Summerland Election

[Anonymous123]

Madhue if you were you a progressive thinker you would still not be covering that topic, what would you have our police station still be the housed in that rotting building and not up to code? and to house our police in that shack for the next 50 years? I like when people post their derogatory unsubstantiated comments without giving another solution that would of been more appropriate. We have to invest in our community, or our community will continue to fall into that bedroom community. You must be wealthy Mandue, to not realize the needs of many in this community. Overall I think that the City has done done amazing things these past few years and I hope it continues.

PS about the Transit look at the stats they have provided and again you comment you think it unnecessary, again only thinking of yourself. This community needed transit, and many have been taking it.

Summerland is not a city, it's barely a municipality.

[Anonymous123]

I hope you are right. I just don't see a one issue person being elected, when there are so many other important issues that need to be dealt with, but wont happen if we don't get some growth in the future.
As for other candidates, I understand there will be at least one, that being Orv Robson. If he lets his name stand, Peter will have a hard beating him, he is much more connected to the community and understands the bigger picture.
I suspect there will be others,but Oct 10 is a ways off,so only time will tell!!

Peter Waterman will be seeking the vacant mayor's chair in Summerland.

Waterman served on council from 2005-2008 and 2011-2014, losing a mayoral race to Janice Perrino in the 2008 municipal election. Perrino announced last week that she will not seek re-election.

A UBC graduate (Bachelor of Science and Agriculture), Waterman was raised in Kelowna and moved to Summerland in 1978. He previously worked for an agricultural chemicals company in the 1970s and then with the Ministry of Agriculture from 1976-97. He was later employed by a co-op in Oliver before starting his own apple and cherry orchard in Summerland with his wife Fran in 2000.

He said the land swap which took prime agricultural land out of the Agricultural Land Reserve remains the biggest issue the district is facing.

"I believe a lot of residents felt they weren't heard," he said.

Waterman was the lone councillor opposed to the land swap. Although it's a major spoke in his platform, he said he's far from being a one-issue candidate.

"We have tremendous resources in our community being our young people who are passionate about Summerland," he said.

"We have to make valuable connections within our community which will allow us to expand our arts and retail sector and make sure it moves ahead. We have 175,000 people to the north of us and 60,000 to the south connected by a major, good highway and the potential is endless."

He said building financial reserves and infrastructure are other key issues adding that several roads, most notably Giants Head and Garnett Valley Road, are in poor condition.

“The mayor sets the tone,” he said. “Our current council has done a number of projects that I am proud of, but it has been uninterested in listening to the community."

[0gopogo]

I wish Robert Hacking would run for mayor. He's my choice.

[NextGen]

Fluffy wrote,
This could be a blessing in disguise. Mr. Waterman will have to give up his councilor's seat to run for mayor, and if he fails in his bid for the mayor's seat then he's out of the town hall, likely sitting at home penning letters to the editor or off having coffee with Frank Martens. I honestly can't see enough support to elect the poster boy for no-growth, not if there is any reasonable alternative..

Twobits wrote,
Cheers to that outcome for Summerlanders. And then bring on today's Penticton Herald where James "poke a stick to sell a flyer wrap as a newspaper" promotes a two tiered election. Throw your hat into the ring for Mayor and if ya lose...well ya can still hope for a seat on council at the next election in two weeks.
I actually think Waterman would be a great mayor. In an Amish community. Could someone more tech savvy than I photoshop the beard onto him cuz I think that pic would be a winner for an election poster.

I agree with these comments 100%. The comment on Waterman would make a great Mayor for an Amish community made me laugh, and it is very true in many ways, PW is just not an ideal person to be a Mayor he is a flip flopper and only appeases to his special interest groups.

[NextGen]

Old Boy wrote,
I hope you are right. I just don't see a one issue person being elected, when there are so many other important issues that need to be dealt with, but wont happen if we don't get some growth in the future.
As for other candidates, I understand there will be at least one, that being Orv Robson. If he lets his name stand, Peter will have a hard beating him, he is much more connected to the community and understands the bigger picture.
I suspect there will be others,but Oct 10 is a ways off,so only time will tell!!

I think Orv Robson will make an excellent Mayor, his experience and background and his honesty and community involvement is well known and very respected. I am really relieved to hear that Mr. Robson will be running for that position, It would of been a travesty to see PW win by default.

[Anonymous123]

Nextgen and oldboy, if you are both so concerned about your community why don't you both run, either for Mayor or council?

