REGIONAL

REGIONAL
CONNECTIONS
in this issue
June 2016 Newsletter | Volume 4 Issue 4
Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
AWARENESS WEEK
Encouraging active and engaged
citizenship.
LANDFILL FEES
Fees adjusted as of June 1.
RURAL PROPERTY TAX
Rural Annual Property Tax notices will
be received by rural British Columbians
in the coming weeks.
MOBILE QUAGGA/ZEBRA
MUSSEL TRAILER HITS THE
ROAD!
The Okanagan and Similkameen Invasive
Species Society (OASISS) is taking to
the road in their newly constructed,
educational, trailer.
RDOS BOARD HIGHLIGHTS
STUDENTS FROM AROUND THE REGION
PARTICIPATE AT RDOS BOARD MEETING
Local Government Awareness Week was May 16
through 20 and is a program of the Union of British
Columbia Municipalities, working in partnership
with a number of other public sector organizations.
The intent of the week is to provide an opportunity
for British Columbia citizens and students to learn
more about how local governance works.
The RDOS Board invited high school students from
around the region to attend the May 19 Board
meeting. Students had an opportunity to introduce
themselves and share some of their future plans
with the Board. The Board welcomed them, shared
some of their history and some inspirational words
and advice with the students. Students had the
chance to mingle with the Board over lunch. The
students also had the occasion to have a question
and answer period later in the day with the RDOS
Board of Directors. The Board was impressed with
the very insightful and well researched questions
that the students asked.
Local government is the closest level of government
to citizens and the RDOS has a role in encouraging
active, engaged citizenship. While many forces
shape our lives today are global in nature, it is at
the local government level that many of the policies
and programs that most directly affect local citizens
are made. Young people more than any other
population group are grounded in place, or are
“local”. A range of RDOS functions have a primary
impact on youth in our region, including land-use
planning, emergency services, parks and trails,
libraries, bylaw and infrastructure.
“We hope that by inviting the students in our region
to join us at our Board table, we will be encouraging
active and engaged citizenship in them.
I know myself and my fellow Directors were very
pleased to spend the day with the students, and we
were all thrilled with their eagerness to learn more
about the RDOS”, said Mark Pendergraft, RDOS
Chair.
If you have any questions, thoughts or suggestions
about the Local Government Awareness program,
the RDOS office is always available and you are
welcome to contact staff or Directors at any time at
250-492-0237 or [email protected].
REGIONAL CONNECTIONS
Visit us on facebook | YouTube | www.rdos.bc.ca
Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen
CHANGES TO REGIONAL
DISTRICT LANDFILL FEES
Fees for the
C a m p b e l l
Mountain, Oliver,
Keremeos and
OK Falls Landfills
operated by the
Regional District
of
OkanaganSimilkameen
(RDOS) will be
adjusted starting
June 1, 2016.
Changes coming
June 1st includes
a
fee
hike
from $150 to
$200 a tonne
for
Controlled
Waste, such as asbestos. The new charge will better
cover the costs of handling these dangerous materials.
Oversized industrial and agricultural tires will increase
from $200 to $400 per tonne to cover recycling costs.
Fees have gone down significantly on agricultural
fruit waste, burned materials from structure fires and
pressurized tanks. Pressurized tanks, including propane
tanks, under 4.5 kg (10lb) are now free at all RDOS
landfills.
“We want to provide a safe and free way for residents
to recycle potentially dangerous materials like small
pressurized propane tanks,” points out Don Hamilton
RDOS Solid Waste Facilities Supervisor.
For more information and a copy of the new fees, contact
the RDOS Solid Waste Division at 250-492-2913, info@
rdos.bc.ca or visit us at http://www.rdos.bc.ca/regionalgovernment/regional-bylaws/ and find the Fees Bylaw
under the Finance tab.
Rural Annual Property Tax
Rural Annual Property Tax notices will be received by rural
British Columbians in the coming weeks.
