The Town of Osoyoos has hired a manager to oversee economic and community development.
Jim Newman, who is currently the economic development manager of Sturgeon County, Alta., will take on the Town’s new position of community development manager beginning Aug. 3.
Sturgeon County is roughly 40 minutes north of Edmonton.
In September, 2009, the Town announced that it was changing its relationship with Destination Osoyoos, which, until last year, was responsible for tourism marketing and economic development for the community.
Destination Osoyoos is now solely responsible for tourism marketing for the Town, the NK’MIP Resort Association and the Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) while the Town will now handle its own economic development.
Newman will be the man responsible for carrying out the Town’s economic development needs, said Barry Romanko, the Town’s chief administrative officer.
He added that Newman has 12 years of experience as an economic development officer and seven years of experience in community development management.
One of the main responsibilities of the new community development manager position, Romanko said, is to oversee the provincial resort municipality program which Osoyoos participates in.
He will also be responsible for carrying out special projects identified in the Town’s business plan and will be focused on visitor service matters and sustainability projects in the community.
Romanko said the Town received 55 applications for the position and ended up interviewing three candidates.
An offer of employment was made to Newman six weeks ago and he accepted.
Osoyoos council then gave its approval at a closed meeting for Town staff to hire Newman.
His office will be in the Town’s planning services department building and he will answer directly to Romanko.
Newman was chosen due to his “rich history” in working in smaller community areas and he was involved in setting up a new economic development department in Sturgeon, Romanko said.
His salary range will be between $65,000 and $75,000.
Romanko said Newman has already bought a house in town.
As for Destination Osoyoos’s new role, Romanko said the Town is still working with the RDOS and the NK’MIP Resort Association to finalize an agreement.
Although a memorandum of understanding was signed by the three partners with Destination Osoyoos in January, the details of how the relationship will work are still being ironed out, Romanko said.
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