Castanet: December 10, 2020

Coun. Mohini Singh called it a 'no frills budget," while Mayor Colin Basran called it fiscally prudent, one he will have no problem defending to taxpayers.

Following a lengthy review, council settled on a provisional budget which includes a 4.04 per cent tax increase.

That's down slightly from the proposed increase of 4.27 per cent.

But, without assistance from the provincial government, Coun. Luke Stack says city taxpayers would have been looking at a very different scenario.

"What really saved our bacon is the Safe Restart program that came in at $7.88 million," said Stack.

"If we did not have those funds coming in to the city, we would be in a very tough situation.

"Just imagine if we had to reduce our services by $7 million, or raise taxes to cover that additional $7 million, we would be looking at a very frightening scenario, so hats off to our provincial partners."

Council made only two changes to the financial document staff presented. After much deliberation, council agreed to fund a newly created Champion of the Environment staff position and a building master plan from reserves rather than taxation.

Both items were debated a couple of times before city manager Doug Gilchrist suggested reserves could be used for the initiatives staff felt were very important going forward.

In defending the building master plan, deputy city manager Joe Creron said it was one of the most important items in the budget document. He says the city has more than 127 buildings that are getting old and need the city's attention.

After additional deliberation, council also agreed to fully fund the final two phases of city hall renovations, which included $526,000 funded by the taxpayers.

Staff indicated commercial construction prices are low right now and, by doing both projects together, estimate an overall savings of 25 to 30 per cent.

An additional $100,000 for the Journey Home Society will remain a Priority 2 item, however, council may agree to fund it before final budget once they hear further rational from the society in the new year.

Council was sympathetic to the society after learning they will likely not ever quality for charitable status, which closes the door on several other funding and grant opportunities.

The 4.04 per cent increase means the owner of an average $691,000 home will pay an additional $85 in municipal taxes in 2021.

"We utilized our rainy day fund for the 2020 budget," said Basran.

"It would have been nice to utilize reserves for more, but we don't have that ability, so as a result of that, I think we passed a very responsible budget for a community that still continues to grow.

"And, where people still demand exceptional service, and in an organization where the services we provide are essential."

Basran also reminded taxpayers that, unlike senior levels of government, municipalities are not permitted to run a deficit.

The budget did include the additional of eight new RCMP officers as well as three staff positions. The eight officers, who likely won't arrive until later next year, bring to 19 approved by council since the release of the Griffiths Report a year ago.

That report suggested the city hire as many as 56 new officers by 2025 in order to catch up to staffing demands.

The budget could still change slightly between now and final budget in May.

Although we cannot gather together on November 11, 2020 to remember those who serve and served; we can take a moment to vist the field of crosses in Kelowna City Park to have a moment of remembrance. Gail Given, Loyal Wooldridge and I did so today. "Lest we forget."

Housing tops city needs

Castanet, Wayne Moore Sep 23, 2020

 The City of Kelowna continues to make social issues a top priority. Specifically, finding suitable housing for people with complex needs.  That topic was front and centre during virtual meetings between Mayor Colin Basran and several provincial ministers last week. The face-to-face meetings are traditionally held during the annual Union of BC Municipalities convention which began Tuesday, but were scheduled the week prior this year. Basran says he discussed that issue in a joint meeting with both the Minister of Housing and the minister of Mental Health and Addictions. "There were two things, one to continue funding for supportive housing projects, but the bigger topic was how we are going house people with complex needs, who are not well enough to move into supportive housing projects," said Basran. "On the social issues front, that is our top priority." Basran says these are people with mental health and addiction issues, brain injuries or fetal alcohol syndrome who have been forced onto city streets. "Often times there's little to no chance of rehabilitation, but they still deserve a place to live, and supports. "Those are the people who get the most attention on our streets, and who residents see as not being helped, and wonder why nothing is being done. It's because their needs are so complex they can't just go into a supportive housing project." He said he had hoped to have Health Minister Adrian Dix on the call because they mayor believes those individuals will require supports from the health ministry as well.

 "That was also a topic of conversation with the premier, because we need the health ministry onboard when it comes to helping those with complex needs." Basran says the topic of winter and cold weather shelters was not discussed, because those talks are already underway at the staff level. He says they are discussing site identification and service providers and, while there is no news to report, Basran says they are further along in the process than they were at this time last year.

New team focuses on troublesome properties

A new collaboration between police and government agencies is cracking down on properties where unsafe living conditions or suspected criminal activity have attracted neighbours’ attention.

The Property Standards Compliance Team (PSCT) is a new initiative started in June that brings together RCMP, City of Kelowna staff, Kelowna Fire Department and other agencies as needed to attend potentially unsafe or illegal properties.

