West Kelowna parked its plans for a new City Hall before online petition launched

West Kelowna council’s plans to build a city hall costing as much as $18 million has triggered some opposition from people who don’t like the idea that they’re doing it without a referendum.

But, an online petition attacking the project is not the reason it’s been pushed to the backburner.

“To tell the truth it’s not a priority right now,” Mayor Gord Milsom told iNFOnews.ca today, April 21. “The priority is to find ways to reduce the impact of COVID-19.”

He was not aware of the petition that was launched on Change.org yesterday.

In February, council gave three readings to a bylaw that allows it to borrow up to $11 million for the city hall without going to referendum. That can be added to $7 million in reserves they’ve been building over the last few years.

The timeline for the project, posted on the city’s web page, says the money will be borrowed this spring with preliminary design being done this summer. Land still has to be bought with Westbank and Mount Boucherie town centres being most likely locations.

Milson said there has been no updates from staff about either the borrowing or the land as the focus has been on dealing with the impacts of COVID-19 on residents as well as pushing ahead on the Rose Valley water treatment plant and Glenrosa Road improvements. Other capital projects, such as city hall, are open to review.

The petition was started by Dustin Herbst who calls on "elected officials needs to immediately stop all progression and spending to build a new city hall.”

Council meets tonight and is expected to schedule a special meeting in the next week or so to discuss budget and other changes to deal with COVID-19, which could include a deferral of any further discussion about City Hall.

The petition has just over 60 signatures on Change.org.

The City of West Kelowna web page with information on the city hall project can be viewed here.

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