[Madhue]

Sorry all but on the RCMP building, I would have to agree with Madhue for the most part. The building is expensive overkill. Having said that however, I think a great deal of the blame does not belong with the council but rather the RCMP themselves. There is a pervasive holier than thou attitude throughout that organization that even finds it's way into demands for buildings. There seems to be a total disconnect between their demands for the structure and associated hardware and what the people who pay for it can justifiably afford. We watched it happen in Penticton, then Summerland, and now witness what is happening in Kelowna. It would seem the RCMP feel justified in demanding a "landmark" building in every community.
To say we are building for 50 yrs forward is poppycock. There is no reason why smaller buildings cannot be built with a 20 yr horizon that are planned in advance to be scalable. I can almost guarantee you that in about 20 yrs time, the RCMP will be crying about the need for a major reno on that forward looking 50 yr building. And that reno will cost the same as scaling the building up for the next 20 yrs.

Well I agree that the RCMP did a very poor job in presenting the needs for the building, and used a massive level of fear mongering to manipulate their way into getting a building that is not ever going to serve the community to its fullest part.
However, I do blame the Mayor and Council for having the fortitude nor the capacity to challenge the RCMP on it. What we should have is something closer to that of a Community Policing Station not a full on detachment... that sits predominantly empty.

Madhue if you were you a progressive thinker you would still not be covering that topic, what would you have our police station still be the housed in that rotting building and not up to code? and to house our police in that shack for the next 50 years? I like when people post their derogatory unsubstantiated comments without giving another solution that would of been more appropriate. We have to invest in our community, or our community will continue to fall into that bedroom community. You must be wealthy Mandue, to not realize the needs of many in this community. Overall I think that the City has done done amazing things these past few years and I hope it continues.

Its seems to be hard for you to connect these dots so I'll help.

a) using an example of poor decision making by current Mayor and Council is not counter progressive.
b) being progressive, doesn't mean acquiescing to poor planning.

as for possessive I think I have stated a number of times that we need to do away with the RCMP in whole or in part. I believe believe that exploring a regional Police Force could be more cost effective for the OKanagan, and increase a higher level of accountability to the citizens.

PS about the Transit look at the stats they have provided and again you comment you think it unnecessary, again only thinking of yourself. This community needed transit, and many have been taking it.

the stats are pretty weak and the transit at this point would require massive amounts of subsidy and far from cost effective. feel free to prove me wrong on that one.

[NextGen]

Madhue

Proposal of RCMP building was back in Jan of 2010, Referendum for RCMP building Oct 02 2010. Summerland Residents spoke and voted YES. It may not be the perfect solution but we needed a proper detachment unit for Summerland residents and our police force. Post 9/11 across Canada there had been many changes that were required to have in place for communities. It was not this current council that was dealing with that Proposal or Referendum issue. When you make comments please research your facts. If there is anyone to blame for this it is the residents themselves for voting yes to this building.

Our Transit, actual does really well for a community with a demographic of 11,000 people. Many seniors have taken advantage of the fact it goes right to the hospital. It is such a great convenience for our youth and our elderly. Transit is better for the environment, if we can have more people taking transit and less people driving it would be such a better alternative. What a great concept of an urban growth strategy. Building for our future.

But again you are a NO GROWTH individual and see no personal need for it, I can see that in your statements and comments.

[RandyDandy]

The residents of Summerland voted "yes" to the new police station because they were lied to by ahem..."council" ...as to its absolute and real cost, pure and simple. Another Janice monument erected and we'll still be paying for it many years to come.

[Madhue]

Post 9/11 across Canada there had been many changes that were required to have in place for communities. It was not this current council that was dealing with that Proposal or Referendum issue. When you make comments please research your facts.

Yeah cause we all know how much mileage one can get from making people afraid... after all Al Queda be an issue. As for Council allowing it to spiral out as it did... and allowing the RCMP to fear monger? You did nothing but reinforce my claims.

We pay 4.5 million for a building we don't really use, we pay interest on that loan for what 30 years? and we still haven't sold the land from the last building.. which is still costing us to maintain.

Our Transit, actual does really well for a community with a demographic of 11,000 people. Many seniors have taken advantage of the fact it goes right to the hospital. It is such a great convenience for our youth and our elderly. Transit is better for the environment, if we can have more people taking transit and less people driving it would be such a better alternative. What a great concept of an urban growth strategy. Building for our future.

Nice speech! Gave me goosebumps! and now how about those stats I asked for? how much it is subsidized?
and for the record... we don't have a hospital in Summerland we have a Health Center.... I dare you to ask me why. Its the same reason why we need a Community Police Station vs a Police Detachment.
http://www.interiorhealth.ca/FindUs/_la ... s&ploc=N/A

But again you are a NO GROWTH individual and see no personal need for it, I can see that in your statements and comments.

This is a common pit trap folks fall into... this pit trap is called a Fallacy meaning an untrue argument. specifically argumentum ad hominem

Once again I'm fine with growth, I'm not OK with foolishness, wasting money or growing government. This is not NIMBY, this is not No Growth, this is not counter productive... this in many circles is called creating financially responsible, self sustaining growth. Its not NO GROWTH to suggest that a Municipality or District should begin forecasting within each department what capital expenditures and begin saving up for them rather than keep hitting up the tax payers for loans.

