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Penticton is taking its fight against crime to the province
The City of Penticton plans to lobby provincial ministers to do more about crime. City…
Housing supply in Central Okanagan growing faster than population
The Central Okanagan was the fastest growing “census market area” in the country during the…
Getting handle on short-term rentals like Airbnb key to easing housing shortage in B.C.
The organization representing local governments in B.C. wants the provincial government to put in rules…
Penticton council seeks UBCM support over homeless shelter dispute with BC Housing
Penticton is looking for allies in its battle with the provincial housing ministry over a…
West Kelowna wants the province to lead battle against rats
WEST KELOWNA – Rats are a growing problem in B.C. communities and West Kelowna thinks…
Could Uber be useful in a rural community? This North Okanagan municipality thinks so
ENDERBY – Enderby thinks ride-sharing services like Uber could be as popular in rural communities…
Penticton city council to take aim at social issues at provincial municipalities conference
PENTICTON – Penticton mayor Andrew Jakubeit hopes a new NDP government will lend a sympathetic…
Flood, wildfire prevention funding on regional district UBCM wishlist
PENTICTON – Among the issues regional district directors hope to bring up with provincial ministers…
Traffic, policing costs and invasive mussels top priorities for Vernon council at government meetings
VERNON – Local politicians made sure issues around transportation and the environment were acknowledged at…
Councillors headed to Victoria to meet with each other, provincial leaders
KAMLOOPS – Council chambers will be empty this week as municipal leaders head down to…
More communication, more officers among recommendations from City of Kamloops to RCMP
KAMLOOPS – Additional costs, a lack of consultation and fewer boots on the ground are…
Regional board misses out on initial round of deer management funding
PENTICTON - The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen won’t be able to take advantage of a hastily released interim cost sharing program with the provincial government to pay for deer management projects. Chief administrative officer Bill Newell says an announcement was made during last year’s Union of B.C. Municipalities convention about a short term program,...
Kamloops not alone in opposition to provincial transit funding freeze
KAMLOOPS – Kamloops and dozens of other municipalities are asking the provincial government to reconsider its freeze on transit funding. The city has a resolution at the annual Union of B.C. Municipalities convention, which got underway today in Vancouver, asking the delegates to strongly urge the Premier, the Minister of Transportation and the Minister of...
Regional director seeks accountability from Fortis B.C. and the Utilities Commission
PENTICTON - A South Okanagan politician continues his campaign to make Fortis B.C. and the B.C. Utility Commission more accountable to the public for rate increases. Regional District South Okanagan-Similkameen director Tom Siddon has requested questions about Fortis B.C.'s two-tiered electrical rate system and the Commision's accountability be added to the agenda of the next...
B.C. Hydro to conduct study on secondary power line to West Kelowna
WEST KELOWNA – District of West Kelowna Mayor Doug Findlater says last night’s line failure that cut power to thousands of homes for nine hours would have been very serious if it happened just one month from now. The failure was caused by a fire that started atop one of hundreds of poles supporting West...
Mayor and council discuss job retention and insurance
PENTICTON - Mayor and council have been busy this week at the 2014 Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Whistler, discussing issues from insurance claims to job recruitment and retention with provincial ministers. A resolution to restore full ICBC claim coverage was passed by the UBCM membership Wednesday. Municipalities want ICBC to reimburse cities in...
Councillors ‘think money grows on trees:’ Vassilaki
PENTICTON - While every member of city council has traveled to Whistler this week for the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention, Coun. John Vassilaki says they are wasting money by sending so many people to the same conference. Vassilaki, who announced his mayoral candidacy at the beginning of the month, says the cost for sending...
Penticton wants province to look after Boonstock
PENTICTON - City council has taken its Boonstock woes straight to the provincial government and it appears the province is interested in taking it on, along with other large music festivals. In a release today, the City of Penticton says its full contingent of mayor and councillors (minus only Coun. John Vassilaki) at the Union...
Hot dogs being sent to provincial meetings
KAMLOOPS - Should bylaw officers be given authority to break into vehicles when animals are locked in during hot, or cold, weather? Councillors from across the province will discuss the merits of giving this authority at a meeting later this month thanks to Kamloops council. The idea gained momentum last month when council, supported by...