Council going to UBCM

Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer

Penticton Mayor Andrew Jakubeit says all of council and the city manager will be attending the Union of British Columbia Municipalities convention next week.

The 2015 convention will be held Sept. 21 to 25 in Vancouver.

"With four new councillors and a new city manager it is a very important networking and personal development opportunity," he said. "We meet once a year to lobby the province, learn about best practices and trends and meet with other communities to exchange ideas."

The UBCM was formed to provide a common voice for local government and the convention continues to be the main forum for UBCM policy making.

Among the offerings during the week are forums, provincial policy sessions and tours.

The Penticton mayor and council members, with the exception of then Counc. John Vassilaki, attended the UBCM in Whistler last year.

Among the issues they addressed were the hiring process for the new correctional centre in Oliver, the hospital  patient care tower and streamlining the process for big events in the city, in the aftermath of Boonstock.

This year council will meet with ministers regarding affordable housing, economic incentives, vacant lots, capital funding, business database and more.

More information is available at: UBCM convention.