Private discussion to dominate public meetings

PENTICTON – It promises to be a short meeting for members of the public viewing tomorrow’s regional district regular board meetings.

Most of the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen agenda tomorrow, Sept. 7, is closed to the public.

That's supposed to happen rarely and typically only to deal with land, legal or labour issues but most of the discussions fall under discretionary exemptions for issues with "the potential to harm the interests of the regional district if they were discussed in public" or "because of the confidential nature of issues of negotiation with the regional district and other governments."

Chief Administrative Officer Bill Newell says three topics fall under those exemptions. Directors will get a look at a draft fire services master plan and fire departments audit and a draft feasibility study on a potential extension of the trail between Trout Creek and Penticton.

Then directors will discuss the Government of Canada 2017 budget plan, specifically its so-called tax fairness for the middle class, and a letter from the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District which they plan to introduce at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention, Newell says.

That leaves only a planning and development committee meeting open to public scrutiny before the actual board meeting from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

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