Hefty hikes for bureaucrats

by Wayne Moore - CASTANET Jun 29, 2016 / 3:50 pm
Senior bureaucrats within the Regional District of Central Okanagan saw their gross pay rise between six and 14 per cent last year while overall wages jumped less than five per cent. Figures are part of the RDCO's annual financial statement, which must be made public by the end of June each year. According to the report, the district paid out $8.585 million in wages in 2015, a 4.5 per cent increase over the $8.216 million the year previous. However, senior staff received increases far greater than the average. Fire and inspection services manager Dan Wildeman saw the largest year-over-year increase at 14 per cent. Wildeman's salary went from $104,486 in 2014 to $118,521 last year. Chief administrative officer Brian Reardon, the highest paid senior employee at $197,110, saw his wage increase by 12 per cent.

Other senior staff increases include:

Christopher Radford – $162,926, plus 10 per cent
Murray Kopp – $138,285, plus seven per cent
Marilyn Rilkoff – $171,515, plus six per cent
In all, 35 RDCO employees earned greater than $75,000 in 2015.

Including benefits, and other employer payments, the RDCO paid out $9.999 million to, or for, employees in 2015. The 11-member regional board brought home nearly $230,000. For nine of those, that wage is on top of their remuneration from other council's in the Central Okanagan. Chairwoman Gail Given received a remuneration package of $40,661, which is on top of the $33,500 she takes home as a Kelowna city councillor.
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http://www.regionaldistrict.com/media/205252/2015_Financial_Disclosure_Schedules.pdf

Delay In Potential Rail Line Deal

Written by Peter McIntyre 107.5 KISSFM Friday, 03 October 2014 12:24
A possible deal for local governments to buy the abandoned rail line between Coldstream and Kelowna could take more time. The city of Kelowna, which has been spearheading negotiations with C-N Rail, says significant progress has been made, but there are still a few outstanding issues. The city's Planning and Real estate Director Doug Gilchrist says the municipalities have applied to the Canadian Transportation Agency to get a non- binding (net salvage value) market value estimate of the corridor, including the land and assets, to assist in the negotiations. He says it could add several months to the process. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to preserve a continuous, regionally-significant corridor with the potential to provide long-term public benefits for the enhancement of the social, environmental and economic benefit of our residents," says Gilchrist. C-N Rail had originally been asking 50 million dollars for the 49 kilometre rail line. Funding options are still being explored, including partnerships, grants, municipal reserves or borrowing. "Local governments are making every effort to minimize the current tax impact in the interest of securing a land asset that would be valued for generations," adds Gilchrist. The current deadline for a deal is this coming Monday. The municipalities of Kelowna, Lake Country, Coldstream and Vernon, as well as the regional districts of Central Okanagan and North Okanagan, are looking to retain the corridor for public use, perhaps as a biking and walking trail, or for transportation purposes.
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http://www.kelowna.ca/CM/Page4717.aspx

RDCO has biosolids plan after hiring BioCentral

Posted: Thursday, September 18, 2014 5:45 am | Updated: 5:45 am, Thu Sep 18, 2014. Dorothy Brotherton Westside Weekly
Biosolids — the polite term for what’s left over after sewage is treated — are going to be handled a new way after leaving the Westside Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. The Regional District of Central Okanagan has awarded a contract to BioCentral to manage the biosolids for the next five years, at a value of about $1.15 million.  A request for proposals went out in August, asking for a handling plan that would be environmentally sustainable as to its impacts on water, air and land, acceptable in terms of odour and health and, of course, affordable. The request specified beneficial reuse of the biosolids. Four proposals were received and input was gathered from Interior Health, before the treatment plant’s select committee of stakeholders gave the contract to BioCentral. “The new biosolids management process will save money over the five years,” said Peachland Mayor Keith Fielding. The cost is $500,000 less than the previous plan plus an additional $1 million in savings because of reduced transportation costs. This comes after Interior Health nixed a plan to continue dumping biosolids at the Old Brenda Mine Site above Peachland. The idea there was to use biosolids as fertilizer on areas that are being re-vegetated. Peachland council had not liked that idea, worrying about impacts to the town’s watershed. Council was relieved when Interior Health said the plan for the proposed treatment and use at Brenda Mine was insufficient to protect drinking water if an extreme wet weather event happened. Biosolids had been trucked to Bob’s Lake pit and to the Pennask pit at Brenda Mine in a pilot program. Peter Rotheisler, manager of environmental services for the regional district, said in his report that the biosolids will be taken to a BioCentral composting facility just west of Merritt under the new contract.