By Colin Dacre - CASTANET Jun 28, 2017 / 10:43 am |
The City of Penticton would have to spend $17.5M to renovate Memorial Arena to a level comparable to a new facility, but that's still less than building an entirely new building on the South Okanagan Events Centre campus.The long-awaited architectural and engineering audits of Memorial and Mclaren Arenas have been published online, prior to this evening's open house on the topic being held at the convention centre between 4 and 8 p.m. The Carscadden Stokes McDonald Architects report finds that Memorial will need a bare minimum of $5.1M in maintenance and safety upgrades over the next decade, including the repair of rot at the base of the building's arches, a new roof, and floors. That, plus renovations to the lobby, dressing rooms and upgrade of the ice surface can be completed for $10.93M. Full modernization, which would get the building up to a standard that would function comparable to a new facility, would cost $17.5M.The report calls Memorial a “venerable institution in the community,” but makes no recommendations on its fate.
The price tag for Mclaren is considerably less.It needs $1.2M in safety upgrades at minimum, or $5.17M to modernize the building and make changes to the dressing rooms and add a lobby.A separate feasibility study into the construction of a new arena at the SOEC is also being presented at tonight’s open house. It presents options for placements of new rinks in single and double sheet layouts.The most affordable, a single sheet of ice, would cost $21.9M in building construction and site preparations. A double sheet would cost $34.3M. The study presents two options for building placement on the campus, one on Alberni Street immediately west of the main SOEC building. The other suggests, the parking lot west of the curling rink. The study’s “preferred option” is a double sheet on Alberni Street, south of the baseball diamonds.
In addition to this evening’s open house, the City of Penticton’s arena task force will be holding several public workshops next month. They will also be set up at the Farmers Market on July 15 and 22. If you have an opinion on the city’s arena situation, now is the time for it to be heard. City council is holding a special public meeting on July 25, where they will decide a direction prior to the deadline for a $6M federal infrastructure grant.
Showing posts with label penticton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label penticton. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Friday, August 19, 2016
City boss quits after a year
Castanet Staff - Aug 19, 2016 / 2:25 pm
After only a year on the job, Penticton’s top bureaucrat is calling it quits. The city announced chief administrative officer Eric Sorensen is stepping down Sept. 19, but he’ll transition to an interim position to complete a number of key projects he has set in place. He said he wants to embrace a balance of family and work that’s not possible in the role of the CAO. “I want to continue to work to ensure the city is the best it can be, but I also want to enjoy the opportunity and quality of life that we are building,” he said. Sorensen will continue to focus on infrastructure improvements, service efficiencies, budgeting and relationships with community partners. “The city has been very fortunate to have someone of Mr. Sorensen’s calibre lead our staff team for the past 13 months,” said Mayor Andrew Jakubeit. The CAO oversees and is responsible for all operations of the city. "His experience and knowledge of corporate sector efficiencies have been crucial in putting in place plans for long-term sustainability and fiscal responsibility. We share a vision of opportunity, growth and prosperity for the city and we will continue to maintain these values in our leadership,” said Jakubeit. Sorensen retired from a successful private sector career before taking on the CAO role. Penticton apparently has a plan for an interim CAO in the next six months, but details have not yet not been finalized.
After only a year on the job, Penticton’s top bureaucrat is calling it quits. The city announced chief administrative officer Eric Sorensen is stepping down Sept. 19, but he’ll transition to an interim position to complete a number of key projects he has set in place. He said he wants to embrace a balance of family and work that’s not possible in the role of the CAO. “I want to continue to work to ensure the city is the best it can be, but I also want to enjoy the opportunity and quality of life that we are building,” he said. Sorensen will continue to focus on infrastructure improvements, service efficiencies, budgeting and relationships with community partners. “The city has been very fortunate to have someone of Mr. Sorensen’s calibre lead our staff team for the past 13 months,” said Mayor Andrew Jakubeit. The CAO oversees and is responsible for all operations of the city. "His experience and knowledge of corporate sector efficiencies have been crucial in putting in place plans for long-term sustainability and fiscal responsibility. We share a vision of opportunity, growth and prosperity for the city and we will continue to maintain these values in our leadership,” said Jakubeit. Sorensen retired from a successful private sector career before taking on the CAO role. Penticton apparently has a plan for an interim CAO in the next six months, but details have not yet not been finalized.
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Getting soaked for water
by Darren Handschuh CASTANET - Sep 17, 2015 / 5:00 am
If North Okanagan residents feel like they're getting soaked on their water bill, it's because they pay the highest water rates of the Okanagan's three major cities. Vernon residents pay for their liquid gold per cubic metre, and the cost is set by the Regional District of North Okanagan on a tiered-rate system. The first 10 cubic metres cost 51 cents each, but it only goes up from there. For 10-20 cubic metres, the Tier 2 cost is $1.07. For 20-40, the charge is $1.22. For 40-80 cubic metres, residents pay $1.53 and, in the top tier, for 80 cubic metres or more, the price jumps to $2.19. In Kelowna, residents pay $0.412 for the first 60 cubic metres of water; $0.554 for the next 100; $0.84 for the next 90 and $1.618 per cubic metre for the balance used beyond that. Kelowna also has a bi-monthly flat rate of $24.10. Penticton communications officer Simone Blais said the southern city charges a fixed rate of $19.77 per month plus a variable consumption charge of $1.67 per 2.83 cubic metres. The rates also vary from industrial to residential use. “There are 10 different fixture rates based on your meter size,” she said. According to Jennifer Miles, water sustainability co-ordinator with the RDNO, there is also an “infrastructure base fee" in the North Okanagan, which is $101.80 per quarter. "We have to have a base fee that covers the majority of expenses over the year," she said. However, Miles said it's difficult to compare Vernon to other centres because “different water systems have different treatment systems. We have different sources in Vernon.” Vernon gets its water from Kalamalka Lake and the Duteau Creek watershed, while several Okanagan communities draw water from Okanagan Lake. Miles said Kelowna and Penticton have different treatment systems and may have accessed grants over the years to help offset the expenses of building and maintaining water treatment facilities.
If North Okanagan residents feel like they're getting soaked on their water bill, it's because they pay the highest water rates of the Okanagan's three major cities. Vernon residents pay for their liquid gold per cubic metre, and the cost is set by the Regional District of North Okanagan on a tiered-rate system. The first 10 cubic metres cost 51 cents each, but it only goes up from there. For 10-20 cubic metres, the Tier 2 cost is $1.07. For 20-40, the charge is $1.22. For 40-80 cubic metres, residents pay $1.53 and, in the top tier, for 80 cubic metres or more, the price jumps to $2.19. In Kelowna, residents pay $0.412 for the first 60 cubic metres of water; $0.554 for the next 100; $0.84 for the next 90 and $1.618 per cubic metre for the balance used beyond that. Kelowna also has a bi-monthly flat rate of $24.10. Penticton communications officer Simone Blais said the southern city charges a fixed rate of $19.77 per month plus a variable consumption charge of $1.67 per 2.83 cubic metres. The rates also vary from industrial to residential use. “There are 10 different fixture rates based on your meter size,” she said. According to Jennifer Miles, water sustainability co-ordinator with the RDNO, there is also an “infrastructure base fee" in the North Okanagan, which is $101.80 per quarter. "We have to have a base fee that covers the majority of expenses over the year," she said. However, Miles said it's difficult to compare Vernon to other centres because “different water systems have different treatment systems. We have different sources in Vernon.” Vernon gets its water from Kalamalka Lake and the Duteau Creek watershed, while several Okanagan communities draw water from Okanagan Lake. Miles said Kelowna and Penticton have different treatment systems and may have accessed grants over the years to help offset the expenses of building and maintaining water treatment facilities.
