Vernon on Plant Closure

Kate Bouey, Astral Media Radio - Vernon

Vernon City Council has expressed shock at the announced closure of a Lavington glass container plant that will see 300 people lose their jobs come October. Councillor Barry Beardsell says it will mean the loss of 15-million dollars in wages and a 300-thousand dollar tax loss for Coldstream. He says Vernon should also think about tightening its belt as economic times get tougher. Mayor Wayne Lippert said he hopes to hire an economic development officer for Vernon could help in convincing businesses to stay put as well as move to the area. Lippert says the closure will have a ripple effect on businesses here that deal with the plant as well as local retail stores.

Don Quixote Note: A motion to declassify re Economic Development was passed at this meeting. "THAT Council authorizes the CAO to move forward with advertising for positions for the City of Vernon Economic development and Tourism Division"

Discussions on a new department, the funding of that new department and a decision to proceed with the manning of that new department occurred after debate on the DARKSIDE. There was no discussion on the reasoning of this new expenditure in the open Council when this declassifying resolution took place.

The (570)Regional Economic Development Function at NORD had a budget of about $100,000 of which Vernon Taxpayers were responsible for $51,581 . The (860) Tourism Ec. Development function had a budget of $554,180 of which Vernon Taxpayers were responsible for $373,882.

Will Vernon be withdrawing from the Regional Function in order to finance their own Economic and Tourism Department? This kind of debate and clarification was what should have happened when this DARKSIDE maneuver was declassified.