Penticton News

For the Board Meeting held on February 4:

OKANAGAN GLEANERS SOCIETY/ROTHE ZONING AND OCP AMENDMENT FOR 10103 336TH AVENUE, ELECTORAL AREA ‘C’
At the January 21, 2010 Board Meeting, the Board gave first and second reading to the OCP and Zoning Amendment for 10103 336th Avenue. The purpose of this amendment application is to facilitate the subdivision of an approximately 1.636 (ha) area from the parent property to allow for the Gleaners to purchase the property. An Industrial designation is seen to most accurately reflect the intended use of the site. The proposed Bylaw No. 2450.03 would amend the OCP designation of the property from Agricultural (AG) to Industrial (I).

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE – INVASIVE PLANT SINGLE AGENCY CONCEPT
Mr. David Ralph addressed the Board with respect to the Noxious Weed Single Agency concept. Traditional delivery of invasive plant management programs involve each major tenure holder (Ministries, Regional Districts, utilities, etc) awarding many contracts for on-ground control activities on lands under their jurisdiction over a large region. A Single Agency/Pooled Fund System is a delivery of an invasive plant management program whereby one agency (society) awards one contract for on-ground control activities on all tenure jurisdictions in smaller management areas within a large region. The Regional District is reviewing the information to determine if a pilot project could be implemented within the region.

SOUTH OKANAGAN HEALTH FAIR
Dr. Gerry Karr, President of the South Okanagan Health Fair Society and Ms. Bev Arsenault provided the Board with an overview of prior year‟s fairs and what is planned for the 2010 South Okanagan Health Fair. The Society is seeking a grant of $5,000 from the Regional District for the 2010 Fair.

OKANAGAN BASIN WATER BOARD – WATER CONSERVATION AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GRANT APPLICATION
The Regional District will be forwarding a number of applications to the Okanagan Basin Water Board for the following projects:

Faulder Community Water System Metering

Environmental Efficiency Audit Pilot Project

Aquifer Vulnerability Study

Foreshore Inventory Mapping (FIM) Okanagan Lake Analysis

Okanagan Falls Irrigation District water source protection plan
and any other Regional District projects that arrive prior to the deadline.

SUCCESS BY 6
The Regional District Board will forward a letter to the Ministry of Finance and the Premier of BC requesting that the Province continues to fund the Success By 6 program. Success By 6 provides funding and other valuable supports that directly enhance children‟s development in our region and across British Columbia.

GAS TAX REALLOCATION - OSOYOOS
The Board supported a request from the Town of Osoyoos to reallocate Significant Gas Tax funding in the amount of $195,129 from “Retrofitting Facilities” to “Retrofitting Facilities and Public Transit”. A letter of support will be sent to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities for discussion at their Management Committee. The Town of Osoyoos is proposing to make use of some of the gas tax funds for the purchase of a bus. For further information please contact the Town of Osoyoos.

REGIONAL DISTRICT OF OKANAGAN-SIMILKAMEEN NARAMATA COMMUNITY WATER RATES AMENDMENT BYLAW
The Board amended the current Naramata Community Water Rates Bylaw to meet the cost of works and services that benefit land within Electoral Area 'E.' The amended rates can be found on the Regional District web site.

OPEN AIR BURNING REGULATIONS WITHIN THE REGIONAL DISTRICT OKANAGAN-SIMILKAMEEN
The Regional District Board has requested that staff explore means by which farmers can dispose of their pruning through burning by best practices or other means that are cost neutral to farmers.

REFERRALS
The following reports were referred back to Administration for further information:

Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory (DRAO) Interference Area Mapping

Variance Application in Naramata for development in a flood plain

Zoning Amendment to Home Occupation Regulations in Naramata

DERELICT VEHICLE REMOVAL
Administration was requested to research various approaches to enforcing the removal of derelict vehicles from Provincial Roadways and bring that back for discussion.

PROCEDURE BYLAW
The Members discussed amendments to the Board Procedure Bylaw and directed Administration to make the corrections suggested and bring it back to the next meeting for review.

STATUS ON APPLICATIONS/ISSUES BEFORE THE BOARD
Bylaw No. 2459.03 Electoral Area 'E' Naramata Zoning Amendment Bylaw Second Reading

NEXT MEETING DATES
Thursday, February 11 – Budget Workshop
Thursday, February 18 – Board Meeting, RDOS Boardroom
Thursday, March 4 – Board Meeting, RDOS Boardroom