Thompson-Okanagan municipalities prepare SILGA resolutions

Photo: District of Peachland

More than 40 resolutions will be up for debate at the Southern Interior Local Government Association convention taking place April 30 to May 3 in Kamloops.

Peachland council on Tuesday morning went through all the resolutions to determine where the municipality stands. Peachland submitted no resolutions of its own.

Kamloops submitted a resolution on the toxic-drug crisis, urging the province “to develop, implement and fund equally a balanced holistic plan, based on these four pillars (prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery, and enforcement) for resolving the toxic drug crisis.”

On the issue of drug decriminalization, Merritt is asking the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions to create an online dashboard that provides statistics on the impact of decriminalization and “whether the continuation of the pilot program is of benefit to communities.”

The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen proposes a provincial solar power rebate program for homeowners.

Kamloops wants a provincial standard for cold-weather shelters.

Summerland wants to increase the maximum penalty for bylaw noise offences.

Lake Country wants intersection cameras when a municipality requests them.

A number of resolutions deal with wildfire cleanup and warding off invasive mussels.

Lumby wants the province to establish fees at boat launches.

The RDOS wants to become a taxing authority.

Penticton wants the province to set standards for forestry roads that are being used as alternate commuter routes or in the event of emergencies.

Vernon proposes that SILGA and the Union of BC Municipalities be barred from accepting money from the fossil-fuel industry and its lobby groups for conventions and meetings.