A brief and informal summary of the latest decisions made by Penticton City Council.
A brief and informal summary of the latest decisions made by Penticton City Council.
City to bring anti-harassment bylaw Following an impactful presentation by the South Okanagan Immigrant and Community Services (SOICS) that discussed the rise of racism in the region, Council has directed staff to bring back a bylaw that prohibits harassment in public spaces.
Executive director Cherry Fernandez noted incidents are on the rise but that 72 per cent of respondents to a SOICs survey said they did not report the interaction.
The organization has a number of anti-racism programs in place and is also hosting the One World Festival this Saturday at the Lakeside Resort. For more information on SOICS, click here.
Council opts into E-scooter pilot, will look at public sharing program Council agreed to opt into the provincial government’s pilot program that will make e-scooters legal on Penticton streets effective April 5.
As well, staff will be seeking proposals for a public scooter/bike share program with hopes of being operational for summer 2024.
For more details, click here
More housing units approved Council approved a development permit for a five-storey, 48 unit apartment building Rigsby Street.
The plans show 39 parking spaces with EV ready, 10 bicycle parking spaces for visitors, and 21 bicycle parking spaces for residents of the proposed apartment.
The subject property is located on the east side of Rigsby St. between Westminster Ave W and Wade Ave W. The property is 1425.7 m2 in size, and currently contains a warehouse that was built in 1949.
Council begins push for more complex care in South Okanagan As part of its commitment to a safe and resilient community, Council is taking a motion to the Southern Interior Local Government Association (SILGA) urging action on complex care.
The motion reads: The Province provides immediate and clear instruction to the health authorities to prioritize the implementation of complex care facilities, and other housing facilities for those exiting a complex care facility, in the South Okanagan and across the entire Province in support of residents who are suffering.
As the motion calls for services in the South Okanagan, Council also directed staff to provide the motion to the Regional District Okanagan Similkameen for support.
If successful at the SILGA convention this spring, the motion would go to the Union of BC Municipalities Annual General Meeting in the fall.
Code of Conduct passes
A Code of Conduct for council members has now been formally adopted.
The model adopted is shared with Regional District of Okanagan-Silmakameen and outlines expected responsible conduct of elected officials, complaint handling and consequences for breaching the policy.
Council also directed staff to bring back amendments to the remuneration and expense bylaw that include provisions for financial penalties of breaches.
Parks Committee to review concessions, vendor space at Skaha Lake The Parks and Recreation Committee will review Request for Proposals for the main Skaha Lake Concession and the Sudbury Concession.
As well, the Committee will review a proposal to extend the vendor program for three years and move the current vendor spots to a new location,
These highlights are intended to provide a brief summary of recent Council proceedings. The summary is not inclusive of all agenda items