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Banner botched
by Darren Handschuh | CASTANET- Aug 30, 2015 / 12:19 pm
Um, how's that again? While hundreds of elite athletes participate in the 33rd edition of Valley First Challenge Penticton today, many people are talking about a banner that was designed by someone who was spelling challenged. The large, bright red banner with bold white letters proudly states Triathlon "Pentiction" We are triathlon.Several people have tweeted pictures of the botched signage and Kimberly McKinley sent a picture of the banner to Castanet and speculated had the banners been made locally, chances are the spelling error would have been caught."*OMG quick cover it up with stickers" tweeted Mørgan @MRivers18.
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Farewell party for second departing Penticton city manager a more frugal affair
By Steve Arstad INFO-TEL Multimedia July 11, 2015 - 11:30 AM
PENTICTON - Going away parties for city staffers have been scaled back following a large bill submitted earlier this year. City of Penticton Communications Officer Simone Blais says the farewell party for exiting Interim City Manager Chuck Loewen cost the city $235 last month. “That was the total spent in food, for veggies, meat and cheese trays with crackers and snacks. The SS Sicamous hosted the event location for free, and organized a cash bar that was a fundraiser for the society,” Blais says in an email. Loewen served as interim city manager for four months following former Chief Administrative Officer Annette Antoniak’s departure in February of this year. The bill for Loewen’s goodbye was much less than that for the departing Antoniak, whose farewell party on Feb.12 at the Vault Restaurant in the South Okanagan Events Centre cost taxpayers $1,400. Penticton Mayor Andrew Jakubeit expressed surprise at the cost of the event when the bill was submitted, saying he would "make sure it didn’t happen again.”
PENTICTON - Going away parties for city staffers have been scaled back following a large bill submitted earlier this year. City of Penticton Communications Officer Simone Blais says the farewell party for exiting Interim City Manager Chuck Loewen cost the city $235 last month. “That was the total spent in food, for veggies, meat and cheese trays with crackers and snacks. The SS Sicamous hosted the event location for free, and organized a cash bar that was a fundraiser for the society,” Blais says in an email. Loewen served as interim city manager for four months following former Chief Administrative Officer Annette Antoniak’s departure in February of this year. The bill for Loewen’s goodbye was much less than that for the departing Antoniak, whose farewell party on Feb.12 at the Vault Restaurant in the South Okanagan Events Centre cost taxpayers $1,400. Penticton Mayor Andrew Jakubeit expressed surprise at the cost of the event when the bill was submitted, saying he would "make sure it didn’t happen again.”
Friday, June 26, 2015
$97 K electrical bill error addressed in Summerland
The Municipality of Summerland will bill electrical customers to correct a residential energy credit, mistakenly given to electrical customers in 2012 and the first three months of 2013. On Monday evening, municipal council passed a resolution to send bills to recoup the amount of $97,073. The credit was mistakenly given to 519 farm accounts and 163 home business accounts. The provincial government had introduced the residential energy credit to offset the increase in cost to consumers caused by the harmonized sales tax. Before the harmonized sales tax was introduced, residential energy was not charged the provincial sales tax. An audit by the Ministry of Finance, Consumer Taxation Audit Branch determined the municipality had mistakenly given the credit to customers who did not qualify for the rebate. The error affected farm and business use along with residential use on the same meter. The farm use accounted for $82,507 while the business component was $14,566. A staff recommendation called for the municipality to write off the amount, due to the nature of the event and the time frame it covers. Coun. Richard Barkwill disagreed with the recommendation. “I don’t see how we can walk away from nearly $100,000,” he said. “It’s just too much.” “You’re going to hear a great hue and cry about this,” said Coun. Janet Peake. Linda Tynan, chief administrative officer for the municipality, said there are a few farms and businesses which will receive high bills, but the majority of the affected accounts will be billed $100 to $300 to make the correction. Coun. Erin Carlson said the error, which began more than three years ago, should have been addressed earlier. The resolution was carried with Peake, Carlson and Coun. Erin Trainer opposed.
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Wednesday, May 06, 2015
City council upholds $1 postage fee for utility bills
by Dan Walton - Penticton Western News posted May 5, 2015 at 2:00 PM— updated May 5, 2015 at 3:15 PM
Penticton will be following through with plans to tack a loonie onto bills that get paid the traditional way.Since May 1, home and business owners that haven’t switched to electronic billing have been subject one-dollar monthly fee. The measure has been implemented to cut costs and reduce waste. However, some ratepayers find the practice to be discriminatory. “It’s not about being green or saving trees,” said resident Jean Mitchell, adding that lower income residents, especially seniors, are less likely to have internet access. “We are not about to pay you a buck for an invoice which is a request for payment to you,” she said, after presenting her petition of 243 names in opposition to the new fee. “Most of us just want a piece of paper with all the information we need.” To help smooth the transition towards electronic billing, the city encouraged the free internet use available at the Penticton Public Library and arranged courses for seniors to learn the ropes on computers. Mitchell said library computers sometimes require a wait and force users to sit beside strangers. “Before you suggest we toddle off to the library, go there yourself unannounced,” she challenged council. “You may be shocked with the reality.” Coun. Tarik Sayeed said he does go to the library regularly, and inquired into its reality. Mitchell said that when a computer is finally available, “You can’t choose who (sits beside you) are or what they do. It’s very uncomfortable in a lot of situations.” Coun. Judy Sentes asked if that concern is because of privacy issues. “No, the clothing smells like cigarette smoke so bad that you can’t stand it; you can’t breathe,” Mitchell said. “I’m not going there.” Mitchell took offence to the city’s depiction of the new process, citing an online press release regarding the change. “There’s a picture of a happy, elderly politically correct couple, with the woman doing the work on the computer, going online, overjoyed by the fact that they just received an e-bill in their private email inbox, telling them what’s owing, and wow – they just saved a buck,” Mitchell said, prompting a laugh from the audience. “In reality, they haven’t saved a cent. You can’t save something you didn’t have in the first place.” She calls the fee a predatory business practice. “Their demand is no invoice in the mail or else pay up with the postage money.” Mitchell compared city council to the New Testament of the Bible and said Penticton has robbed Peter to pay Paul. During a subsequent discussion, Coun. Sayeed suggested removing the postal fee and instead offering a $1 incentive to those who register for electronic billing, offering a reward instead of penalty. Interim CAO Chuck Loewen said that would defeat the purpose of counteracting the rising cost of postage. “The whole purpose of this was to reduce expense caused by postage,” he said. If the formula was changed to reward instead of penalize, “We would still have that expense (of postage) that we couldn’t offset by charging that dollar.” Coun. Campbell Watt agreed. “If we were to not charge a dollar for postage, we would have to find $180,000 somewhere else. People getting bills mailed to them will be paying through their property tax instead.” Coun. Watt said he sympathizes for those struggling with money, but the cost of mailing has to be taxed one way or another. Coun. Helena Konanz suggested giving residents more time to digest. “I’d like to delay this $1-per-bill for a year, and give everyone a year to catch up to be able to learn how to use the computer and get used to the idea.” But nobody seconded her motion. “People have a lot of difficulties in shifting their culture to do what they do,” Mayor Andrew Jakubeit. He believes that the opposition stems from the principal of paying for the delivery of a bill, rather than the actual cost. “I think people would complain if the fee was 50 cents, one dollar or $5,” Jakubeit said. Coun. Max Picton felt the discussion was losing focus on what’s important. “We keep talking about the dollars and cents of this but really we need to look at the environmental impact,” he said. “We’re printing 17,000 bills repeatedly, over and over again.” Coun. Picton said the decision to charge for postage will make the world a better place for everybody. Council agreed to move forward without altering their initial decision of charging the $1 postal fee.
