By Sebastian Kanally
The Town of Oliver has officially agreed on the new contract for the management, supervision and operation of Oliver Parks and Recreation and the facilities it looks after starting January 1, 2024. Although there is a formal changing of hands of the administrative responsibilities, “we largely have a very similar structure to what we had before,” Councillor Petra Veintimilla noted in the town’s Dec. 4 meeting.
Whereas the previous contract was between the Regional District of the Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) and the Oliver Parks and Recreation Society (OPRS), it will now be between the RDOS and the Town of Oliver.
The OPRS would be dissolved and combined with the Town of Oliver and no Parks and Recreation employees will be impacted by this change.
This agreement covers the administration of the five recreational services that are offered through OPRS. They are recreational programs, community parks, the community hall, the swimming pool and the arena.
The Town will receive an annual fee of $50,000 from the RDOS for the administration of these services. This $50,000 is subject to increases each year according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) that Statistics Canada publishes each year.
From this $50,000 the town receives, the RDOS will get 10 per cent ($5,000) back to oversee the agreement and in consideration of their own operational costs.
