MOU signed - Councillor Besso

It was quite a historic meeting yesterday- The Greater Vernon Recreation Facilities & Programming MOU was signed after many months of hard work by staff and politicians.  This brings us one step closer to the stated goal of streamlining, responsibility, authority, capacity, and accountability in an effort to deliver the best possible service at the least cost to Greater Vernon ratepayers.

Now we have two MOU's, one signed (Nov. 21st, 2012) for the establishment of a Sub-Regional Parks Service, and as of yesterday, this new MOU (Sept.12, 2013) for a Recreational Facilities & Programming Service.

This leaves Arts, Culture, and Youth, for now, under the umbrella of  the same Bylaw that governs Sub-Regional Parks (this will be the amended present 1648 Bylaw).   This, as you know, has been a long time coming, and now opens the way to the discussions necessary to iron out the final details of of Service Delivery of Sub Regional Parks, Arts, Culture and Youth at RDNO.

Next steps will include, senior staff from the Regional District, Vernon, and Coldstream,  getting together to bring back options for service delivery models and budgets for the Sub-Regional Parks, Arts, Culture, and Youth Service that will remain at RDNO.  This is very crucial and necessary piece of the puzzle that needs to be completed quickly in order to inform, and allow the individual jurisdictions to make critical decisions, about budgets and service delivery, for the parks that now fall under their 'local' responsibility.
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Don Quixote Note: The MOU was 'signed' by Areas B & C  and Mayors of Vernon and Coldstream in a symbolic signing. This agreement will have to be be approved at the RDNO Board and then sent on to the respective municipal Councils for their approval and ratification to authorize their Mayor(s) to sign the agreement on behalf of all the citizens of Vernon and Coldstream. The vote of authorization is by a majority vote of Council.  As the Next RDNO board meeting is in October it will be at least mid October before the respective Councils will meet and approve. All 4 participants (B, C, Coldstream, Vernon) must agree before the MOU can be implemented by changing the existing bylaw.)

There will be no public input sessions to comment on this important agreement (similar to the Parks MOU).  unless Council(s) so authorize. A motion will be made at the Vernon Council for public comment opportunity but is unlikely to gain support.

When the MOU as 'signed' is made available online, a Link will be posted.