Penticton will be following through with plans to tack a loonie onto bills that get paid the traditional way.Since May 1, home and business owners that haven’t switched to electronic billing have been subject one-dollar monthly fee. The measure has been implemented to cut costs and reduce waste. However, some ratepayers find the practice to be discriminatory. “It’s not about being green or saving trees,” said resident Jean Mitchell, adding that lower income residents, especially seniors, are less likely to have internet access. “We are not about to pay you a buck for an invoice which is a request for payment to you,” she said, after presenting her petition of 243 names in opposition to the new fee. “Most of us just want a piece of paper with all the information we need.” To help smooth the transition towards electronic billing, the city encouraged the free internet use available at the Penticton Public Library and arranged courses for seniors to learn the ropes on computers. Mitchell said library computers sometimes require a wait and force users to sit beside strangers. “Before you suggest we toddle off to the library, go there yourself unannounced,” she challenged council. “You may be shocked with the reality.” Coun. Tarik Sayeed said he does go to the library regularly, and inquired into its reality. Mitchell said that when a computer is finally available, “You can’t choose who (sits beside you) are or what they do. It’s very uncomfortable in a lot of situations.” Coun. Judy Sentes asked if that concern is because of privacy issues. “No, the clothing smells like cigarette smoke so bad that you can’t stand it; you can’t breathe,” Mitchell said. “I’m not going there.” Mitchell took offence to the city’s depiction of the new process, citing an online press release regarding the change. “There’s a picture of a happy, elderly politically correct couple, with the woman doing the work on the computer, going online, overjoyed by the fact that they just received an e-bill in their private email inbox, telling them what’s owing, and wow – they just saved a buck,” Mitchell said, prompting a laugh from the audience. “In reality, they haven’t saved a cent. You can’t save something you didn’t have in the first place.” She calls the fee a predatory business practice. “Their demand is no invoice in the mail or else pay up with the postage money.” Mitchell compared city council to the New Testament of the Bible and said Penticton has robbed Peter to pay Paul. During a subsequent discussion, Coun. Sayeed suggested removing the postal fee and instead offering a $1 incentive to those who register for electronic billing, offering a reward instead of penalty. Interim CAO Chuck Loewen said that would defeat the purpose of counteracting the rising cost of postage. “The whole purpose of this was to reduce expense caused by postage,” he said. If the formula was changed to reward instead of penalize, “We would still have that expense (of postage) that we couldn’t offset by charging that dollar.” Coun. Campbell Watt agreed. “If we were to not charge a dollar for postage, we would have to find $180,000 somewhere else. People getting bills mailed to them will be paying through their property tax instead.” Coun. Watt said he sympathizes for those struggling with money, but the cost of mailing has to be taxed one way or another. Coun. Helena Konanz suggested giving residents more time to digest. “I’d like to delay this $1-per-bill for a year, and give everyone a year to catch up to be able to learn how to use the computer and get used to the idea.” But nobody seconded her motion. “People have a lot of difficulties in shifting their culture to do what they do,” Mayor Andrew Jakubeit. He believes that the opposition stems from the principal of paying for the delivery of a bill, rather than the actual cost. “I think people would complain if the fee was 50 cents, one dollar or $5,” Jakubeit said. Coun. Max Picton felt the discussion was losing focus on what’s important. “We keep talking about the dollars and cents of this but really we need to look at the environmental impact,” he said. “We’re printing 17,000 bills repeatedly, over and over again.” Coun. Picton said the decision to charge for postage will make the world a better place for everybody. Council agreed to move forward without altering their initial decision of charging the $1 postal fee.
Saturday, April 04, 2015
There will be a $1 charge for those who require utility bills to be mailed
Posted: Thursday, April 2, 2015 6:30 pm Penticton Herald:
Due to increases in the cost of postage, the City of Penticton will be implementing a postage fee for utility customers who require bills mailed to them. Effective May 1, electrical customers who receive a hard-copy bill by mail will be required to pay a $1 postage fee. Customers who sign up for electronic bills will be exempt from the fee. The postage fee was discussed by Council as part of the 2015 budget process. The City of Penticton has more than 17,400 electric utility customer accounts, meaning postage for monthly bills cost the City $183,000 last year. With increasing Canada Post rates, this amount would increase significantly in coming years. E-bills are an easy, cost-effective solution – arriving each month directly to the customer’s email inbox. If customers want to retain a hard copy of the bill, the PDF file format makes it easy to print it out at home. Customers may register at mycity.penticton.ca and click on "Register now" and follow the prompts. Questions may be directed to 250-490-2489 or e-mailed to: utilities@penticton.ca City staff advises those without a computer to utilize the ones at the Penticton Public Library. Free instruction on computer skills will be available on Sunday, May 3 (1 - 5 p.m.) and Wednesday, May 13 (5:30 - 7 p.m.) at the library.