The provincial government is responsible for requisitioning
in the rural areas of BC. The Regional District of OkanaganSimilkameen (RDOS) does not directly requisition taxpayers.
The RDOS uses the funds collected from property owners to
support services that benefit all residents using that service.
Services such as water distribution, sewage collection,
recreation, fire protection and 911 emergency call services
just to name a few.
Rural Property tax payments are NOT accepted at the RDOS
office.
Rural Property Taxes must be paid at a Service BC office (Agent
for the Province of BC).
Penticton Service BC office
40 Calgary Ave., Penticton, BC
Phone: 250-487-4200
Hours: Monday to Friday (excluding stat holidays) 8:30am –
4:30pm
Oliver Service BC office
583 Fairview Rd., Oliver, BC
Phone: 250-498-3818
Hours: Monday to Friday (excluding stat holidays) 8:30am –
12:00pm and 1:00pm – 4:30pm
Princeton Service BC Office
10 - 136 Tapton Ave., Princeton, BC
Phone: 250-295-4600
Hours: 8:30am – 12:00pm and 1:15pm – 4:30pm
Ensure you pay your property taxes by the date noted on your
rural tax notice.
Property Tax Deferment
This provincial program is available to B.C. residents 55 years
of age and older, surviving spouses, persons with disabilities
and families with children.
Taxes payable on a principal residence can be deferred until
ownership of the home is transferred.
For more information, visit the Province of British Columbia
website and use the Search function to search for “property
tax deferment program.”
REGIONAL CONNECTIONS
Visit us on facebook | YouTube | www.rdos.bc.ca
Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen
RDOS
Board of Directors
MARK PENDERGRAFT
RDOS Chair
Area “A” - Osoyoos Rural
GEORGE BUSH
Area “B” - Cawston
TERRY SCHAFER
Area “C” - Oliver Rural
THOMAS SIDDON
Area “D” - Kaleden/Okanagan
Falls
KARLA KOZAKEVICH
Area “E” - Naramata
MICHAEL BRYDON
OSRHD Chair
Area “F” - Okanagan Lake
West/West Bench
ELEF CHRISTENSEN
Mobile Quagga and Zebra Mussel
Prevention Trailer Takes to the Road
The Okanagan and Similkameen Invasive Species
Society (OASISS) is taking to the road in their
newly constructed, educational, trailer.
This highly visual addition to the existing
aquatic invaders prevention program was made
possible by the RDOS, who received a generous
grant from the Royal Bank of Canada through
the RBC Blue Water Project Fund. “The RDOS
appreciates that the Royal Bank could see the
benefits of providing funding for a potentially
devastating threat to our waterways – before it
gets here. They recognize the astronomical cost
implications and impact to our environment
which will affect all residents and visitors to the
Okanagan, if Quagga or Zebra mussels arrive,”
said Mark Pendergraft, Chair of the RDOS.
Collaboratively, the RDOS and OASISS worked to
design, procure and customize the mobile unit
as well as outreach materials for this program.
The Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB),
through their Don’t Move a Mussel Program,
is also a significant and collaborative partner
on this project. OBWB supplies annual funding
to OASISS to assist with hiring three Aquatic
Invasive Species focused Canada Summer Job
students who conduct outreach throughout the
valley and monitor the local waters for mussels.
The OBWB has for the past three years developed
and distributed outreach materials and conducts
annual ad and social marketing campaigns.
Together these integral partnerships will mean a
stronger campaign with a broader reach for 2016
and beyond.
This regional program is complementary to the
BC’s Invasive Mussel Defence Program which
includes eight trained inspection crews with
mobile decontamination units. “The inspections
crews identified 70 high risk boats in BC last
year and 36% were destined for the Okanagan.
This is a really key finding as it emphasizes the
importance of regional programs to compliment
what is happening at a provincial level. We all
know it would only take one boat to infest BC
waters and there is no going back,” said OASISS
Program Manager, Lisa Scott.