The residents of Summerland voted "yes" to the new police station because they were lied to by ahem..."council" ...as to its absolute and real cost, pure and simple. Another Janice monument erected and we'll still be paying for it many years to come.

I was at the meeting, I heard RCMP Hint they would pull out of Summerland all together if they didn't get what they wanted... I heard Crime Prevention Volunteers threaten to quit and I listened to City Council cower to them and sell the idea to the community. It was shameful. The idea that it shouldn't be an election issue is preposterous. Its a trophy of their failure to look out for our tax money.

[NextGen]

Madhue

I am not doing your homework for you. BC transit and Penticton enabled Summerland to be subsidized to have this opportunity to go forward with having transit. Question? are saying we should not have transit in Summerland?


There is issues this coming election and I have many issues with Mr. Waterman running and his agenda, I will save those comments for a later date.

[southy]

I think this is just great! We've almost got the whole old gang back minus a few, but I'm sure they will appear in time. Gee .. I see where even Twobits has made a guest appearance. Remember - "Silent Majority In Summerland - the Urban Growth Strategy"? Same people - same issues. Very entertaining ... very entertaining. Glad I don't live in Summerland.

[twobits]

Gee .. I see where even Twobits has made a guest appearance.

Despite that I don't live there, does owning property there and paying taxes still make me a guest southy?

[Madhue]

Madhue

I am not doing your homework for you. BC transit and Penticton enabled Summerland to be subsidized to have this opportunity to go forward with having transit. Question? are saying we should not have transit in Summerland?


There is issues this coming election and I have many issues with Mr. Waterman running and his agenda, I will save those comments for a later date.

It's not my homework it's yours... Here's your claim.

Like we needed transit desperately, we need our schools to be renovated, we need road construction, we need affordable housing, these things can't pay for themselves can they?.

now I've asked you to back up your statement and your back peddling faster than Lance Armstrong. Now again please answer my questions...

[NextGen]

Intellectual debates are something to be cherished. They should be engaged in actively, Of course, there are certain rules of etiquette concerning argumentation. This etiquette is mostly just avoiding “fallacies” or personal attacks that weaken an argument.

Your question, you see I am extremely diligent and careful with all my research and investigative process, unlike some posters OR lets go back in history here, The No Growth group or Waterman and Carlson who posted a petition, that was not signed by “majority” of us Summerland residents. Using false data to the media and tax payers, can you trust a person or persons that would intentionally lie to you, intentionally deceive the public?

The real and current issues that should be an electoral issue for our upcoming candidates are things that are mandatory, there should be good access to medical care, low crime, good public transportation. employment/jobs. We need to save our businesses locally and encourage new business to come to your community. Above all, there has to be affordable housing for first time home owners. That’s why measures like housing prices, employment and wealth are particularly important, and are given the greatest weighting in moving or living here or surviving. Our specific situation is unique and we have to look at this as an opportunity. Agricultural is important but its does not create the income or jobs this town needs in order to survive this economy in the future. Especially if some farmers are hiring immigrants that take away from local jobs. If people don’t have jobs or affordable housing how can they even afford to buy food. Our food banks our over whelmed in the Okanagan because of the unemployment rate here. Those that oppose, must be really independently wealthy and don’t have these economic issues that most of the public are facing today and concerns of our future. We need affordable housing , we need jobs so we can feed our families, we need new business to come to town. Arguing about an RCMP building or transit and not looking towards our future if anything you are causing our town to economically and socially diminish.

We need people that actually care about the entire community, not people like Waterman who jumps on the ban wagon of the special lobbyist group. Majority of Councillors, I am quite happy with and the city with the vision of Growth. Of course the exception of one. I wonder if he understands the role, Once elected they are meant to represent all their constituents in the whole authority, and not just those who voted for them or that he has community ties with. They are bound by a code of conduct enforced by standards boards.


I have decided that I am going to do a historical investigation since this council and mayor and city staff have been in office. Many of us have seen some positive and healthy changes and growth that have been desperately needed need for the past 20-30 years in Summerland. This recent council and Mayor has accomplished those goals, I am glad that I voted in the right people exempting one that I really don't think is good for Summerlands future. I am curious on when this process was happening and changes that took place and when council and mayor voted, (those new bylaws or changes) where was Waterman on those votes? In my opinion I don’t think he has contributed in a positive way to our community these past three years most of the votes were always 6-1. Most of those decisions that have been crucial, for an example, making it a positive and welcoming for any business new or old to accomplish their goals. Now, what I have seen so far Waterman has voted against any form of change within our community. Why is that? I am going to go back into records that's are available to the public because I really believe that there is something really suspicious about this individual.