Due to increases in the cost of postage, the City of Penticton will be implementing a postage fee for utility customers who require bills mailed to them. Effective May 1, electrical customers who receive a hard-copy bill by mail will be required to pay a $1 postage fee. Customers who sign up for electronic bills will be exempt from the fee. The postage fee was discussed by Council as part of the 2015 budget process. The City of Penticton has more than 17,400 electric utility customer accounts, meaning postage for monthly bills cost the City $183,000 last year. With increasing Canada Post rates, this amount would increase significantly in coming years. E-bills are an easy, cost-effective solution – arriving each month directly to the customer’s email inbox. If customers want to retain a hard copy of the bill, the PDF file format makes it easy to print it out at home. Customers may register at mycity.penticton.ca and click on "Register now" and follow the prompts. Questions may be directed to 250-490-2489 or e-mailed to: utilities@penticton.ca City staff advises those without a computer to utilize the ones at the Penticton Public Library. Free instruction on computer skills will be available on Sunday, May 3 (1 - 5 p.m.) and Wednesday, May 13 (5:30 - 7 p.m.) at the library.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
City pays $1,400 for going-away party
Posted: Sunday, March 29, 2015 4:20 pm JOE FRIES Penticton Herald
Taxpayers dished out $1,400 for an invite-only party to say goodbye to Penticton’s former city manager. The cost and guest list for the Feb. 12 reception for Annette Antoniak at the Vault restaurant at the South Okanagan Events Centre were outlined in documents released to the Herald through a freedom of information request. However, details of exactly what was served were not provided, since the invoice from facility manager Global Spectrum states only that the total cost of food and beverages was $1,406.69. Mayor Andrew Jakubeit said the two-hour soiree offered guests “light dinner options,” such as appetizers and dessert trays, plus a selection of beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages. He noted such events are “not a typical thing,” but, “I think it’s important we thank our most important staff member for the years of service they’ve given the city and that they’ve helped improve the city with.” Antoniak ended her 4.5-year tenure with the city on Feb. 16 to take a job as head of the Regional Recreation Corporation of Wood Buffalo in Fort McMurray. The search for her replacement, estimated to cost upwards of $40,000, is already underway, and Jakubeit said the party was also a goodwill gesture offered in the hope that Antoniak will be a resource for her successor. “The new (city manager) will have to phone her from time to time and say, ‘Where’s this file, or what did you do about this or that?,’” explained Jakubeit. The director of the B.C. branch of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation said $1,400 isn’t a lot of money relative to the city’s overall budget, but is a significant amount nonetheless. “What that means is somebody in Penticton worked all year, paid their property taxes, and saw every cent of it go towards this party,” said Jordan Bateman. “And when you weigh it out like that, you really have to take a step back and wonder if it’s the best thing they could have done. Especially a community that has worked so hard to control costs in the recent past.” A guest list for the party provided to the Herald lists 41 people, including the seven current members of city council, 21 current and former city staffers, fire chief Wayne Williams and RCMP Supt. Kevin Hewco. Other notable invitees included Global Spectrum general manager Dean Clarke, Penticton Indian Band Chief Jonathan Kruger, Valley First president Paulette Rennie, Penticton MLA Dan Ashton and lawyer Tyrone Duerr. Jakubeit said the guest list was created by a city staffer with input from Antoniak. According to the FOI request, her final paycheque did not include any payouts for sick days, unused vacation time or severance. Antoniak collected a salary of $167,719 and booked expenses totalling $12,156.14 in 2013, the most recent year for which data is available.
Taxpayers dished out $1,400 for an invite-only party to say goodbye to Penticton’s former city manager. The cost and guest list for the Feb. 12 reception for Annette Antoniak at the Vault restaurant at the South Okanagan Events Centre were outlined in documents released to the Herald through a freedom of information request. However, details of exactly what was served were not provided, since the invoice from facility manager Global Spectrum states only that the total cost of food and beverages was $1,406.69. Mayor Andrew Jakubeit said the two-hour soiree offered guests “light dinner options,” such as appetizers and dessert trays, plus a selection of beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages. He noted such events are “not a typical thing,” but, “I think it’s important we thank our most important staff member for the years of service they’ve given the city and that they’ve helped improve the city with.” Antoniak ended her 4.5-year tenure with the city on Feb. 16 to take a job as head of the Regional Recreation Corporation of Wood Buffalo in Fort McMurray. The search for her replacement, estimated to cost upwards of $40,000, is already underway, and Jakubeit said the party was also a goodwill gesture offered in the hope that Antoniak will be a resource for her successor. “The new (city manager) will have to phone her from time to time and say, ‘Where’s this file, or what did you do about this or that?,’” explained Jakubeit. The director of the B.C. branch of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation said $1,400 isn’t a lot of money relative to the city’s overall budget, but is a significant amount nonetheless. “What that means is somebody in Penticton worked all year, paid their property taxes, and saw every cent of it go towards this party,” said Jordan Bateman. “And when you weigh it out like that, you really have to take a step back and wonder if it’s the best thing they could have done. Especially a community that has worked so hard to control costs in the recent past.” A guest list for the party provided to the Herald lists 41 people, including the seven current members of city council, 21 current and former city staffers, fire chief Wayne Williams and RCMP Supt. Kevin Hewco. Other notable invitees included Global Spectrum general manager Dean Clarke, Penticton Indian Band Chief Jonathan Kruger, Valley First president Paulette Rennie, Penticton MLA Dan Ashton and lawyer Tyrone Duerr. Jakubeit said the guest list was created by a city staffer with input from Antoniak. According to the FOI request, her final paycheque did not include any payouts for sick days, unused vacation time or severance. Antoniak collected a salary of $167,719 and booked expenses totalling $12,156.14 in 2013, the most recent year for which data is available.
Tuesday, February 03, 2015
Antoniak leaving City Hall
by Deborah Pfeiffer CASTANET- Feb 3, 2015 / 4:45 pm
Penticton city manager Annette Antoniak has announced she will be leaving City Hall later this month. "We are extremely sad to see Annette go," said Mayor Andrew Jakubeit. "She has been instrumental to the realization of Penticton's vision, propelling the organization to new heights with her innovative and entrepreneurial approach.... She will be missed, and council wishes her all the best." Antoniak joined the city in 2010. She was provided the difficult task of organizational change at the beginning of her tenure, implementing a core review of all city functions. Her key achievements include the first downtown revitalization and waterfront enhancement to be successfully undertaken in the city for more than 30 years. "The organization has evolved greatly in the five years I have been here, and I think that is a testament to the positive, service-oriented attitude reflected in the organization," said Antoniak. "I will miss many things about Penticton, but I will miss the incredible staff the most." Antoniak's final day with the city is Feb. 16. She leaves to take on a corporate CEO position to be announced at a later date.