The goal of the team is to act on repeated complaints from neighbours about properties. It combines enforcement of criminal activities with RCMP when necessary, in partnership with City Bylaw and building inspection staff.

“We receive calls from concerned neighbours throughout the year, as do the RCMP, about properties that are causing repeated disturbances to the neighbourhood,” said David Gazley, Bylaw Services Manager. ”This approach puts the onus on the property owner to address the concerns, rather than focusing on the tenants who might be the source of complaints. The fines and orders from the team motivate the property owner to take action.”

In a recent case, Bylaw Services issued tickets totaling more than $2,500 to a property owner. More specifically, the Bylaw officer attended with the RCMP and City Building Inspectors and issued the following six tickets to the property owner:

• more than five occupants not related
• illegally occupied bedroom in the furnace room
• illegal occupied utility trailer
• illegally occupied shed
• illegal room in the carriage home attic
• Building without a permit in the attic

RCMP attend to investigate possible criminal activity, while other government agencies might also attend to assess public health and safety issues.

“We have always collaborated with RCMP and others on property complaints, but this team takes a more coordinated and proactive approach to establish priorities and to bring the right people into the residence to assess illegal and unsafe conditions,” said Gazley.

Money destined for housing will not be shared with Tourism Kelowna

Housing wins over tourism

Photo: Wayne Moore/file

Start of construction of affordable housing project on Clement in 2019

Kelowna city council voted down a recommendation to have online portal accommodation revenue split between affordable housing and tourism marketing next year.

The recommendation was made as Tourism Kelowna struggles with funding to market the city to tourists from across the province.

Since allowing OAP's such as AirBNB in late 2018, the city has collected a three per cent fee from each short-term rental similar to the hotel tax collected on each room rental.

While the hotel tax revenue goes directly to Tourism Kelowna for marketing, the province has given municipalities the ability to use OAP monies for either tourism marketing or affordable housing.

City council has chosen to use that money for affordable housing.

Because room tax revenue has fallen off sharply due to COVID-19, with no guarantee of the full return in 2021, it was suggested the OAP be shared 50-50 between affordable housing and tourist marketing.

Council voted it down 5-3 with only Mayor Colin Basran and councillors Brad Sieben and Gail Given supporting it.

Basran said the main crux of the matter in allowing short-term rentals nearly two years ago was to regulate an industry that was causing havoc in the city.

He said getting OAP revenue on top of that was a bonus.

"But, I'm comfortable in the fact we have many ways of funding property acquisition if we need to, particularly in the short term," he said.

"If BC Housing comes knocking tomorrow, and says we have an opportunity, I have every confidence we would be able to find a way to purchase that property to move a project forward. This is not going to inhibit, for one year, our ability to move forward with affordable housing projects."

Basran says it comes down to the health aspect by opening the city up to tourists from around the province.

He added the city continues to follow the advice of Dr. Bonnie Henry who says people should feel free to move about around the province, and Basran says Tourism Kelowna should continue to market the city that way.

Coun. Luke Stack agreed comments about following the lead of the provincial health officer, but couldn't support the motion on principle.

"I actually believe once we give up this fund going into the affordable housing pool, year-after-year there will be an excellent year why not to put it in the pool because there will be other needs," said Stack.

"Using tourism advertising, I think changes the direction. In my opinion, once the direction is changed, we will never get it back. That's why I think we should stay the course as long as we can, because I think this will help build a foundation we need for the longer term."

From Castanet.net

Coun. Ryan Donn was on an island all by himself as council Tuesday approved a gas bar and restaurant drive-thru at Sexsmith and Highway 97 Tuesday night.

The property, on lands zoned for industrial use, required a council-approved rezoning because drive-thrus are not a permitted use in those zones.

Donn was the lone councillor to vote against the rezoning, siding with a recommendation put forward by planning staff, who cited council's goal of reducing vehicle emissions as a basis for that recommendation.

"I think based on our said goal of trying to reduce car usage...is to actually make using the car not the number one easiest choice possible. And that is what a drive-thru is," said Donn.

"I know there's a business case to be made that there are already two drive-thrus on different corners, and it's a major intersection. But, at some point we are going to have to say no if we genuinely want to move the dial lower to reduce people using cars.

"What is that point?"

The rest of council was not at that point with this particular application.

"Drive-thrus have their place, and this is a good place for it," cited Coun. Charlie Hodge.

Coun. Luke Stack pointed to the location as one of the gateways to the city, saying the companies overall landscape plan would actually enhance the area.

But, on emissions, he says the focus shouldn't be on banning or reducing drive-thrus.

