Westside, Collection Communities Without a City Centre - WGC

[Bestside]

The Westside is a collection of communities without an identifiable city centre.

There has been a great deal of discussion about the separate communities that make up the District of Westside. This strikes to the heart of the Westside naming question, and to the election of council itself.

The following is an excerpt from minutes of a very early meeting of the Westside Governance Committee, where VIPs from the Westside advise the consultant on the "Communities of Interest" within the Westside.

Note the people "In Attendance: Doug Findlater (Chair), Broc Braconnier, Jim Dixon, Mike Duggan,
Roger Jorgensen, David Knowles, Larry Mintz, Len Novakowski,
Geoffrey Paynter, Joe Strocen, Mark Wylie".

Note the number of WGC attendees running for council.

... Discuss if you agree with the WGC or do you agree with candidate Elva Webber, and others, who claim that Westbank has always been the name of the entire District of Westside.

Westside Governance Committee Minutes Oct 29, 2003

http://www.westsidegovernance.org/documents/minutesoct2903.pdf

Excerpt.

Minutes
Westside Governance Committee Phase One Study
October 29, 2003
7:00 PM to 10:00 PM Comfort Inn
In Attendance: Doug Findlater (Chair), Broc Braconnier, Jim Dixon, Mike Duggan,
Roger Jorgensen, David Knowles, Larry Mintz, Len Novakowski,
Geoffrey Paynter, Joe Strocen, Mark Wylie

Guests: Lois-Leah Goodwin, John Steil, Charlie Higgins

Regrets: Barb Bassett, John Byland, Aaron Dinwoodie, Rusty Ensign, Al Sol, Carol Zanon

Recording Secretary: Ingrid Tilstra, Okanagan Staffing Services

EXCERPT:

8. John Steil, Stantec Consulting a) Discussion
i) Communities of Interest

John Steil asked Committee members for their thoughts on identifiable subareas within the larger Westside:
Committee:

· Casa Loma and other areas that have Kelowna addresses. Residents tend to shop in
Kelowna rather than going to Westbank.

· Northern part of the Westside may be more akin to Vernon, with Glenrosa and Westbank
aligned as one area.

· Mission Hill, a large area without a community association.

· The Pritchard Drive area, a separate enclave surrounded by the orchard and the lake.
This area has its own water system, with the sewer system managed by CORD, and
specific geographic boundaries

· Within the large generic area of Westbank are contained lots of sub-entities and sub-
identities; it may be difficult to decide which are sufficiently different to merit further
investigation while being mindful of past issues.

· Lakeview, including Lakeview Heights, is bordered by two pieces of WFN land and the
lake, and contains many large rural lots. This area has a Kelowna address, and is a
bedroom community. An industrial park, Mount Boucherie recreational centre and the
high school are located here. The area is central to the Westside. Again, most residents
shop in Kelowna.

· The area from Bear Creek campground north operates under two different telephone
numbers, half Kelowna, half Vernon, and there are two separate addresses here as well.
The area is strictly rural. There are two water systems operated by the Regional District,
and several privately run water systems, one of which has been on a boil-water advisory
for three years.

· The WFN was identified as a body that will impact the study through contractual service
agreements. Service agreements with the WFN may impact the eventual cost of services
overall. This may become more important in Phase II.

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Page 4 Westside Governance Committee Meeting Phase One Study

October 29, 2003 Page 4 of 4

· Some areas of the Westside (Brent Road, Trepanier) may have more of an affinity for
Peachland.

· West Kelowna Estates was identified as a separate area, perhaps together with Rose
Valley, although some felt it would be included in Lakeview.

· Some areas of the Westside have substandard service infrastructures. These areas may
exist between areas of more modern infrastructure. This discrepancy will have to be
addressed.

· Crystal Mountain may be relevant.

· Community plans are in place for Westbank and Lakeview, and are in the process of
being melded together. These would be a great information source for the Committee.

· Westbank, Glenrosa and Shannon Lake seem to be a good fit, although each
neighbourhood does have its separate issues.

· The possible impact of bridge construction on the area will need to be investigated and
considered in terms of population, traffic patterns, and demand for services.