Penticton city manager Annette Antoniak has announced she will be leaving City Hall later this month. "We are extremely sad to see Annette go," said Mayor Andrew Jakubeit. "She has been instrumental to the realization of Penticton's vision, propelling the organization to new heights with her innovative and entrepreneurial approach.... She will be missed, and council wishes her all the best." Antoniak joined the city in 2010. She was provided the difficult task of organizational change at the beginning of her tenure, implementing a core review of all city functions. Her key achievements include the first downtown revitalization and waterfront enhancement to be successfully undertaken in the city for more than 30 years. "The organization has evolved greatly in the five years I have been here, and I think that is a testament to the positive, service-oriented attitude reflected in the organization," said Antoniak. "I will miss many things about Penticton, but I will miss the incredible staff the most." Antoniak's final day with the city is Feb. 16. She leaves to take on a corporate CEO position to be announced at a later date.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Penticton council takes stand on rising RCMP costs
by Steve Kidd - Penticton Western News posted Dec 16, 2014 at 3:00 PM
City manager Annette Antoniak wants Penticton city council to take a stand against ever increasing policing costs. Superintendent Kevin Hewco gave council an overview of the Penticton RCMP budget for 2015 Tuesday, showing an increase in policing costs of $193,772. Adding that to large increases in previous years prompted Antoniak to advise council to take some action, pointing out that neither Hewco nor the city had control over many of the line items. “In my four years here, I have seen this RCMP budget increase substantially and I would like to recommend that council write a letter to the attorney general who actually negotiates the contract with the federal government,” said Antoniak. “When you see the mounting increase for which we have no control, we need to register this is not OK.” Antoniak pointed out line items that have increased substantially, including $27,624 for the police dog, which was downloaded to the city this year, a 33 per cent increase in costs for the public complaints committee and a 39 per cent increase for enhanced reporting and accountability, which, according to Antoniak, “there doesn’t seem to be any accountability for what that is.” “I really can’t explain that one to you, so I am not going to try to, however I will seek a better explanation of what that is,” admitted Hewco as he went through the increases. “These are huge increases. We have no say and this is just going to increase over time,” said Antoniak. Hewco admitted to having concerns about how the RCMP budget is handled. “I share the city manager's position on that as a civilian, not with my official hat,” said Hewco, adding he finds the situation problematic as a detachment commander. “If we are going to have to download costs or share them, for goodness sake, let’s do some consultation so the city can plan.” Council voted unanimously to send a formal letter to Attorney General Suzanne Anton. “The contact was renewed in 2012. There is recourse in that contract in order to do conflict resolution,” said Hewco. “I don’t disagree with your plan of action.”
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Penticton 2015 Department Budget Links at : http://www.penticton.ca/EN/main/departments/finance/financial-plan-2015.html?sredir=1
-http://www.penticton.ca/assets/Departments/Finance/2015~Financial~Plan/13_RCMP.pdf
City manager Annette Antoniak wants Penticton city council to take a stand against ever increasing policing costs. Superintendent Kevin Hewco gave council an overview of the Penticton RCMP budget for 2015 Tuesday, showing an increase in policing costs of $193,772. Adding that to large increases in previous years prompted Antoniak to advise council to take some action, pointing out that neither Hewco nor the city had control over many of the line items. “In my four years here, I have seen this RCMP budget increase substantially and I would like to recommend that council write a letter to the attorney general who actually negotiates the contract with the federal government,” said Antoniak. “When you see the mounting increase for which we have no control, we need to register this is not OK.” Antoniak pointed out line items that have increased substantially, including $27,624 for the police dog, which was downloaded to the city this year, a 33 per cent increase in costs for the public complaints committee and a 39 per cent increase for enhanced reporting and accountability, which, according to Antoniak, “there doesn’t seem to be any accountability for what that is.” “I really can’t explain that one to you, so I am not going to try to, however I will seek a better explanation of what that is,” admitted Hewco as he went through the increases. “These are huge increases. We have no say and this is just going to increase over time,” said Antoniak. Hewco admitted to having concerns about how the RCMP budget is handled. “I share the city manager's position on that as a civilian, not with my official hat,” said Hewco, adding he finds the situation problematic as a detachment commander. “If we are going to have to download costs or share them, for goodness sake, let’s do some consultation so the city can plan.” Council voted unanimously to send a formal letter to Attorney General Suzanne Anton. “The contact was renewed in 2012. There is recourse in that contract in order to do conflict resolution,” said Hewco. “I don’t disagree with your plan of action.”
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Penticton 2015 Department Budget Links at : http://www.penticton.ca/EN/main/departments/finance/financial-plan-2015.html?sredir=1
-http://www.penticton.ca/assets/Departments/Finance/2015~Financial~Plan/13_RCMP.pdf
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Bus debate heads to budget talks
Penticton Herald Staff Sunday, November 23, 2014 6:26 pm
Bigger might be better after all – at least as far as Penticton’s buses are concerned. The city’s transportation advisory committee has recommended the city replace one of the two smaller Vicinity buses with a full-size bus. One smaller bus would remain for lower volume routes. A key issue is the lack of room the 23-passenger Vicinity bus has for wheelchairs, walkers and baby strollers. In a few instances, a person with mobility aids has been unable to board a bus due to the lack of wheelchair spaces. The Vicinity bus only has room for two wheelchairs. However, any move to revert to a larger bus would come at a cost. Each Vicinity bus saves the city more than $19,000 a year in lease and fuel costs compared to the larger Nova buses. City council referred the matter to its 2015 budget discussions. The smaller buses were introduced by Penticton Transit last year, partly in response to community concerns about the larger buses being virtually empty on some routes. Coun. Katie Robinson, council’s representative on the transportation committee, said the issue generated considerable debate among committee members. “For years we were roundly criticized for the large buses that drove around town with nobody in it,” she said. Now, in view of the wheelchair concerns, a compromise solution has been proposed for the Vicinity buses. “They do have their place,” Robinson said. “We’re recommending that we integrate them by keeping one and perhaps replacing the other, if it fits the budget.” That decision will be made by the new council, to be installed Dec. 1.
Bigger might be better after all – at least as far as Penticton’s buses are concerned. The city’s transportation advisory committee has recommended the city replace one of the two smaller Vicinity buses with a full-size bus. One smaller bus would remain for lower volume routes. A key issue is the lack of room the 23-passenger Vicinity bus has for wheelchairs, walkers and baby strollers. In a few instances, a person with mobility aids has been unable to board a bus due to the lack of wheelchair spaces. The Vicinity bus only has room for two wheelchairs. However, any move to revert to a larger bus would come at a cost. Each Vicinity bus saves the city more than $19,000 a year in lease and fuel costs compared to the larger Nova buses. City council referred the matter to its 2015 budget discussions. The smaller buses were introduced by Penticton Transit last year, partly in response to community concerns about the larger buses being virtually empty on some routes. Coun. Katie Robinson, council’s representative on the transportation committee, said the issue generated considerable debate among committee members. “For years we were roundly criticized for the large buses that drove around town with nobody in it,” she said. Now, in view of the wheelchair concerns, a compromise solution has been proposed for the Vicinity buses. “They do have their place,” Robinson said. “We’re recommending that we integrate them by keeping one and perhaps replacing the other, if it fits the budget.” That decision will be made by the new council, to be installed Dec. 1.
