Municipalities Working Together on Common Issues

http://www.kelowna.ca/iNews/scripts/nws002.cfm?News_ID=2416

Mutual concerns and shared ideas discussed

The four member municipalities of the Inter-Municipal Services Advisory Board (Kelowna, West Kelowna, Vernon, and Penticton) who consist of the Mayor and Chief Administrative Officer of each municipality met on January 5th to discuss issues of mutual concern and to share ideas.Kelowna Mayor Sharon Shepherd, West Kelowna Mayor Doug Findlater, Penticton Mayor Dan Ashton and Vernon Mayor Wayne Lippert are looking for solutions to transit concerns in the Okanagan Valley and will ask for a meeting with the new Premier once elected. Mayor Ashton proposed a concept of Okanagan Valley as the "Festival/Event Capital of Canada." All four Mayors agreed to take the concept forward to their respective tourism agencies for consideration. All four municipalities will be partnering with other Okanagan local governments in establishing and implementing a Bylaw Dispute Adjudication System. The goal of the new adjudication model is to create a simpler, more cost effective method that would replace the Provincial Court as the venue for resolving disputes and enforcing minor bylaw infractions ranging from parking tickets to dog licensing and minor zoning infractions. Some of the benefits would include: establishing a dedicated forum for resolving local bylaw enforcement disputes, avoiding the unnecessary attendance of witnesses; avoiding the need to hire legal counsel, and promoting a timely resolution of bylaw enforcement disputes. The program has proven to be revenue neutral in that the payment of fines has essentially equaled the annual cost to operate the system. It is anticipated that each member municipality will have their respective bylaws passed by February 1, 2011. The Inter-municipal Services Advisory Board also discussed a variety of other issues including: gas tax funding; bio-solids disposal; CN Rail, and taxi services.