The regional district board prioritized their strategic planning initiatives for 2011 at the February 17 board meeting.
The development of an inter regionial transit system for the Okanagan’s three regional districts is expected to continue this year.
“A transit hub plan for Penticton must be done before the region,” CAO Bill Newell informed the board. “It is hoped that Areas “D”,”E”, and “F” will be included in the hub plan, but the regional district must hire their own consultants, and the work must be done through BC Transit.”
With the hub plan, it is hoped that the transit system will tie in areas around Skaha Lake. After that, plans are being articulated for a bus running the length of the valley, from Osoyoos to Vernon. Newell added that the addition of a transit link to the Similkameen will then be another question.
“It will probably happen in a series of steps,” Newell explained.
A suggestion by one director was made to prioritze the region’s transit needs into inter and intra regional systems.
Directors also discussed the possibility of an electoral boundary review, with several directors admitting that they didn’t feel the regional district was ready for it, especially with Okanagan Falls wishing to discuss incorporation. Last year, the province delayed investigations into the possibility of incorporation for the village until after the municipal elections later this year. A brief discussion over the possiblity of reassigning parts of the larger electoral areas with smaller ones took place, with one director suggesting that a boundary review be done while exploring the possibility of eliminating one or more electoral areas.