Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen wins Community Excellence Award

Photo: Scott McAlpine

The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen has earned a Community Excellence Award from the Union of British Columbia Municipalities.

The UBCM meets every year, gathering representatives from municipalities across the province to discuss their shared experiences and take a united stance when it comes to issues that require provincial involvement.

This year, the conference took place in Whistler from Sept. 12 to 16. The RDOS sent board chair Mark Pendergraft and vice chair Spencer Coyne, along with CAO Bill Newell and others to meet with provincial ministers and representatives while also attending workshops and forums.

While there, the RDOS delegation learned they had earned the Community Excellence in Governance award for Utility Acquisition Policy and Process.

"The RDOS has implemented the first process of its kind in BC where private utilities and improvement districts can become a regional district function. The process will assist utilities that need to be upgraded to meet provincial regulation and safety standards, while ensuring that any transition to a regional system is respectful of the community’s needs," the RDOS stated in a news release Friday.

"This is the first policy of its kind in BC and includes a step-by-step process with definitive objectives at each stage. The process can assist a private system or improvement district convert to a municipal government system."