Bylaw may get new home

Photo: Colin Dacre

City of Penticton bylaw and RCMP could have a new presence downtown this year.

The draft 2019 budget released this week proposes the city spend $30,000 to lease space for a new shared RCMP/bylaw office downtown Penticton at the corner of Main and Nanaimo within the Blenz building.

The move would effectively move Penticton’s bylaw department out of city hall and free up space in an increasingly cramped building.

“We are going to have a much stronger presence, both with bylaw and the RCMP being there to deal with many of the issues that we are faced with,” said chief financial officer Jim Bauer. “And we are really struggling for space within city hall.”

Bauer called public safety the city’s “number one priority” heading into 2019 budget talks, with the city also proposing new spending to hire two more bylaw officers and one more RCMP officer.

Vagrancy issues downtown dominated much of Penticton’s discourse last year, with many business owners calling for an increased presence in the neighbourhood from the authorities.

City council will discuss the proposed bylaw/RCMP office during budget talks Feb. 26 to 28.