Wednesday, September 03, 2014
City sues woman for defamation
by Deborah Pfeiffer CASTANET - Sep 3, 2014 / 3:19 pm
A Penticton woman who claims she is being accused of defamation by the City of Penticton, spoke to the media and residents on the steps of city hall Wednesday. Elvena Slump, who ran for council in 2008 and is a frequent letter writer to local papers, told those gathered that on Aug. 28, 2014, she received a letter from Harper Grey LLP, a Vancouver law firm, regarding defamation. The letter was signed by Bryan G. Baynham, Q.C. acting on behalf of the City and its employees, she said. In it, she said Baynham claims in an email sent on Aug. 19 that she said some unflattering words about the CAO, and CAO's position of power with council. Slump, who is in her 70s, went on to say, "nowhere do I mention the CAO in my letter." My issue was the role of council and staff at in camera meetings. "I have no way of knowing whether the CAO is present or not at in camera meetings," she explained. "My letter was addressed to council and was sent as a letter to the editor of the Penticton Herald. As a courtesy, the CAO was included in the email as she is the only recognized employee at city hall. The corporate officer was included in the email as the mechanics of in camera meetings are part of her job description." Then according to the letter from the lawyer, she claimed, on July 13, 2014, I attacked the competence, experience and ability of the CAO and the CFO and that the City was wrongly saddled with her (the CAO) moving expense and that the CFO was stumbling from one mistake to the next. The statement read by Slump at the press conference goes on to say that the lawyer's letter alleges that on Aug. 8, she said that the communications officer should be terminated, because her veracity must be questioned that she had undue influence over council and council committees. But Slump claims she said no such thing "I said her veracity must be questioned," she said. "In my opinion as a recent employee of Penticton Western and an acknowledged expert by Mayor Litke, her place on the committee that made the decision on awarding a contract to the Penticton Western was unsuitable." She added that Baynham required a written commitment that the emails were not forwarded to anyone else or copied to anyone other than James Miller, editor of the Penticton Herald. But she respectfully declined to make that committment, stating she has not been found guilty of anything and until she is her personal communications are her own business. She concluded by saying if the city sues her, the court case will likely take one to two years to wind its way through the courts with no guarantee that the City will win. "Taxpayers in Penticton are looking at another $100,000 in legal fees," she said, after earlier making a reference to the PHA case. "These tax dollars do not belong to city council or its employees. I believe that Penticton City Council is sue happy and has stepped over the line. Taxpayers have better use for their tax dollars than pursuing individual taxpayers of Penticton with legal action for comments they might have made." Lastly, she added, "Keep your head down. Go to work everyday and pay your taxes. Do not offer any advice or criticism. If you do......we will hammer you into the ground." Slump's lengthy statement drew applause from those gathered. There was also laughter as she made comments regarding that running for council now would interfere with her nap time. She was also grateful to those who came to hear what she had to say. "Today makes me feel wonderful. I appreciate the support I see here," she said. Councillor John Vassilaki, stated at the press conference, that the first he heard of this was on Monday night. "Tuesday we had an in camera meeting and I can't discuss what was discussed at that meeting. But city council did not vote on this, we did not participate in it and don't ask me who brought it forward, I have no idea."
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Also see: http://globalnews.ca/news/1542410/penticton-senior-accused-of-defaming-city-staff/
and http://www.pentictonherald.ca/news/article_5818ac1c-33b7-11e4-bb21-0017a43b2370.html
A Penticton woman who claims she is being accused of defamation by the City of Penticton, spoke to the media and residents on the steps of city hall Wednesday. Elvena Slump, who ran for council in 2008 and is a frequent letter writer to local papers, told those gathered that on Aug. 28, 2014, she received a letter from Harper Grey LLP, a Vancouver law firm, regarding defamation. The letter was signed by Bryan G. Baynham, Q.C. acting on behalf of the City and its employees, she said. In it, she said Baynham claims in an email sent on Aug. 19 that she said some unflattering words about the CAO, and CAO's position of power with council. Slump, who is in her 70s, went on to say, "nowhere do I mention the CAO in my letter." My issue was the role of council and staff at in camera meetings. "I have no way of knowing whether the CAO is present or not at in camera meetings," she explained. "My letter was addressed to council and was sent as a letter to the editor of the Penticton Herald. As a courtesy, the CAO was included in the email as she is the only recognized employee at city hall. The corporate officer was included in the email as the mechanics of in camera meetings are part of her job description." Then according to the letter from the lawyer, she claimed, on July 13, 2014, I attacked the competence, experience and ability of the CAO and the CFO and that the City was wrongly saddled with her (the CAO) moving expense and that the CFO was stumbling from one mistake to the next. The statement read by Slump at the press conference goes on to say that the lawyer's letter alleges that on Aug. 8, she said that the communications officer should be terminated, because her veracity must be questioned that she had undue influence over council and council committees. But Slump claims she said no such thing "I said her veracity must be questioned," she said. "In my opinion as a recent employee of Penticton Western and an acknowledged expert by Mayor Litke, her place on the committee that made the decision on awarding a contract to the Penticton Western was unsuitable." She added that Baynham required a written commitment that the emails were not forwarded to anyone else or copied to anyone other than James Miller, editor of the Penticton Herald. But she respectfully declined to make that committment, stating she has not been found guilty of anything and until she is her personal communications are her own business. She concluded by saying if the city sues her, the court case will likely take one to two years to wind its way through the courts with no guarantee that the City will win. "Taxpayers in Penticton are looking at another $100,000 in legal fees," she said, after earlier making a reference to the PHA case. "These tax dollars do not belong to city council or its employees. I believe that Penticton City Council is sue happy and has stepped over the line. Taxpayers have better use for their tax dollars than pursuing individual taxpayers of Penticton with legal action for comments they might have made." Lastly, she added, "Keep your head down. Go to work everyday and pay your taxes. Do not offer any advice or criticism. If you do......we will hammer you into the ground." Slump's lengthy statement drew applause from those gathered. There was also laughter as she made comments regarding that running for council now would interfere with her nap time. She was also grateful to those who came to hear what she had to say. "Today makes me feel wonderful. I appreciate the support I see here," she said. Councillor John Vassilaki, stated at the press conference, that the first he heard of this was on Monday night. "Tuesday we had an in camera meeting and I can't discuss what was discussed at that meeting. But city council did not vote on this, we did not participate in it and don't ask me who brought it forward, I have no idea."
----------
Also see: http://globalnews.ca/news/1542410/penticton-senior-accused-of-defaming-city-staff/
and http://www.pentictonherald.ca/news/article_5818ac1c-33b7-11e4-bb21-0017a43b2370.html
Saturday, August 09, 2014
City of Penticton hands over disputed hotel room tax funds
Kelowna Daily CourierPosted: Friday, August 8, 2014 6:02 pm
The Penticton Hospitality Association has received a cheque for $310,657 from the City of Penticton for unspent hotel room tax money. The cheque arrived by courier at the law offices of Pushor Mitchell in Kelowna late Thursday afternoon. Penticton Hospitality Association spokesman Tim Hodgkinson said the association’s legal fees, most of which must be paid by the city, are still being tabulated. Last week, it was announced that the association won a lengthy legal battle with the City of Penticton over the hotel room tax. A judge ruled the city was unable to prove its case against the Penticton Hospitality Association and must now pay the expenses for the winning side. The city claims its legal expenses to date have been around $42,000, although it’s believed other bills from the case are forthcoming. The Penticton Herald has filed a Freedom of Information request for all legal expenses, direct and indirect, related to this case. Hodgkinson had hoped to have a press conference earlier this week, but he postponed it until after the Penticton Peach Festival, which wraps up Sunday, in order to not distract from the festival.
