City of Penticton Council highlights for September 11th

Boultbee takes leave of absence

Council approved a leave of absence for Councillor Amelia Boultbee who is seeking election in the upcoming provincial election.

The leave, which runs from September 11 to October 19, is unpaid.

Council’s ability to operate is not impacted by the leave.

Refocus on priorities

After successfully achieving many milestone over the past two years, Council is refocusing its priorities to meet the needs of the community.

Council’s priorities will now be:

Safe and Resilient: This priority reflects Council’s commitment to creating a safe, supportive community environment through a balanced approach that addresses crime, supports vulnerable populations, and builds long-term resilience. For example, we will enhance emergency preparedness initiatives, improve public safety measures, and invest in infrastructure that can withstand future challenges.

Livable and Accessible: This priority drives our efforts to improve the quality of life for all residents through better housing solutions, accessible public spaces and safe streets, and inclusive community services. This includes projects like affordable housing developments, improvements to public parks, and new community programs that cater to diverse needs.

Along with reaffirming Penticton’s vision and mission, Council also approved a new culture statement with the six core values of communication, integrity, reputation, engagement, modernization, and adaptability.

Staff to look at policy on tenant displacement

Council has approved a motion directing staff to look into what options might be available to protect tenants impacted by redevelopment.

The City is currently developing a social housing and infrastructure plan and the motion asks that it include a tenant relocation policy.

Pilot on energy efficiency moves ahead

Council has approved a pilot project that will look for up to 1,000 customers to volunteer to install equipment in their homes that will monitor electrical energy usage, such as smart thermostats and smart plugs.

The pilot, in conjunction with Telus, is proposed to run over the course of winter, from November 2024 through March of 2025, with an option to extend through the summer of 2025 if a meaningful number of customers with electric heat do not participate during the winter peak. Heating and cooling electrical load will be the primary targets of the pilot.

The customer’s cost of the subscription is fully covered for up to one year as part of the pilot, and the customer will be issued a hardware discount credit that can be used towards smart home equipment. Residents will own any of the equipment that they purchase through the pilot.

New grant approval process finalizedCouncil has given final approval to an agreement that will see the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan Similkameen administer the City’s grant program.

The agreement will run for five years. More details here

Naming Rights for SOEC moves ahead

A plan to issue a Request for Proposal for the naming rights for the South Okanagan Events Centre was approved by Council.

The suggested minimum bid requirement is set at $150,000 per year for a term of up to 10 years to be made in equal instalments.

For more information, click here

Change to Development Cost Charges approved

After discussion, Council agreed to increase the Development Cost Charges by two per cent.

Staff had been recommending an increase of 3.9 per cent to match inflation. This represents the first increase in DCCs since the DCC Bylaw was adopted in 2022.

These highlights are intended to provide a brief summary of recent Council proceedings. The summary is not inclusive of all agenda items. For a detailed account of the full agenda, including staff reports, other supporting documents and official meeting minutes, click here. For a full video of the Council meeting, click here.