Kelowna

Highlights of the Regional Board Meeting – March 22, 2010:

Waste Water Treatment Plant Equipment - The Regional Board has approved a contract with Gardner Denver to purchase key components for the Westside Regional Waste Water Treatment Plant. The bid of $339,240 plus GS was the lowest qualified proposal received by the Regional District’s engineering consultant AECOM. The two multi-stage centrifugal blowers and controls are important equipment for the internationally recognized Westbank Process of nutrient removal in the treatment of waste water. The components satisfy the requirements for the Stage 3 expansion of the Westside Waste Water Treatment Plant, expected to begin later this year.

Regional Sanitary Trunk Master Plan Phase 2 - The Regional Board has approved a contract for Phase 2 of the Westside Regional Sanitary Trunk Master Plan. Urban Systems Limited will complete the required work by September at a cost of $98,500 plus GS. This phase will include development of a hydraulic modelling analytical tool to be used to assess cost effective and efficient long-term management of sanitary sewer collection system in the District’s of West Kelowna and Peachland and Westbank First Nation IR’s #9 and #10.

Transit and handyDART Bylaws Amended - The Regional Board has approved two bylaws amending the Regional District Service Area for urban transit and handyDART services. The bylaws remove the District of West Kelowna from the Regional District Service Area and pave the way for the municipality to assume responsibility for both services within its boundary. The Regional District will continue to be responsible for transit and handyDART services for the District of Peachland and Westbank First Nation lands.

Two New Dog License Agents Approved - The Regional Board has approved expanding the list of locations where dog owners may purchase a license for their pet. Tail Blazers is located at 1155 KLO Road in Kelowna and Clippendale Dog Grooming Salon is located at 2409A Main Street in West Kelowna. These new licensing agents are in addition to the existing 23 locations available throughout the Central Okanagan.

Biosolids Management Plan Contract - The Regional Board has authorized a contract with Sylvia Environmental for development of a plan to manage biosolid waste materials from the Westside Regional Waste Water Treatment Plant. While its bid of $49,360 was the highest of three per-qualified responses to a Request for Proposals, Sylvia received the highest overall evaluation score and is within the project budget. Approximately 5,000 metric tonnes of biosolids are generated by the treatment plant each year. Through an agreement with the City of Kelowna and Ministry of Environment, biosolids are currently disposed of at the Glenmore Landfill. A management plan is required for disposal of these materials since the option of burying the materials in the Glenmore Landfill is expected to end later this year.

Starling Control Bylaw Adopted - The Regional Board has adopted a Starling Control Program Service Area Establishment Bylaw. The bylaw sets up the mechanism for the Regional District to contribute up to $25,000 a year through 2012 towards the Okanagan Starling Control program.

Joe Rich Rural Land Use Bylaw Amendments - The Regional Board has given second and third reading to proposed amendments to the Joe Rich Rural Land Use Bylaw. The proposed text and mapping changes have been made by Planning Section staff as a part of the regular review of the bylaw. Final reading and adoption will be considered after receiving approvals from the provincial ministries of Transportation and Infrastructure and Community and Rural Development.

February Building Statistics - During February, the Inspections Section approved nine building permits for projects worth $991,000 in the Central Okanagan East and Central Okanagan West Electoral Areas. During the first two months of 2010, a total of 17 building permits were issued for construction projects in the electoral areas totalling just over $1.6-million.

Proposed Gravel Expansion Referral - The Regional Board does not support an application to the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources to expand an existing gravel extraction operation. The applicant has been operating from April through November for the past five years at a 2.96-hectare site adjacent to Brenda Mines Forest Service Road in the Central Okanagan West Electoral Area in the Peachland Creek watershed. Approximately 2,000 to 8,500 cubic metres of materials is being removed each year and is expected to complete the extraction process by 2060. The Board does not support the application until the Trepanier Creek and Peachland Creek Watershed Assessment for Drinking Water Source Protection is completed for the District of Peachland. If the Ministry proceeds with consideration of the application, the Regional Board asks that a number of environmental concerns be addressed and that work hours be restricted to between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm and that hauling only occur five days a week. The Board will also send a letter to the Ministry expressing concern that this mine has apparently never officially received an operating permit.

Next Regional Board Meeting - The next regular meeting of the Regional Board will be Monday, April 26th, 2010 at 7:00 pm in the Woodhaven Room at the Regional District office, 1450 KLO Road, Kelowna. Residents are welcome to attend.

Special Public Budget Meeting - The Regional Board will hold a special public meeting on Friday, March 26th, 2010 at 9:00 am in the Woodhaven Board Room at the Regional District office, 1450 KLO Road, Kelowna. Residents are welcome to attend and comment before the Board formally adopts the 2010-2014 Financial Plan.

Governance and Services Meeting - The Governance and Services Committee will meet Thursday, April 8th, 2010 at 8:30 am in the Woodhaven Board Room at the Regional District office, 1450 KLO Road, Kelowna. Residents are welcome to attend.