Civic election: Wes Greve courting council votes in Osoyoos

Castanet News has distributed a questionnaire to each candidate running for local council in the South Okanagan.

All competing candidates have been given the same questions, and answers have been edited for clarity and brevity when needed. An interactive database of Okanagan candidates, including previous questionnaire stories, is available here and is being updated daily.

Election day is Oct. 15.

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Wes Greve: Osoyoos council candidate

Why would you make an effective town councillor?

My background on high performance maintenance crews has given me a unique skill set for developing and implementing innovative solutions to complex operational issues. This would be an asset given the crises we confront with our aging water and sewage infrastructure, the lack of affordable housing, inaccessibility of medical services and the seasonality of our local economy.

I’ve benefitted from a variety of workplace leadership training programs and have been involved in community sports. So, I understand that being a good team player means having a willingness to share your own opinions while creating an environment where people with other points of view feel comfortable and safe to share their perspectives.

My ability to create a collaborative environment where people with diverse opinions feel safe to speak up would also be a benefit to council, given it seems we need to come up with good ideas to address some very concerning and urgent systemic issues quickly.

In your view, what is number one issue facing Osoyoos today, and how would you deal with it, knowing Town Hall only has so much power

It’s difficult to choose because the problems we’re currently confronting are so interlinked. However, from a strategic perspective, I’d say the seasonality of our local economy is the biggest.

During peak tourist season our town is lacking the seasonal worker accommodation to support our local industry. Our local business owners are therefore unable to operate at peak capacity because they’re chronically understaffed.

A business that doesn’t maximize its earnings in peak tourist season is a business that may not survive the winter. A town where business can’t survive isn’t an appealing place for families and winter residents to live, work or invest. Without year round residents, our town will slowly die.

There area areas where Town Hall has the power to address this issue:

1. Addressing the availability of accommodation by fostering the right level of collaboration between Town Hall and local businesses to identify the land, the zoning requirements and the number and type of residences required to meet optimal staffing requirements.

2. Developing a strategy to stimulate the local economy year-round. This could include a combination of special events and festivals, conferences, raising the profile of the artistic community, creating freelance worker hubs in town using under-utilized spaces, attracting more entrepreneurs and industrial businesses, etc.

All of these options would require a review of the existing infrastructure in town to ensure it could accommodate increased demand.

How would you make Osoyoos more affordable?

1. Find innovative ways to generate more revenue which can be invested into programs which address the inequities in our community.

2. Use the above revenue to develop more inclusionary housing developments which address the unmet needs of renters, low-income individuals and families, individuals with disabilities, seasonal workers, young families, and first-time home buyers.

On my first point, some initial ideas are:

• A circular economy strategy which would unlock value for taxpayers ( e.g. reducing town expenses and generating income through transitioning to alternative sources of energy to power and selling excess back to the grid)
• Partnering with a company who converts waste such as sewage sludge and agricultural waste to industrial chemicals, adhesives, fuels, etc.
• Converting under-utilized town properties into money-making spaces through developing a hub for freelance workers
• Innovating new ways to address the lack of available land which is driving the housing shortage. (e.g. upgrading the sewage processing facility to include more modern and compact technology, to free up town-owned land)
• Conducting an assessment of the number of homes which are either empty or operating as short-term rentals in breach of their zoning conditions, consider empty home fees and license fees
• Working with not-for-profits to implement co-op and other social housing frameworks
• Investigating implementing the vertical farming trend which has been successful in other countries to free up land for housing without compromising food security

What is one example of a time you agreed with Osoyoos council over the past term, and one where you disagreed?

Council’s response to the 2021 wildfire was shameful and tone deaf. The mayor said there was no need for a reception centre in Osoyoos because it was costly and would take a lot of volunteers.

There was a need. There were families with children sleeping in parking lots. I disagree with how council handled that situation, and I hope they’ve taken the time to document the lessons they learned so future emergencies can be managed in a more humane and efficient way by future councils.

I agree with council’s decision to have Osoyoos recognized as a designated resort municipality.

If you had $1million to spend on anything for Osoyoos, how would you spend it?

$1 million doesn’t stretch very far, so I would use it to fund projects which would generate more revenue both for council and the local economy.

With the first $800k I would push through the development of the pier project at Gyro Beach. I understand there is already $400k in grant funding available for that project, so the funds I would allocate to it would enhance the design to include slips for short term boat moorage while people shop in town, and additional facilities which could generate revenue for the town, such as an events space for conferences or weddings, and food and beverage areas.

With the remaining $200k, develop a pilot program for a low cost (or free) summertime schedule of hop-on / hop – off shuttle services to get people visiting to come to town, spend money and visit local businesses. This would alleviate parking availability, and encourage people to enjoy a meal and a few drinks without having to worry about driving.

We could potentially partner with existing local transportation providers, and also consider whether offering a scheduled water taxi service between the cottages/N’kmip and downtown is feasible.

Picture Osoyoos 20 years from now. What are the key aspects that are making it thrive?

I see a prosperous resort municipality which has successfully capitalized on the shifting trends in society: the demographic shift from being baby boomer-dominant to millennial-dominant, the transition of the workforce to one which is highly mobile and driven by freelancer labour, and the move towards waste reduction and green alternatives to mitigate the effects of climate change.

We have a successful framework for managing our needs for aged care, social, cooperative, and staff housing. Our water is clean and healthy to drink. Our residents all have a family doctor and the medical facilities to support them to do their best work. Our local businesses are flourishing in an economy which is sustainable in all four seasons because we are known as a destination for important artistic, cultural, First Nations, sporting, food and wine related events.

We are admired as a pace-setting community which innovated and took action to test new ways of approaching municipal projects to address complex systemic issues.