Five Dollar Charge For Boat Launch Parking On Kal, Okanagan Lakes
Greater Vernon politicians support fee and season's pass
11/3/2011
It is going to cost to park in boat
launch areas at both Kalavista and Paddlewheel Park during boating
season, from the May long weekend until Labour Day in September. Greater
Vernon's advisory committee has recommended a five-dollar daily
parking charge with a discounted season's pass. Next year, that pass
would cost 50 bucks. ``Instead of the general taxpayer paying for the
boat launches, the boaters can pay for the boat launches,'' says Vernon
director Jack Gilroy, a keen boater. ``I don't see a problem with that
as long as there is a reasonable fee and the money can go right into the
infrastructure of the boat launches.'' Coldstream Mayor Jim Garlick is
in favour too as it will cover some of the costs involved in the upkeep
at Kalavista. ``It goes towards the facility and any upgrades or
maintainence that needs to be done and the fact that we have attendants
there now,'' says Garlick. ``I think the attendants have been a real
positive thing.'' Garlick says he would not favour an ``abusive'' fee
that forced boaters to go elsewhere in the community, causing other
problems. The recommendation received unanimous support.
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Tougher
enforcement of water regulations and a change in alternate day
sprinkling are two guidelines set out in a massive drought management
plan presented to Greater Vernon politicians Thursday. It calls for an
end to alternate day watering for households during a `normal' summer,
to be replaced by three days only of watering and none on Mondays. Parks
and other public places would also come under the new rules. ``It helps
us to understand our outdoor water use a bit better by having one day
where there's no outdoor watering and better for enforcement too,''
says Renee Clark, water quality manager for the North Okanagan Regional
District. The plan goes to NORD directors next and, if approved, goes
out for public consultation. The plan sets out new stages for droughts
-- from mild to emergency. There would also be that new, `normal' stage.
In addition Directors unanimously approved the name change of Coldstream Centennial Park to "Sovereign Park". The name change has to be approved by the Board of Directors but it is anticipated to be a routine matter.
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Drought Management Plan Sets New Stages, Changes Watering Rules
GVAC recommends early budget approval for Goose Lake separation
11/3/2011
Tougher
enforcement of water regulations and a change in alternate day
sprinkling are two guidelines set out in a massive drought management
plan presented to Greater Vernon politicians Thursday. It calls for an
end to alternate day watering for households during a `normal' summer,
to be replaced by three days only of watering and none on Mondays. Parks
and other public places would also come under the new rules. ``It helps
us to understand our outdoor water use a bit better by having one day
where there's no outdoor watering and better for enforcement too,''
says Renee Clark, water quality manager for the North Okanagan Regional
District. The plan goes to NORD directors next and, if approved, goes
out for public consultation. The plan sets out new stages for droughts
-- from mild to emergency. There would also be that new, `normal' stage.
The Greater Vernon Advisory Committee is recommending early approval
for millions of dollars in spending on a key water separation project.
The project would provide 358 homes with treated Duteau water and take
them off Goose Lake. It's considered the worst potable water source in
the area and is expected to be used for agriculture only in future. The
cost of the project is 5.8-million dollars
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15 comments:
Sounds great! Perhaps now we get some severly needed upgrades to the Kalavista boat launch such as a wider dock area and docks that will hold more than one boat at a time on each side. Maybe we should also think about tolls for the bike lanes for bikers that enjoy using the roads but don't pay anything extra to use them. That might help us pay for all the improvements and bike lanes that are going in.
What about charging a user fee or launch fee for the paddleboarders as well. Currently Kalavida Paddle shop is operating a profitable business off of Kal beach after they were told no by council. Could it be because they are members of Maria Besso's Sparkle group and have donated money that they are allowed to take up a good portion of the beach to run their business. If you are going to implement user fees for one group lets do it for everybody.How about councillor Enns's wife being able to use the Coldstream Institute building for free to run a for profit farmers market. And now I need a season's pass to access our lakes! Is this fifty dollars per lake or fifty dollars for each lake? Thanks for the nice parting gift Mayor Garlick!
Parting gift? Are you going somewhere?
I am not going anywhere but that was a good attempt at humor and a crafty way of not answering a few tough questions.I love living in Coldstream and will continue living here despite the special interest politics that abound here. Even if I wanted to move it would probably be tough to sell my home now as buyers are avoiding Coldstream because it is treating single family homeowners like developers. I can only hope that people have been paying attention to the issues enough to vote for a more competent,fair and open government on November 19th!
I have no objection to cost recovery for launch supervision, launch upgrades etc., but allow me 4 points:
1) $5 will not come close to covering these costs and the inevitable vandalism of pay parking machines
2) Locals, Greater Vernon boaters, should have free launching
3) Out of towners should pay a more substantial fee of say $20 to use our facilities, as one of the goals should be to push users to Kekuli, away from this small local boat launch.
