West Kelowna

Highlights of the July 27 West Kelowna Council meeting:

Recognition for Acts of Bravery - Council agreed to set up a committee of Council dedicated to establishing a method of recognizing acts of valour and bravery exhibited by members of the community. The committee will investigate the feasibility of setting up District-led awards or submitting applications for recognition through other levels of government. Councillor Carol Zanon, Councillor David Knowles and Mayor Doug Findlater have agreed to sit on the committee with staff as a resource.

Library Location - Okanagan Regional Library Executive Director Lesley Dieno provided a presentation on the Westbank Library Branch location at Westridge Mall, where it has been since 1996. The 2006 census reported about 20,000 live in the branch service area and visits total 125,000 each year. The lease on the location is up in February 2011 and the library is investigating options including staying in the current location or looking for new and possibly larger space, particularly for computers and a small meeting room. Library personnel are investigating options, and will provide at least two possible locations for the Library Board to review this fall.

Green Bay Stormwater Flows - Representatives of the Green Bay Home Owners’ Association attended Council to present a solution to storm water management in the area. The group has met with Transport Canada and been asked to demonstrate the viability of their recommended course of action. The plan is to suction dredge a portion of the navigation channels of the Bay, improve the environmentally sensitive foreshore surrounding the north side of the bay and provide a method to eliminate the upland soil erosion and sediment transfer from the Quails’ Gate Vineyard. Storm sewers are within the jurisdiction of the District of West Kelowna. Estimated budget for the work is $475,000. The group intends to apply for funding options through the provincial and federal governments. The storm water system is a key issue in the District’s development of a Master Storm Water Management Plan. The District has allotted $30,000 in 2010 to assess the problem. One option presented is anticipated to cost approximately $475,000 and would need to be approved in the District’s 2011 budget. Green Bay property owners have asked for assurances they would have input into the Master Storm Water Management Plan.

Agricultural Plan Moves Forward - Planning staff provided Council an update on the District of West Kelowna’s Agricultural Plan, which began in April. Agricultural producers have been invited to go on a farm tour, visiting at least seven operations throughout the District, on August 10. Farmers will also be invited to give input at a Visioning Workshop on August 11 to explore future practices and opportunities for farming. Council is expected to go on its agricultural tour in the fall. The District of West Kelowna’s Agricultural Plan is exploring ways to preserve and protect agricultural land and to harmonize farming practices with neighbouring residential, commercial and industrial development. Council will receive another update in the fall and public consultation is expected to occur following a council workshop, as early as October.

Westbank Connection to Waterfront Explored - The District of West Kelowna will work with the Gellatly Bay Trails and Parks Society to construct a gravel pedestrian pathway between the Westbank Centre and the public waterfront in Gellatly Bay. The 215-metre connection would be built on publically owned land between Old Okanagan Highway and Cindy Road, running alongside the Johnson-Bentley Memorial Aquatic Centre Property and Westbank First Nation land. The Gellatly Bay Trails and Parks Society has completed design work at its own cost and has committed to cover construction costs estimated at $10,000. The District would commit to maintain the trail at an annual estimated cost of $1,500. Council thanked the society for its legwork and financial contributions.

Blasting Permit Fee Approved - Council has approved a new $150 fee for a Blasting Permit Application. The fee arises out of new blasting permit requirements in the District, which were mailed to developers, blasting companies, general contractors, excavators and insurance companies for feedback in June. Blasting activity is licensed and regulated through Work Safe BC and Federal and Provincial regulations. The Permit does not replace those regulations, but rather ensures the municipality has been informed of the blasting and confirms for the District that the blaster possesses a business license, notifies Work Safe BC of the project, obtains minimum liability insurance of $5 million, contacts a geotechnical engineer and communicates blasting plans and gives advanced notice of blasting to neighbours. The fee will be applicable after the District’s Building, Subdivision and Fees and Charges Bylaws have been amended to include the Blasting Permit Application requirement.

Gellatly Bay Boat Launch and Parking Plan Update - The District of West Kelowna has announced it will step up enforcement of parking in the popular Gellatly Bay recreational corridor because of public concerns. Despite a recent upgrade of Gellatly Road and Trail between Powers Creek Bridge and The Cove Resort, which included additional parking stalls, trucks and boat trailers and other vehicles continue to park in unpermitted areas, creating congestion, blocking accessibility to sidewalks and driveways and causing safety concerns. Vehicles that do not heed warnings from bylaw officers could be towed. In the meantime, the District is also moving ahead with plans to upgrade the Gellatly Bay Boat Launch. A request for proposals is going out, seeking companies that could improve the boat launch’s ramp, pier and other amenities during the next available construction window in October. The B.C. Ministry of Environment has approved the work permit, and construction should be completed before year’s end. Until the work can be completed, staff will post signage informing boaters of potential safety hazards until the repairs can be completed.