Coldstream Finance Committee Meeting - November 19, 2012

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Taxpayer writes - Mayor Garlick (also Director of GVAC) responds.

Local Government Priority Spending

There has been a lot of media attention around local government priority spending lately. Our community is in need of a track and field facility, a new art gallery, museum, public parks and greenspace, trails and environmental protection of wildlife habitat and eco-systems and last but not least domestic water quality and quantity.

The public and government should recognize the need to spend our tax dollars wisely, in priority sequence that best benefits our health, the natural environment and our community’s economy, culture and lifestyle.

As for the latest debates over spending and referendums, Sports Complex at Okanagan College for $ 8M when we don’t have a track at the new VSS (a hi- school track could costs less than $ 2M). If the College needs their own sports facility I think the Provincial Government should pay for it. The Art Gallery and Museum both need new facilities and both want to be close to the City Hall in the downtown core. Combining the facilities will enhance and support each other and cost less to build.

Our community needs to consider the health of our 4 main creeks (Upper & Lower BX Creeks, Vernon Creek and Coldstream) for the sake of the fish and wildlife that depend on them, as well as the lakes that they discharge into (Swan, Okanagan, Kalamalka). We also want more parks, greenspace and trails to encourage a healthy lifestyle. If government focuses their spending on acquisition of lands that encompasses sensitive habitat i.e. creeks, wetlands, lakeshores, ravines, grasslands, etc., the community will have most of the parks and greenspace that it will need for decades to come.

With our continuing population growth, our need for more water for domestic and agricultural use will be more of a challenge. Our domestic water sources need to be clean and our agriculture use needs to be efficient. If the drinking water source is not naturally suitable, we either need to find natural solutions (not simply and expensively treat and filter that water) or find a better source. As for the agricultural industry that consumes the largest percentage of available water, needs to find methods of irrigation that are more efficient and water conservative.

Brad Foster

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Response:

Hello Mr Foster

I forwarded your email to Gyula Kiss and Bob Flemming who also sit on GVAC in making these decisions.

I agree with you on the land purchase for parks and this may come to be. The inclusion of the art gallery and museum in one building is a problem due to the size requirements (height) on the land provided but it may be possible to have them in close proximity with the pieces of  land now being considered.

The sports facility is a local public facility that the province would only fund in part as a possible grant to us. This is being hoped for but not likely at this time. The college is no different than our schools and is not a provincial government facility directly. They have their own challenges with their facility to care for with limited budgets. I see this as a partnership as has taken place in Penticton and Kelowna with OC and UBCO to enhance those institutions in those centres. Schools in the area were considered but face problems due to removing existing needed facilities and lack of space for facility and parking. The price of the facility does need work as it has climbed significantly since this started. We need to look at how we can reduce it back to something more reasonable.

Thanks for taking the time and giving your input.

Jim Garlick

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Agenda issues.

Due to technical difficulties today's Council Agenda and Agenda Package are not accessible from Coldstream's Official website. If you need the agenda they are available on Coldstreamernews website.

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Coldstream Council meeting November 13, 2012. - REMINDER!

Agenda package

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Photo Gallery - Tour of Beauty - Enderby by Debbie.

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Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans.

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Rememberance Day Video - A Pittance of Time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kX_3y3u5Uo 

 On November 11, 1999 Terry Kelly was in a Shoppers Drug Mart store in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. At 10:55 AM an announcement came over the store's PA asking customers who would still be on the premises at 11:00 AM to give two minutes of silence in respect to the veterans who have sacrificed so much for us. Terry was impressed with the store's leadership role in adopting the Legion's "two minutes of silence" initiative. He felt that the store's contribution of educating the public to the importance of remembering was commendable.

When eleven o'clock arrived on that day, an announcement was again made asking for the "two minutes of silence" to commence. All customers, with the exception of a man who was accompanied by his young child, showed their respect. Terry's anger towards the father for trying to engage the store's clerk in conversation and for setting a bad example for his child was later channeled into a beautiful piece of work called, "A Pittance of Time". Terry later recorded "A Pittance of Time" and included it on his full-length music CD, "The Power of the Dream".
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A Pittance of Time  (lyrics) Written by Terry Kelly Published by Jefter Publishing

Remembrance day ceremonies at both Coldstream and Lavington Cenotaphs is at 10:45 AM. 

Video: Obama cries during speech to campaign staff

In a new video (click) released by his campaign, President Barack Obama wipes away tears as he thanks members of his campaign staff and volunteers. 

Obama's campaign released a five-minute video of the president's address Wednesday to members of his staff at his Chicago headquarters. The short speech came a day after he won re-election.

The president talks about his work as a community organizer in Chicago and tells staffers and volunteers that they will do "amazing things" in their lives.

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Coldstream Council meeting November 13, 2012.

Agenda package

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Okanagan Basin Water Board Meeting highlights - November 6, 2012

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Greater Vernon Advisory Committee Meeting - November 8, 2012

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Obamas Return to White House as Romneys Return to 1954 - The Borowitz report

Click on photo for the article

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NORD Meeting, November 7, 2012

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The latest gems from Andy Borowitz.

Money from the sky!

The Republican Party's official closing argument to the American people.

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Photo gallery - Kal Lake and Sovereign Park - Debbie

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