Saturday, December 01, 2007

More alternate approval

by Kim Calloway - Dec 1, 2007 CASTANET

A potential longterm agreement between the city and the Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs will mean yet another one of those alternate approval processes for Kelowna voters. If city council approves it on Monday, that will make four of those processes currently in play at city hall. The process, sort of a reverse referendum, is necessary because city staff want council to approve a five year management and operating agreement with the youth clubs, costing the city about $340,000 dollars a year. For the five year lease initiative to fail, 10 percent of the city's voters would have to sign petitions. Just last week, council launched approval processes covering close to $60 million dollars in borrowing, for three infrastructure projects. The deadline for voters to sign petitions regarding those projects is January 10. If council goes ahead with preliminary approval for the Boys and Girls Clubs' contract, that deadline would be January 15.
Earlier this week, mayor Sharon Shepherd said she's aware the alternate approval process isn't popular with some residents, but she notes it's a lot less costly than a referendum vote. The mayor does say she may commission a report to council early next year, on the alternate approval approach.

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