The Penticton Hospitality Association has received a cheque for $310,657 from the City of Penticton for unspent hotel room tax money. The cheque arrived by courier at the law offices of Pushor Mitchell in Kelowna late Thursday afternoon. Penticton Hospitality Association spokesman Tim Hodgkinson said the association’s legal fees, most of which must be paid by the city, are still being tabulated. Last week, it was announced that the association won a lengthy legal battle with the City of Penticton over the hotel room tax. A judge ruled the city was unable to prove its case against the Penticton Hospitality Association and must now pay the expenses for the winning side. The city claims its legal expenses to date have been around $42,000, although it’s believed other bills from the case are forthcoming. The Penticton Herald has filed a Freedom of Information request for all legal expenses, direct and indirect, related to this case. Hodgkinson had hoped to have a press conference earlier this week, but he postponed it until after the Penticton Peach Festival, which wraps up Sunday, in order to not distract from the festival.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Supreme Court rules in favour of Penticton Hospitality Association
by Steve Kidd - Penticton Western News posted Jul 30, 2014 at 6:00 PM
The long wait is over, and the B.C. Supreme Court has ruled in favour of the Penticton Hospitality Association in their long-running dispute with the City of Penticton.“The PHA is naturally delighted to announce that the Supreme Court of B.C. has now struck down in its entirety the City of Penticton’s illegal attempt to seize control and withhold funds from the lawful stewardship of the PHA. This is a just decision that benefits the entire community,” said Tim Hodgkinson, PHA operations director, reading from a prepared statement. Hodgkinson said the PHA will have further comment in coming days. Not surprisingly, Mayor Garry Litke said the city is far from delighted with the decision. “Obviously, I am not happy with the decision. It wasn’t a decision that we really expected. We became involved in this topic more than a year ago now, when we became concerned about the financial accountability of that organization (the PHA),” said Litke. “We will accept that pronouncement and move on,” continued Litke, explaining that the city’s long-term goal is for the PHA and Tourism Penticton to work together to leverage the tax funds and get back as much as they can in terms of enhancing tourism in the city.
The long wait is over, and the B.C. Supreme Court has ruled in favour of the Penticton Hospitality Association in their long-running dispute with the City of Penticton.“The PHA is naturally delighted to announce that the Supreme Court of B.C. has now struck down in its entirety the City of Penticton’s illegal attempt to seize control and withhold funds from the lawful stewardship of the PHA. This is a just decision that benefits the entire community,” said Tim Hodgkinson, PHA operations director, reading from a prepared statement. Hodgkinson said the PHA will have further comment in coming days. Not surprisingly, Mayor Garry Litke said the city is far from delighted with the decision. “Obviously, I am not happy with the decision. It wasn’t a decision that we really expected. We became involved in this topic more than a year ago now, when we became concerned about the financial accountability of that organization (the PHA),” said Litke. “We will accept that pronouncement and move on,” continued Litke, explaining that the city’s long-term goal is for the PHA and Tourism Penticton to work together to leverage the tax funds and get back as much as they can in terms of enhancing tourism in the city.
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Error on tax notices to cost city $12,000
by Steve Kidd - Penticton Western News posted Jun 12, 2014 at 4:00 PM— updated Jul 11, 2014 at 9:21 PM
The City of Penticton is going to be shelling out about $12,000 to correct a mistake on the 2014 tax notices mailed out to property owners. The first tax bills sent out for 2014 featured the wrong school district — Okanagan Similkameen rather than Okanagan Skaha — with the result that the calculations of total taxes were higher than they should have been. “It was an administrative error,” said Simone Blais, the city’s communication officer, explaining that a staff member chose the wrong line from a list of school districts and corresponding tax rates. “From what I understand the bottom of the page had Okanagan Similkameen, but they didn’t flip the page to see Okanagan Skaha,” said Blais. Amended property tax notices will be mailed out as soon as possible, and property owners are asked to refer to the “amended tax notice” only for the correct amount. In the interim, those who go to the front counter at city hall will have their taxes recalculated automatically. “We sincerely apologize to affected property owners for the error, and regret any inconvenience or confusion this may cause,” said Colin Fisher, chief financial officer. “It is critical that property owners be charged only the amount necessary, and the city’s revenue services team is working swiftly to correct the error for all of our customers.” According to Blais, the new tax notices are all lower than the first notices, though how much lower depends on the assessed value of the property. But reaction from people presented with a lower amount when paying their taxes, she continued, has been positive, with one customer even saying it was like Christmas. However, the mistake comes with a price tag for the city. Blais said mailing out a new set of tax notices is costing about $12,000. “When we look at how important it is to keep our taxpayers in the loop it was decided it was warranted,” said Blais. “It is the only way to 100 per cent guarantee that everyone is notified of the change.” Along with sending out the new tax notices, the city will be directly contacting people who paid their taxes before the mistake was noticed. They will be offered a choice of rebate options. “We can send them a refund or apply that amount to next year’s account so it is a bit of a prepayment. But it is up to them,” said Blais. People who use MyCity to claim their provincial home owner grant are asked to check the welcome screen message for information. E-bill customers using the MyCity online tax notice portal are asked to use the most recent tax notice dated June 11.
Taxpayers who have been following the Multimaterials B.C. recycling program (MMBC) changeover may be surprised to still see a recycling charge on their tax notice. The reasons are twofold, according to Blais. “We don’t know the final incentive amount. The second piece is we are not entirely sure how the program is going to play out,” said Blais. “That all could impact our rate in terms of whether or not we are receiving that financial incentive or going on our own. According to Blais, city council considered whether to use the incentive and decrease the rate now, potentially increasing it again later, but decided it would be better to stay the course and put whatever incentive funds are received aside for future use in education or other programs to fortify the recycling program.
The City of Penticton is going to be shelling out about $12,000 to correct a mistake on the 2014 tax notices mailed out to property owners. The first tax bills sent out for 2014 featured the wrong school district — Okanagan Similkameen rather than Okanagan Skaha — with the result that the calculations of total taxes were higher than they should have been. “It was an administrative error,” said Simone Blais, the city’s communication officer, explaining that a staff member chose the wrong line from a list of school districts and corresponding tax rates. “From what I understand the bottom of the page had Okanagan Similkameen, but they didn’t flip the page to see Okanagan Skaha,” said Blais. Amended property tax notices will be mailed out as soon as possible, and property owners are asked to refer to the “amended tax notice” only for the correct amount. In the interim, those who go to the front counter at city hall will have their taxes recalculated automatically. “We sincerely apologize to affected property owners for the error, and regret any inconvenience or confusion this may cause,” said Colin Fisher, chief financial officer. “It is critical that property owners be charged only the amount necessary, and the city’s revenue services team is working swiftly to correct the error for all of our customers.” According to Blais, the new tax notices are all lower than the first notices, though how much lower depends on the assessed value of the property. But reaction from people presented with a lower amount when paying their taxes, she continued, has been positive, with one customer even saying it was like Christmas. However, the mistake comes with a price tag for the city. Blais said mailing out a new set of tax notices is costing about $12,000. “When we look at how important it is to keep our taxpayers in the loop it was decided it was warranted,” said Blais. “It is the only way to 100 per cent guarantee that everyone is notified of the change.” Along with sending out the new tax notices, the city will be directly contacting people who paid their taxes before the mistake was noticed. They will be offered a choice of rebate options. “We can send them a refund or apply that amount to next year’s account so it is a bit of a prepayment. But it is up to them,” said Blais. People who use MyCity to claim their provincial home owner grant are asked to check the welcome screen message for information. E-bill customers using the MyCity online tax notice portal are asked to use the most recent tax notice dated June 11.
