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West Kelowna  

Referendum setback

The province has placed a large roadblock in front of West Kelowna's plans to borrow up to $10.5 million for a new city hall on Elliott Road.

The Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development sent a letter to the city Tuesday, denying the city’s request for an extension to the legislated requirement to hold a referendum on the City Hall Project Borrowing Bylaw within 80 days.

City council had hoped for the extension to hold a city-wide referendum in the fall, to avoid a July vote when many people are on vacation and the city is in the height of wildfire season.

At a special meet of city council Thursday, it was decided unanimously to re-start the process. That means the first three readings of the bylaw to borrow the funds for the city hall project were rescinded.

It means there will be no referendum in July.

Council was given the choice of holding a referendum in July, abandoning the project altogether or restarting the process. Council chose the latter.

A referendum was made necessary after more than 10 per cent of eligible West Kelowna voters disapproved through the Alternative Approval Process.

Council has directed staff to come back with possible options for the June 14 meeting.

Some of those options will surely centre around whether a delay will affect the participation of both the builder and Interior Health, which had agreed to lease space in other proposed buildings on the site.



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