"I do believe in greenhouse gas emission reduction, and on a personal level and a civic level working toward that goal," he said.

"But, I do believe the real solution is to have people change their automobiles to less emissions, and not to outlaw drive-thrus in my opinion. I go through one every day literally, but I drive an electric vehicle, so I don't have any emissions."

Mayor Colin Basran, an outspoken proponent of emission reduction, reluctantly endorsed the application.

"Do I think we are going to save the planet with this particular application? No. Is is another cut? potentially," said Basran.

"But, I think where we in Kelowna have the greatest opportunity to change behaviour is in our town centres, where people can live and work and shop and recreate in a way that's feasible for them to get around by alternate means.

"Unfortunately, because of this location, it's in an area that's outside those town centres where people are already in their vehicle."

This is a good guide to follow in these unusual times. 

No new taxes for parks

Photo: Skyeye UAS

If Kelowna is to adhere to the principles of the Imagine Kelowna vision when it comes to parkland, it will have to get creative.

That was the general consensus around the city council table Monday afternoon.

A hectare of land in the city's downtown core is nine times the cost of the same suburban land according to parks and building planning manager Robert Parlane.

It was a number most were unwilling to entertain.

After hitting the development community with a controversial parks acquisition development cost charge and taxpayers with an additional infrastructure tax levy, Coun. Luke Stack said residents and developers would not have stomach to cough up any more.

"I was a little bit disheartened I must admit when I read this saying, now that you've made these big, bold moves, by the way, it's nowhere near what you need if you want to build the vision," said Stack.

"I think the idea of saying we need to buy another acre of downtown to turn it into a park, for me, that boat has kind of sailed. 

"Truthfully I want to have an Imagine Kelowna Impact and vision, but I know we can't do it with dollars alone. We have to do it with creativity, looking at things in fresh ways. making the most out of each new development."

Coun. Brad Sieben suggested the city may want to look at a model similar to one in suburban areas like Kettle Valley where parks are built out as part of the development plan.

Coun. Gail Given says the current downtown parks will become overused as the city continues to densify the downtown core.

She believes the city needs to continue to look at opportunities to acquire land, but more for linear parks that connect the big citywide parks.

"At .27 per cent of what we had hoped for kind of hurts, but doing it wisely will be important," she said.

Given suggested the city get creative in how it programs parkland.

"I can look downtown and see parks that are a hunk of grass. It's a lot we bought that right now has grass and a rose garden. It has an opportunity to become more programmed, more activated, greater use on it."

End

Happy retirement to my good neighbor Rick. News won't be the same without you. 

I was honoured to attend the induction of 8 new recruits to the Kelowna Fire Department on June 21, 2019. These fine young men and women trained very hard for this day and we welcome them to one of the finest Fire Departments in the Country. Congratulations!

From: Castanet.net

Kelowna will maintain the status quo, at least for the time being, when it comes to who can, and can't use their home for Airbnb-type short-term rentals.

Following a lengthy public hearing Tuesday night, council narrowly defeated a motion that would have opened up short-term rentals in secondary suites, basement suites and carriage houses.

Council voted 4-3 to defeat the motion, with Mayor Basran and councillors Stack, Singh and Given voting against. Coun. Maxine Dehart, who works in the hotel industry recused herself from the debate, while Coun. Ryan Donn was absent.

The decision, for those who voted against opening up to carriage homes and secondary suites, came down to protecting the city's long-term rental stock, and trying to keep skyrocketing rental and home purchase prices in check.

Basran, in voting against the motion, cited two studies that he says shows short-term rentals increases rent, and increases the cost of buying a home.

"Tonight, I believe I have a decision to either perpetuate the status quo, which is to allow it to happen and allow rents to keep going up, to allow house prices to continue to rise, and for us to find other ways to help try and curb that," he said.

"Or we can continue to implement the strategies in our healthy housing strategy which is a combination of many different bylaws and ideas in order to help with affordability."

Basran said he believes the current bylaw which allows for short-term rentals in many principle residences around the city strikes a good balance.

Stack, who also voted no, says he believes opening up short-term rentals doesn't align with council's Health Housing Strategy.

"This is where the real trouble hits me, because we've been working hard to establish this long-term plan and working diligently to bring on more rental housing, and really struggling with this issue...then we are going to make a change that is going to completely go against the direction we've set," he said.

Several dozen people addressed council, speaking to both sides of the issue.

Many students at both UBCO and Okanagan College, student union reps and other renters spoke against the changes, citing the current difficulty in finding affordable accommodations.

Many homeowners, some of whom spoke at a previous public hearing two months ago, argued bad prior experiences with renters and the updated Residential Tenancy Act has put them off ever renting to long-term tenants again.