Taxpayers who have been following the Multimaterials B.C. recycling program (MMBC) changeover may be surprised to still see a recycling charge on their tax notice. The reasons are twofold, according to Blais. “We don’t know the final incentive amount. The second piece is we are not entirely sure how the program is going to play out,” said Blais. “That all could impact our rate in terms of whether or not we are receiving that financial incentive or going on our own. According to Blais, city council considered whether to use the incentive and decrease the rate now, potentially increasing it again later, but decided it would be better to stay the course and put whatever incentive funds are received aside for future use in education or other programs to fortify the recycling program.
Monday, June 30, 2014
Friday, June 13, 2014
Two could become four with duplexes
Posted: Thursday, June 12, 2014 10:16 pm JOHN MOORHOUSE Penticton Herald
Duplexes could potentially become fourplexes under revised secondary suite regulations approved by Penticton city council. Council voted 5-1 this week to amend its zoning bylaws to allow secondary suites in duplexes. The changes also remove a requirement that the property owner must live in the same house that includes a secondary suite. No one spoke in opposition to the bylaw changes during a brief public hearing prior to council’s decision. Mayor Garry Litke was the lone council member opposed to the move, especially the removal of the owner occupancy requirement. The condition stems from a recommendation by the city’s affordable housing committee prior to the city’s move to legalize secondary suites in 2009. “It was seen as a necessary condition for the neighbourhood to accept them in their neighbourhood – that secondary suites needed to be monitored more closely,” Litke said. “It was seen as a mortgage helper. It was seen as an in-law suite.” Coun. Wes Hopkin said although he can understand a neighbourhood’s desire to preserve its character, he doesn’t see secondary suites as a threat. “I think there might be some motivation of fear in some of these neighbourhoods. There obviously are always bad renters that will have to be dealt with,” he said. “I think it’s only the minority of cases where this would be a problem.” Hopkin said he doesn’t believe that having the owner living in a home can prevent problems with bad renters. Anthony Haddad, the city’s director of development services, noted the city has had some difficulties in enforcing the owner-occupier regulation, especially if the home owner didn’t live on the property and couldn’t be contacted. “Certainly the rule change will allow both units to be rented out,” he said. “Staff will obviously be keeping a close eye on any enforcement issues.” The bylaw amendments do not mean an amnesty for existing illegal secondary suites, Haddad added. A building permit and subsequent inspection is mandatory for all secondary suites to gain city approval. Sufficient parking is also required.
Duplexes could potentially become fourplexes under revised secondary suite regulations approved by Penticton city council. Council voted 5-1 this week to amend its zoning bylaws to allow secondary suites in duplexes. The changes also remove a requirement that the property owner must live in the same house that includes a secondary suite. No one spoke in opposition to the bylaw changes during a brief public hearing prior to council’s decision. Mayor Garry Litke was the lone council member opposed to the move, especially the removal of the owner occupancy requirement. The condition stems from a recommendation by the city’s affordable housing committee prior to the city’s move to legalize secondary suites in 2009. “It was seen as a necessary condition for the neighbourhood to accept them in their neighbourhood – that secondary suites needed to be monitored more closely,” Litke said. “It was seen as a mortgage helper. It was seen as an in-law suite.” Coun. Wes Hopkin said although he can understand a neighbourhood’s desire to preserve its character, he doesn’t see secondary suites as a threat. “I think there might be some motivation of fear in some of these neighbourhoods. There obviously are always bad renters that will have to be dealt with,” he said. “I think it’s only the minority of cases where this would be a problem.” Hopkin said he doesn’t believe that having the owner living in a home can prevent problems with bad renters. Anthony Haddad, the city’s director of development services, noted the city has had some difficulties in enforcing the owner-occupier regulation, especially if the home owner didn’t live on the property and couldn’t be contacted. “Certainly the rule change will allow both units to be rented out,” he said. “Staff will obviously be keeping a close eye on any enforcement issues.” The bylaw amendments do not mean an amnesty for existing illegal secondary suites, Haddad added. A building permit and subsequent inspection is mandatory for all secondary suites to gain city approval. Sufficient parking is also required.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Penticton Tourism dispute goes before judge.
by Steve Kidd - Penticton Western News posted Mar 24, 2014 at 8:00 AM— updated Mar 24, 2014 at 10:29 AM
Another four weeks, at least, has been added to the ongoing tourism marketing dispute in Penticton. Thursday, the Penticton Hospitality Association and the City of Penticton were facing each other in B.C. Supreme Court in Kelowna, after the city petitioned for an injunction to stop the accommodators’ association from spending any more of the funds currently in their possession. The dispute started on Oct. 31, 2013, when the city announced the PHA was in breach of the obligations spelled out in a five year contract signed with the city in July 2012 giving them control over the approximately $400,000 for tourism marketing collected annually via the hotel room tax. The PHA maintains they are just trying to continue business as normal, and are using hotel room tax funds from before Oct. 31 to continue funding advertising and marketing for the 2014 tourist season and beyond. If successful, the city's injunction would prevent them from continuing to purchase tourism marketing. After hearing arguments from both sides over the course of three days, the Supreme Court Justice hearing the petition said he will deliver his decision in four to six weeks.
Another four weeks, at least, has been added to the ongoing tourism marketing dispute in Penticton. Thursday, the Penticton Hospitality Association and the City of Penticton were facing each other in B.C. Supreme Court in Kelowna, after the city petitioned for an injunction to stop the accommodators’ association from spending any more of the funds currently in their possession. The dispute started on Oct. 31, 2013, when the city announced the PHA was in breach of the obligations spelled out in a five year contract signed with the city in July 2012 giving them control over the approximately $400,000 for tourism marketing collected annually via the hotel room tax. The PHA maintains they are just trying to continue business as normal, and are using hotel room tax funds from before Oct. 31 to continue funding advertising and marketing for the 2014 tourist season and beyond. If successful, the city's injunction would prevent them from continuing to purchase tourism marketing. After hearing arguments from both sides over the course of three days, the Supreme Court Justice hearing the petition said he will deliver his decision in four to six weeks.
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