· The industrial area should be included as a distinct entity as well.

· While some areas may seem to be distinct, there is also interaction/migration between
areas as issues arise and children attend schools in other areas. Different residents may
have different views on their community affiliation within the larger Westside.
ii)Service Delivery

John Steil asked for Committee members for their observations on services, infrastructure,
roads, streetlights, water, sewer drainage, etc.

Committee:

· One question will be ownership of the sewer system and who will pay for upgrading
services to appropriate standards throughout the area.

· A collector road may be needed.

· Connection of the two water systems and the need to upgrade pipes was raised.

· The Lakeview Irrigation District and the Westbank Irrigation District have both been
collecting funds for future upgrading. There are concerns about the distribution of these
assets in a merger situation.

· People in Lakeview are concerned that in an incorporation scenario, the community
would automatically have a composite or full-time fire department, losing the firehall in
Lakeview as a result.

· Some residents are concerned about tax and sewer cost increases.

· Road upgrading will be a major concern and a huge cost, with many residents concerned
that the province will not provide adequate funding, leaving the cost to future taxpayers.

· The new bridge will have an impact on the growth of the area.

· The eventual service delivery model will be a question (local government model,
contracted out, etc.)

· There is an agreement in place that the Westside Fire Protection District will provide fire
protection on WFN lands.

· Members wondered about the future of local improvement districts. This is evaluated on
a case-by-case basis by the provincial government. This may become more of an issue in
Phase II.

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Page 5 Westside Governance Committee Meeting Phase One Study

October 29, 2003 Page 5 of 5

iii) Comparable Municipalities

John Steil asked Committee members to compare the Westside to other municipalities such
as Campbell River, North Cowichan, Langley, and Port Moody, Langford, Courtenay,
Cranbrook, White Rock, Mission, Vernon, and Penticton. The following comments were
made:

Committee:

· Most Westside resident would be familiar with Vernon and Penticton because they are
relatively nearby, making these communities good candidates for comparison.

· Comparisons to Kelowna would be useful; people are familiar with the level of services
available there.

· Penticton has a different tax base, and so would not be a useful comparison.

· While information from communities such as North Cowichan and Penticton may be
useful to gain an understanding of costs, differences in communities make comparisons
virtually impossible. For example, the Westside had until recently the same length of
roads as Kelowna, where the budget is substantially larger. There has been no action
on Westside roads since they were laid.

· The Westside is a collection of communities without an identifiable city centre.

· Lake Country is similar, being an amalgam of four different communities.
iv) The Range of Options

John Steil said that the goal of the Phase I study is to narrow down the range of
governance options to a manageable number for further investigation. Options include
creating a new municipality, amalgamating with a nearby municipality (both of which
raise boundary questions), the status quo or some kind of revised status quo and how it
might be revised, or some other new variation. It is also necessary to keep thinking about
time frames—short-term, long-term, and extended—and perhaps a phased process.
Committee:

· It is important to identify a long-term vision and to ensure that any action in the
shorter term does not jeopardize that vision.

· Splitting the Westside into areas that perhaps amalgamate with separate
municipalities (i.e., a portion with Kelowna, a portion with Peachland).

· The Northwest side could consider whether it would be in their best interest to
commit to the costs associated with becoming part of an urban municipality or if they
would consider another option such as joining the North Okanagan Regional District.

· Protecting watersheds should be an integral part of any model.

· Options have to be practical and viable in terms of including a viable tax base.


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[hereiamagain]

I just dont understand what has happened between 2003 and now. Have they lost sight of how they got in to the office? The Governance Committee seems to me to have had the correct focus, and now it just seems to be all about power, and personal agenda. Maybe I am a bit dense, but I dont understand how things could have changed so drastically.

I cant vote on this, not right now, I am too angry to agree with anything Findlater and his BB have done. I'll come back when I have a clearer head.

[Ranger66]

“I just don’t understand what has happened between 2003 and now”

Nothing happened, you now get to see their true colors, most of the people on “The Governance Committee” were there to serve themselves not the west side, as always actions speak louder than words.