By CHUCK POULSEN Tuesday, June 19, 2007 http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/stories.php?id=49519
It won‘t be official until Wednesday, but Rod Drennan is expected to be the interim administrator for the new city on the Westside. Drennan, who performed a similar service for Lake Country when it incorporated in 1995, has been asked by the Ministry of Community Services to take on the Westside job. He has agreed, but with a condition. “The process would have to be different than in Lake Country because of the (shorter) time frame and also because of the complexities on the Westside,” said Drennan. “It‘s a much larger population and there is more start-up work to do. “I told the Ministry of Community Services I wouldn‘t want to go in as a resource team of one, which is what I did in Lake Country. I just couldn‘t do that. “I‘ve outlined a process whereby there would be a transitional work unit. It would have some other key members in it and be funded by the province. It wouldn‘t be part of the restructure $25 million. I should know by Wednesday what is acceptable to the province and then get moving on the task.” He said the unit might set up shop at the regional district office or at a temporary office on the Westside.
Drennan spent much of his career working for the city of Richmond. After taking on the incorporation job for Lake Country, he worked for five years as administrator for Spallumcheen. He retired in 2005 and now lives in Vernon. Regional district chairman Robert Hobson said he is awaiting direction from the provincial government. “The regional district will take its cue from the Ministry of Community Services regarding the steps and actions needed to bring the voters‘ wish to establish a new municipality into reality,” he said. “In the coming days and months, our staff will work with the ministry and the transition team for the new local government. Our goal is to ensure a seamless and timely transfer and transition of services with as little impact as possible for residents and businesses.” There will be an election for six councillors and a mayor Nov. 17. The provincial government will issue a “letters patent” Dec. 3 making the incorporation legal. The letters patent includes date of incorporation, legal boundaries, name and class of the municipality, political and administrative structure and the transfer of existing services and bylaws.
As was the case with the referendum, no one living on Westbank First Nation land – native or non-native – will be able to vote in the municipal election. “They won‘t be able to vote simply because they are not within the boundaries of the new municipality,” said ministry spokesman Derek Trimmer. A new name will be needed for the legal document just as if it‘s a birth certificate. Drennan has suggested that a committee will likely bring forth new name suggestions, but there won‘t be an opportunity for a vote on it. Policing will be a major consideration, with the Westside either opting for a municipal force or staying with the RCMP. RCMP Supt. Bill McKinnon said he expects the force would still be under his command on the Westside if the RCMP is chosen. How many officers the new city is willing to fund will be up to the new politicians. “That‘s something the new city will have to decide,” said McKinnon. The $25 million the province has promised to help with restructuring includes money to maintain the current level of policing. Local roads will be transferred to the municipality after a period of assistance from the Ministry of Transportation. The provincial rural tax is replaced with taxes set by a municipal council. Subdivision approval and land-use jurisdiction become a municipal responsibility, as will collection of school and hospital taxes for the province. School District 23 will continue to cover the entire Central Okanagan. The Westside elects one trustee to the board.
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