City Of Vernon
The high cost of waiting to replace Vernon’s aging water system
VERNON - Costs of aging water pipes are beginning to pile up in the City of Vernon with 86 water main breaks in just the last three years—four of them this month. And the costs are not just in dollars and cents. Breaks on Nov. 25 left over 100 residents without water. Earlier in the year,...
City will fund Sundays at the Vernon Library after near cancellation
VERNON - Sundays at the Vernon Library are here to stay. The Okanagan Regional Library dodged having to cancel Sundays at the Vernon branch Friday, Jan. 16, after appealing to Vernon council for financial support in the amount of $21,000. Without the funding, executive director Stephanie Hall said the branch could be shutting down its...
Equipment break down delays Vernon snow removal
VERNON - Machinery issues have set back snow removal efforts in Vernon. Snow clearing on 27 Street was delayed Wednesday due to mechanical difficulties with the city’s large snow blower, communications coordinator Tanya Laing Gahr said in a media release. The blower was repaired late Wednesday and snow removal in the downtown core picked up...
What Vernon can expect from city plows Wednesday
VERNON - City of Vernon road crews expect to have all residential roads and cul-de-sacs plowed by mid-morning Wednesday. After that, they will begin plowing and sanding all areas of the city, communications coordinator Tanya Laing Gahr said in a release. Snow removal will continue on 27 Street until noon Wednesday. Late Tuesday night, crews...
Vernon maintenance crews move onto side streets
VERNON - City of Vernon crews are finally moving onto residential streets after more than 24 hours of continuous snowfall. According to city communications coordinator Tanya Laing Gahr crews have plowed and sanded all main roads and are now shifting to side streets. The snowstorm dumped over 35 cm of snow on roadways. Starting late...
Free grit for you to spread around
VERNON – Vernon city workers have started setting up big, yellow boxes around town as part of a do-it-yourself sidewalk and road-sanding project. Instead of city crews spreading what they call winter grit on sidewalk in key locations, the one-year pilot program is asking residents to spread their own around. The Municipal Insurance Association is...
City questions regional district over unpaid fire bill
VERNON - There’s some financial confusion between local governments about an unpaid firefighting bill. The City of Vernon invoiced the Regional District of North Okanagan for $78,777 in relation to fire protection services at a devastating landfill fire in August 2013. “The bills are still not paid,” Vernon mayor Rob Sawatzky says. “I’m a bit...
Vernon Mayor calls for MP resignation for ‘disturbing’ homelessness comment
VERNON - Okanagan-Shuswap MP Colin Mayes is under fire for ‘disturbing’ comments he made at a recent homelessness event, with Vernon’s mayor suggesting he resign. In what was meant as a solemn dedication by the community to commemorate and recognize some 14 homeless people who have died on Vernon streets in the past two years,...
Vernon City Hall wouldn’t be the same without Ollie
VERNON - Ollie trots in to work at Vernon City Hall around 8 a.m. and heads to his desk in the engineering department. Well, actually he heads under it, because Ollie is no ordinary city staffer—he’s an office dog. The five-year-old schnauzer spends a lot of his day-job snoozing under owner Ken Juniper’s desk in...
Governance question snipped from fall election ballot
VERNON - A question about changing how local municipalities are governed has been stripped from the fall election ballot in Vernon. City council voted not to include a question asking voters if they want the city to pursue the creation of a municipal restructuring committee. The committee would study the implications of governance restructuring. The...
Another candidate in the running for Vernon mayor
VERNON - A prominent local businessperson has announced his intention to run for mayor in the upcoming municipal election. Akbal Mund, known for his involvement in numerous local events and fundraisers, says he’s ready to take on a role at city hall. “One hundred per cent of my focus will be looking after the City...
Jamie Morrow wants to be Vernon’s next mayor
VERNON - Another candidate is in the running for City Hall’s top seat. Jamie Morrow, 54, wants to have a hand in shaping the City of Vernon’s future. The events and program assistant for Okanagan College’s School of Business wants to see Vernon continue to grow as a vibrant and healthy community where future generations...
Society suspects notice from city was an attempt to win lawsuit
VERNON - There won’t be any horse races at Kin Race Track this summer because of what the Okanagan Equestrian Centre feels is a ploy from City Hall. This spring, the society received a notice from the City of Vernon saying electrical upgrades were required before power was turned on in the grandstands. “The society...
Council pay and expenses revealed
VERNON - Three out of seven Vernon councillors spent 88 per cent of the money given to council for expenses last year. According to a financial statement for 2013, council was reimbursed for a total of $13,356 in expenses — such as mileage and accommodation — related to the job. The three highest reimbursements were...
Vernon’s justification for MMA ban is a secret
POLICE REPORT TO COUNCIL HELD BEHIND CLOSED DOORS VERNON - City officials and the police say their hands are tied when it comes to sharing the information behind allegations that mixed martial arts events are connected to organized crime. Vernon council has asked staff to prepare a bylaw banning mixed martial arts (MMA) events in...