$30,000 project sparks debate

SUNDAY, 01 DECEMBER 2013 02:00 JAMES MILLER Kelowna Daily Courier
City councillors in Penticton committed $30,000 from the 2014 budget for a special communications project exclusive to downtown revitalization.In the first day of budget deliberations Friday, council voted 5-2 in favour of paying $30,000 toward the project, which will include $20,000 for a business liaison contract and $5,000 for signage. ity of Penticton communications officer Simone Blais said the communication model was based on the Bernard Avenue upgrade in Kelowna, which was modelled after a similar project in Banff, Alta. She said something as basic as needing to shut water off could cause mayhem for restaurateurs, and they need to be kept in the know. "In the overall scheme of things, it's an investment for us. You can never undervalue communication and advice," Coun. Judy Sentes said, recalling the early years of Ironman Canada when businesses on Main Street didn't know about road closures until they happened. Coun. Katie Robinson said the project to upgrade sidewalks and enhance the overall beauty of the 200 blocks of Martin and Main streets is a multimillion-dollar undertaking. "You get into trouble when you don't have a plan. That's when you go down in flames," said Robinson. Coun. Wes Hopkin noted that a key theme in the 2011 municipal election was a perceived "lack of transparency." "Communication is key," said Hopkin. "We are business friendly and this is part of the reason why." Councillors John Vassilaki and Helena Konanz were strongly opposed but unable to convince their fellow councillors. "We don't need a liaison officer. It's one block, not one kilometre and not an entire street," Vassilaki said in reference to the Bernard Avenue renovations in Kelowna. "With a $1-million deficit, if we keep adding $30,000 here, $10,000 there, pretty soon we're up to $100,000. "We have staff in place to do this. The DPA (Downtown Penticton Association) can help out. We have to watch our pennies. We're not Kelowna. We're not Kamloops. We're little Penticton with a small tax base with a lot of senior citizens who will have to pay for this." Vassilaki noted bylaw enforcement officers are regularly on the two streets and said they can serve as a liaison. Konanz said the communication duties should rest on the shoulders of the recently hired communications officer and the DPA. "It's not worth $30,000 to make people into revitalization champions," said Konanz. "It's a waste of the taxpayers' money."
Budget meetings resume Tuesday from 3 to 6 p.m. at City Hall.