The mobile unit will be busy at many local
events, at boat launches, yacht clubs,
beaches and markets. Look for the hash tags
emblazoned
trailer
#DontMoveaMussel,
#StopAquaticHitchhikers, and #CleanDrainDry.
Local media and the public are invited to tour the
trailer on June 2nd 2016, at the RDOS main office
at 101 Martin St. Penticton from 12:00 noon to
1:00 pm
Area “G” - Keremeos Rural/
Hedley
BOB COYNE
Area “H” - Princeton Rural
ANDREW JAKUBEIT
RDOS Vice-Chair
City of Penticton
HELENA KONANZ
City of Penticton
JUDY SENTES
OSRHD Vice-Chair
City of Penticton
ANDRE MARTIN
City of Penticton
PETER WATERMAN
District of Summerland
TONI BOOT
District of Summerland
RON HOVANES
Town of Oliver
SUZAN MCKORTOFF
Town of Osoyoos
FRANK ARMITAGE
Town of Princeton
MANFRED BAUER
Village of Keremeos
RDOS BOARD MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
Selected highlights from the regular meetings of the
Board of Directors of the
Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen held May 5 and 19.
Dennis
Tottenham,
Executive
Director, Canadian Mental Health
Association (CMHA) of the South
Okanagan Similkameen addressed
the Board to discuss service provided
by CMHA and the importance of
mental health.
The RDOS 2015 Audited Financial
Statements were received and
the Board of Directors adopted
all reported 2015 transactions as
amendments to the 2015 Final
Budget.
The Board of Directors resolved
to provide a letter of support to
Discovery House for their grant
application to the Interior Health
Authority to obtain funding for 10
support recovery beds in the South
Okanagan.
Recently the RDOS released an
expression of interest seeking
qualified consultants in the park
planning and landscape architectural
field to guide long term planning
for the future development and
improvement of parks in Kaleden,
Heritage Hills, Okanagan Falls and
Naramata. The Board has now
awarded the park planning and
design to L.A. West for $46,127.70
plus applicable taxes.
In 2004, the Regional District of
Okanagan-Similkameen and the
Oliver Parks & Recreation Society
entered into an agreement for
the Society to undertake the
management, supervision, and
operation of the Oliver Arena, Oliver
Community Pool, the Community
Parks, the Oliver Community Centre,
and recreation programming.
The Society manages the Town’s
parks (Lions Park, Kinsman Park,
Rotary Beach Community Park,
and Oliver Community Park) by
scheduling events, which includes
the rental and use for recreational
and community purposes.
The Regional District requisitions
funds from both the Town of
Oliver and Electoral Area “C” (rural
Oliver) to fund the Society for the
management and operation of the
parks, along with the Oliver Arena,
Oliver Community Pool, and Oliver
Community Centre.
The Board of Directors authorized
the License to Use Agreement
between the Town of Oliver and the
RDOS.
REGIONAL CONNECTIONS
In 2014 the Board of Directors
resolved to support the Skaha
Estates and Kaleden wastewater
collection system project, based on
funding. The board has committed
to proceeding with the project and
committed to approve borrowing
of funds after completion of a
successful referendum in the new
service areas provided grant funding
is received from the New Building
Canada Fund - Small Communities
Fund.
In September 2013 the Board of
Directors accepted the Biodiversity
Conservation Strategy “Keeping
Nature in our Future” as a guiding
document. RDOS staff have been
working with the South OkanaganSimilkameen Conservation Program
(SOSCP) to undertake immediate
priorities.
In July 2014 the
Board approved in principal the
establishment of a “conservation
fund”.
Public consultation is
underway and discussion on
possible structure is ongoing. The
Board of Directors have deferred the
matter of establishing a sub-regional
conservation fund with participants
include the Okanagan members
(Penticton, Summerland, Oliver,
Osoyoos, Electoral Areas “A”, “C”,
“D”, “E”, “F”) to the June 16, 2016
Board meeting.
Visit us on facebook | YouTube | www.rdos.bc.ca
Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen