The regional district board agreed to support a budget amendment to allow for $190,000 in unexpected roof repairs to Princeton’s Riverside Centre at the June 5 regular board meeting.
The Riveride centre is leased (at a cost of $1 per year) through an agreement with School District 58 that requires the tenant to repair and maintain the building.The roof repairs weren’t immediately apparent as inspections on the roof weren’t done every year.
One hundred and ten thousand dollars is needed immediately, to be funded from various sources in the 2014 budget, with the remainder to be financed by School District 58. The regional district service partners will then budget to repay the ramainder in future years.
“This is a housekeeping issue, we have to do this,” Princeton rural Director Brad Hope told the board, Princeton Director Frank Armitage noting the building was “well used.”
Keremeos and District Volunteer Fire Department needed a budget amendment as well, after purchasing a used 1993 mini pumper from Lake Country.
At the end of 2013, the KDVFD had a reserve budget balance of $164,900, $55,000 of which had been committed to the 2014 budget.
Cost of the mini pumper was $12,000. Area “G” Director Angelique Wood told the board Keremeos already has a mini pumper, but had issues with it when attending orchard fires, which occur relatively frequently in the Keremeos fire protection area. Wood said the purchase would give the department more mobility and accessability to such fires.
Oliver rural Director Allan Patton made a failed attempt to derail a previous committee decision to submit the Kaleden / Skaha Estates Wastewater Collection project for submission to the Building Canada Program.
Patton, who recently attended the Federation of Canadian Municipalities convention in Niagara Falls, Ontario, told the board he had learned there that no money would be forthcoming for large projects like the Kaleden sewer project because funding agreements between the federal and provincial governments weren’t in place.
Board Chair Gary Litke, who also attended the conference, said he wasn’t quite as pessimistic, as he had since learned that an appeal directly to the local MP might make a difference.
“I’m hesitant to make a decision until we know more,” he said.
Area “D” Director Tom Siddon agreed the board should maintain their priorities.
The board disagreed with Patton’s motion to defer.
The Bike to Work Week annual competition between the Regional District Okanagan Similkameen and the City of Penticton went to the city this year.
Penticton Director Andrew Jakubeit told the board this year’s contest was no contest, as the city logged 2,675 kilometres to the RDOS’ 185 kilometres. Jakubeit said there were 70 riders over the week for the city, and only 12 for the regional district.
Jakubeit presented a tiny, decorated tricycle to the regional district. A representative will be expected to ride through regional district offices proclaiming the city as winner, at some future date.