Greater Vernon battle erupts

By Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star - May 11, 2008

The turmoil is escalating within Greater Vernon. The directors for BX-Swan Lake and BX-Silver Star have indicated they will withdraw from the governance component of the Greater Vernon Services Committee. This comes at the same time that Vernon wants to leave part of the water utility and both electoral areas are possibly moving towards getting out of economic development. “It’s disappointing because when everyone puts some effort in, Greater Vernon works very well,” said Gary Corner, GVSC chairman and Coldstream mayor. Corner is blunt when asked why there are so many conflicts at GVSC. “Personalities are getting in the way. There’s a difference of opinion between some partners,” he said. Directors Cliff Kanester and Stan Field say they want to withdraw from the governance or administration function because conditions have changed since GVSC was formed in 2001. “Since 2006, many of the checks and balances have been materially alerted or, in fact, eliminated as a result of the rescinding of the delegated authority of the commission and replacement of the commission with a committee,” they state in a letter. Kanester and Field go on to claim that there is an ongoing dispute with participants over the expansion of the service, and that governance is too costly. It would take about a year to withdraw from the function, and Kanester isn’t sure if it can be avoided. “With the present city council, there doesn’t seem to be much of a chance,” he said during an interview.

If administration does disband, Kanester says separate committees could be formed under the North Okanagan Regional District to handle water and parks. “Gary Corner would lose his job, and that seems to be a big thing for him,” said Kanester. Wayne Lippert, Vernon’s mayor, refutes suggestions that the city is to blame for GVSC’s problems. “There are things we could have done better but it’s a long ways from being our fault,” he said. “There were issues that needed to be straightened out and we are willing to work and make things better.” Lippert says that Field and Kanester played a role in the structural changes to GVSC governance. “They pushed those things. They didn’t want Greater Vernon to have delegated authority,” he said. Corner is convinced some aspect of GVSC will continue, and points out that there has always been regional co-operation going back to the former Greater Vernon Parks and Recreation District. “Greater Vernon Services will always be. It may not be called that, but it will still be a function of NORD,” he said.