RDCO replacing park Caretakers

[Queen K]

Fido?

Junkies.
Party/Boozers
Prostitutes.
Tree cutters
Firewood collectors
Plant diggers (collectors)

And many others.

Backward decision all around. Saving pennies to spend big dollars later.

[just popping in]

...if you feel the RDCO is making a mistake by removing park caretakers, there is a petition that has been set up through Change.org to keep the caretakers in the parks...here's the link should you be interested:

http://click.exacttarget.change.org/?qs ... 28d1e33a4e

Only need 35 more to reach the 500 goal on the petition.

[Balance]

So…. I'm not seeing any cost saving here (in fact it's an expenditure) nor do the RDCO incur any expenses by having security contractors on site. Thanks DODGEBREW.
What they do receive is exceptional service in the community from people who live quietly and ensure safety and security in community parks.
Hmmm…. so, my next question.

What would compel the RDCO parks department to make this decision? Who benefits? What could be the purpose?

This petition is getting lots of attention, please sign it the Board will see it.

[Balance]

Well Balance, in talking to someone in the know.......the cost to the RDCO is just the upkeep of the buildings (which will still be there unless they remove the houses). The Caretakers pay their own utilities in most cases. So if the average subsidized rent is between $300-$400 per month and they are now going to pay the Commissionaires at the very least $600 a month (just got that number assuming that they wouldn't go twice a day for much less than $20/day).........seems to me that's about a $1000 dollar swing each month. And not in the tax payers favor!!!! That's $12000 per year times 7 places.......so roughly $84000 in wasted money spent by these clowns. I'm sure we can all look forward to get another tax increase in the future to help make up for this mess. Not to mention to cover the vandalism costs that will arise once people realize that 7 more parks now have LESS security than they used to.

Thanks for the number crunching!

[Nasturtium]

...if you feel the RDCO is making a mistake by removing park caretakers, there is a petition that has been set up through Change.org to keep the caretakers in the parks...here's the link should you be interested:.

http://click.exacttarget.change.org/?qs ... 28d1e33a4e

6 more needed

[just popping in]

Over 500 now, keep it going. Usual bureaucratic run around going on.

[Straight Shooter]

So, can the RDCO justify their salary increases by evicting these park care-takers? The complete salaried of RDCO employees can be found on the bottom link which if you stroll down will show you that Bruce Smith received a raise of over $6,000 in 2015 giving him a salary of over $102,000. Not bad for a communication officier. Just wondering if Murray Hanson is related to Patty Hanson who is a Director of the RDCO area C?

http://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/16 ... ureaucrats

http://nwcaonline.ca/?p=1754

http://www.okanaganlakebc.ca/community/ ... d/rdco.htm

[occasional thoughts]

The ironic thing about Bruce Smith is that in a downsizing exercise after Westside District Municipality was created and most of the RDCO functions disappeared, Mr. Smith's position was declared redundant and he was given notice. But for some reason the regional board eventually rescinded Smith's notice and now here he is making $102,000 p.a. Wow. Most of the RDCO stinks.

[occasional thoughts]

Interesting situation at Gellatly Heritage Regional Park where Ferne Jean put up several hundred thousand for a caretaker's house which het son lives in, the "famous" Chuck Jean (of Westside/West Kelowna politics and Conservative Party aficionado and half-brother of the leader of the AB Wild Rose Party.). It will be interesting to see whether that one is handled differently by RDCO but if I was Mrs. Jean, I'd be right *bleep* off.

[forumdoug]

I assumed Chuck Jean was Ferne Jean's wife as both operate the Quickie Cobbler business, don't they? Are you sure it's "mother and son"?

Not sure what you're talking about her donating the Gellatly Heritage Regional Park caretaker house so her son could live in it. That makes no sense. If she wanted certainty it wouldn't become uninhabited, she would've kept the land. If what you're saying is true, and in online forums, one can never be sure, then more than likely, RDCO agreed to extend a caretaking agreement to the existing caretaker at contractually renewable intervals. :)

Also, where did you confirm if Chuck Jean and Alberta's Wildrose Party Leader Brian Jean are "half brothers"? I wondered if they were related, if maybe Chuck Jean was an uncle or grandfather to Brian Jean, never would I have thought "half brother" - that innocent little familial relation I always forget about! ;)

Alas, I digress...I couldn't find any proof of a relation between the two. :(

Cheers,
Doug

[occasional thoughts]

Ferne is mom, Chuck is son. Ferne is not the name of Chuck's wife.

As for everything else, ya gotta be aware of Highway Gospel Hall history, families, and the ugly fallout of some situations over the last 40 years. Believe it or not as you wish.

[occasional thoughts]

Further, and as the author Graham Greene said sardonically about a character in one of his best novels, The Heart Of The Matter, "same father different mother". And that's why they're half brothers.

EDITED TO ADD:

With humble apologies to G. Greene, his actual line in the novel was "same mother different father".

[forumdoug]

Ferne is mom, Chuck is son. Ferne is not the name of Chuck's wife.

As for everything else, ya gotta be aware of Highway Gospel Hall history, families, and the ugly fallout of some situations over the last 40 years. Believe it or not as you wish.

What's the Highway Gospel Hall history? I've always wondered what faith members of that church follow and why, on its website, they describe its board members/trustees as "Elders," something typically only the Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormon churches do. I'd be curious to hear any stories. :)

Cheers,
Doug

[occasional thoughts]

Highway Gospel Hall is the home of "Plymouth Brethren", one faction of them; representing the other and far more liberal and successful faction locally are Westbank Bible Chapel and Kelowna Bible Chapel. I was one a long time ago. According to my research, it started as an Anglican breakaway in England in the 1820s. No clergy, no denominational structure, close to Baptists/Alliance/Pentecostals without the holy rolling, and many other evangelical groups. Elders, overseers, I guess that's what they call the congregation's governing body. Seems to ring a faint memory bell. As I said, no denominational structure.

[occasional thoughts]

BTW, Highway Gospel Hall celebrated its 100th anniversary a year or two ago. Eunice Gorman of the mill family was big in that event. It was well covered in the Westside Weekly at the time as I recollect.