4) Paddleboards, floaty rentals or kayak rentals from the beach hardly enter into this discussion.
This is rich......the downturn in the US/Canadian economy on the heels of a ridiculous run up in home prices over the last few years has nothing to do with the soft real estate market we are now experiencing? My retiring friends in Alberta are looking to cheap US locations ....not studying local bylaws!
As far as I know, marine fuel costs less than vehicle fuel. The tax on vehicle fuel goes towards road infrastruce and transit.
If this is true, then there ought to be an environmental tax applied to marine fuel and enforcement of marine regulations.
ps. When was the last time someone was injured by an out of control paddleboard, kayak or other non-motorized craft? There are costs to the taxpayer everytime someone sustains injuries from a boating mishap.
Perhaps it should be collected on anyone using the launches and not just the parking lots. It was after all a couple of people on the Kalavista Committee who live near the launch who pushed for pay parking but have the luxury of using the launch and parking at their nearby homes. If this money is going towards upgrades on the launches that is great but EVERYBODY using the launch,boaters, kayakers,canoeist and local residents should all contribute if they indeed use these facilities.
Say what you want but local real estates agents are finding local and out of town buyers are avoiding Coldstream because this government is treating single family homeowners like developers.One local developer has stated that he has lost over $1,000,000 this year alone because of the inability to get reasonable building permits in Coldstream. Our officials claim we are broke and they are only tring to raise money for projects but in the meantime they are chasing away all kinds of income from the construction industry. Mayor garlick should stick to the classroom and leave busimness to more qualified individuals!
I too hope the money goes towards expanding the Kalavista launch, lets make sure we keep the pressure on our polititions to do so!
"Mayor garlick should stick to the classroom and leave busimness to more qualified individuals!"
Perhaps this "anonymous" (I think I know who he is!) should go back to the classroom to learn to spell.
The boatlaunch is certainly not on my door-step.
When I make the less-than-convenient trip to the beach the relative peace and quiet we used to enjoy is a distant,fond memory.
I don't think it's too much to ask for a reduction in boat generated noise and the implementation of zones where swimmers and those in non-motorized craft are free from the potential threat of a dangerous encounter with motorized craft.
To ask users whose activities have a low-impact on fellow stake- holders and the environment to pay a fee is truly rubbing salt in a wound.
Motorized craft are an irritatant like pesky mosquitos in paradise.
I agree with you,there should be zones where motorized craft are not allowed. It would be great to have larger swimming areas. I am a boater and would not care if most of the north arm was a dedicated swimming and non-motorized zone. I don't boat there as I don't feel comfortable knowing that members of Lake Watch and others may be watching my every move on their telephoto lenses. I would be okay with this as long as we could still launch in Coldstream and have a corridor to the larger section of the lake. As far as being pesky as mosquitos I and many other people enjoy boating and like to see people out enjoying our lakes. I may find some of your hobbies annoying as well...we have to learn tolerance, it is the Okanagan and it is known and has always been the boating capital of western Canada!
The developers and candidates Davies and Hrabchuk are eager to get their way at all costs. Development first, infrastructure later. They want the North Okanagan to be the developed with lots of secondary houses (sitting empty 10 months out of the year) for the Albertans. Brilliant plan, guys!!!! Price housing out of reach for locals because Gawd knows we don't get many minimum wage earners buying up $700,000 + homes.Rent ? Sure , show me something decent for under $1800 a month. Brilliant! Drive more people out of the Okanagan due to the high cost of housing AND the low wages here!
Excuse the repetition, but...
A parking fee does not reflect actual USE of the LAUNCH.
A LAUNCHING fee would have been a far better solution for charging those persons, including businesses, who USE our public boat launches, not just our parking lots.
The boat rental companies don't use the parking lot, they use the boat launch to drop off boats and away they go.
A $5 parking fee does not go very far towards paying for the enforcement of parking fees, not to mention all those who will illegally park elsewhere to avoid paying $5.
Didn't we learn ANYTHING from Coldstream's commissionnaires last summer? $7K in parking revenue and a $20K bill for commissionaires?
This new initiative means that we are going backwards and will need to dedicate even more taxpayer dollars to supporting our launches, instead of instituting a proper PAY PER USE model that would actually reflect the impact on the use of our facilities.
It is easier to damage a boat launch than a parking lot, and it surely costs more to repair a boat launch than a parking lot.
Have a look at the well-used Paddlewheel launch in the summer months for newbies crashing rental boats into the dock.
It doesn't help that there are local boat rental companies that openly advertise that no Pleasure Craft operator card is required to rent their boats. They use public launches such as Paddlewheel to conduct their business operations, and will never even pay that tiny $5 parking fee (because they don't park there!).
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