The dispute over Greater Vernon parks, recreation and culture is starting to tread into dangerous territory. At today’s North Okanagan Regional District board meeting, BX-Silver Star director Mike Macnabb will present a notice of motion that could be discussed in early January. The motion reads: “That the parties in the Greater Vernon parks, recreation and culture service (namely Vernon, Coldstream, Area B and Area C) be requested to provide their respective consent to an orderly wind down of the service by Dec. 31, 2011.”
The old Greater Vernon Parks and Recreation District was formed back in the 1970s so the four jurisdictions that make up Greater Vernon could provide programs and facilities for all residents in a cost-effective manner. The structure of the function has evolved over the years, but the basic principle has remained the same: a collaborative approach to meeting the needs of the public. There is the prospect that Wesbild Centre, the Performing Arts Centre and Grey Canal trail could become the anchors of a smaller, more focused service. Virtually everything else would shift into the domain of the individual jurisdictions. That may not be a huge issue for Vernon as its employees already provide the services under contract to the North Okanagan Regional District. But for Coldstream and NORD, a significant expense could arise if staff and equipment must be acquired for their parks and facilities. Vernon taxpayers could also be digging deeper as they would be completely responsible for all facilities within the city (presently they cover about 70 per cent, with the remainder coming from the other three partners). The bill could be hefty for replacement of Civic Arena or major renos to the recreation complex.
Macnabb calls for an “orderly” process but that’s unlikely given that all jurisdictions have paid into the parks and facilities — no matter who owns them — for almost 40 years. In other cases, property in Vernon and Coldstream is actually owned by NORD. There is also money sitting in reserves. For anyone that’s been divorced, they know that dividing assets can be ugly. In a worst-case scenario, suggestions could also surface as to who can use the facilities. Will residents from Coldstream and the BX pay more at the pool than their Vernon counterparts? Will only Coldstream residents be allowed to use the fields there? There’s talk of a sports complex next to the college, but can those plans withstand any divisions that erupt?
In a letter to NORD, Macnabb states that Vernon is “very urbanized” compared to the other jurisdictions, and the “current service can no longer meet the unique needs of each participant.” I don’t accept that for a minute, as Macnabb’s own constituents swim at the pool, play minor hockey at the arenas or go for picnics at Polson Park. The so-called rural/urban split is an excuse put forward by politicians on all sides desperate to justify their actions. Each side blames the other for the mess, but quite frankly, who may have first requested a service review, or who has said what, is increasingly irrelevant. The bottom line is very little of this debate actually has anything to do with services to the public. It’s all about control over decision-making. A pissing match is putting decades of co-operation at risk.
Is the current parks and recreation structure perfect? No. But instead of grandstanding and inflexibility, it’s time for our elected officials to get back to work. If more local input is needed on parks maintenance, find a way for that to occur. If one partner wants to focus on tot lots, make it happen. The politicians have been heard ad nauseam but taxpayers haven’t had a voice at the table.It’s time for residents of Vernon, Coldstream and the electoral areas to tell their elected representatives that they are disappointed with how this issue has been handled, and they expect better.
No comments:
Post a Comment