Airport lease dispute

By Kevin Rothwell/Peter McIntyre 107.5 KISSFM

Air traffic into the Vernon airport could be halted by the end of August if a new lease isn't worked out with the owners of part of the airport land. The City has been leasing part of the land from Okanagan first nation members Cindy Brewer and John Jack. Brewer says they've given the city a month's notice before terminating the month to month lease. "There are a lot of other businesses down there that would be affected byu it and we don't want to cause them any hardship but at the same time we feel we need to be treated fairly and at this time, we feel we're not being taken seriously." Brewer claims the city has threatened to cut off water and sewer to one of their adjacent properties if they don't re-sign. "The last agreement they submitted, they said if we did not sign on their terms that they will not provide our adjacent property with water and septic service and to me that almost on the bridge of blackmail."

Mayor Wayne Lippert denies the city has used heavy handed tactics. "The city of Vernon has always agreed to make payments. We've offered to make them a year in advance or five years in advance as long as they provide us with a lease to sign." Lippert says the city has been making lease payments of $50,000 a month, double the amount of the intial lease agreement, since the end of the last deal in 2006. Lippert is confident a new 49 year lease will be worked out before the August 31-st deadline.