Others said they entered the short-term market as a way get extra revenue between students in the summer months.

While the issue of short-term rentals in secondary suites and carriage houses is a non-starter now, council did say it will be looked at again when the entire bylaw comes up for review in the fall of 2020.

Congratulations to the nominees for the 2019 Kelowna Civic Awards. This picture was taken with the Lady of the Lake and her Princess at the Mayor's Reception for the nominees. It took place at the Parkinson Recreation Centre on April 15, 2019. The finalists will be selected at an award ceremony on April 24th, 2019.

City of Kelowna replaces over 10,000 street lights with LEDs

Kelowna Now - Megan Trudeau -March 28, 2019

 The completion of a new energy saving project is set to help Kelowna save an enormous amount of money over the next several years,

 "The last time the City was able to talk about a 400% return on investment and an estimated $16 million in savings over the next 15 years was… never. However, with the recent completion of the LED street light conversion project, these numbers are now reality," said the City of Kelowna.

 The project was to replace all of the City’s existing high-pressure sodium (HPS) lighting with light-emitting diode (LED) lighting.

 “We did a pilot in 2016, which demonstrated significant energy savings and the potential to cut energy consumption by more than 50% while maintaining appropriate light levels and illuminations for optimal roadway lighting. In 2017, Council approved the project budget and between spring and fall 2018, more than 10,000 of the City’s street lights were replaced with LEDs," said Brydan Tollefson, Energy Program Manager, City of Kelowna.

 The City and FortisBC worked closely together on the project, which cost $3.75 million to implement, but with a payback amounting to a 400% return on investment and a rebate of more than $670,000.

 This is the largest rebate that FortisBC has paid out to date for an electricity-saving project. It’s expected to reduce to the City’s annual electricity us by 4.5 million kilowatt hours, which is equivalent to the annual use of 400 homes.

 “We commend the City of Kelowna for the success of this project, especially their efforts to make improvements along the way and achieve even greater savings,” said James Allen, conservation and energy management program manager, FortisBC. “They really understand the value energy savings projects like this bring to their residents and we’re pleased to support them.”

Kelowna rent likely to drop

Photo: Contributed

Kelowna is the ninth most expensive Canadian city in which to rent an apartment – but that could change, thanks to new policies from council and new construction.

That’s the word from rentals.ca and Bullpen Research & Consulting, which conducted their March national rent report and found the average price of a one-bedroom apartment is $1,299 and $1,574 for a two-bedroom unit.

The current rental vacancy rate in Kelowna is 1.9 per cent, and all signs point to it increasing over the next two years.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation economist Taylor Pardy, who spoke in Kelowna last week at a Canadian Home Builders’ Association Central Okanagan luncheon, told rentals.ca the vacancy rate will increase because of “the volume of apartment rental units currently under construction.”

For more on this story and to see the 25 most expensive cities for rent, visit

Kelowna Now

Dylan McCullough

Feb 7, 2019

Well known affordable housing advocate Luke Stack managed to run a successful re-election campaign for less than the average cost of renting a room in Kelowna.

According to Elections BC, the four-time councilor only had two donations made to his campaign for a total of $500 in contributions. Both donations were made by Stack himself.  In comparison, councilor Brad Sieben had 30 donations made to his campaign for a total of $12,551 in contributions.

 The financial disclosure statement reports that he spent $1,865.88, but Stack says that includes the original cost of his campaign signs that he has used for every election since 2008.

 Stack credits local media, open forums and the good reputation attached to his name for the successful yet frugal campaign. However, Stack’s campaign budget was the anomaly as Kelowna’s 2018 municipal election was a pricey one for every other candidate running.

 Elections BC financial statements show Mayor Colin Basran’s reelection campaign cost $76,585, coming within $200 of the financial limit for a city of Kelowna’s size. Basran’s fundraising was aided by 41 maximum donations of $1,200. Tom Dyas’ unsuccessful campaign was run for $35,726.

Kelowna Capital News

Each year we encourage Kelowna to fill the Santa Bus with gifts for the food bank. Santa, Mrs. Clause and the elves visited City Hall to spread the word. 

Pictured here is City Council and the Santa bus team

I attended the Inaugural Council meeting of the City of Kelowna Council November 5, 2018. I was so pleased to be accompanied by my family and friends. There was a KFD Honour Guard, RCMP in red serge, Bagpipes, robes, drums and singing. So much to celebrate. Thank you to all of my family and friends that make this journey possible for me. Here is a picture of the Honourable Judge Lisa Wyatt administering my Oath of office. This is the fourth Oath I have taken in my years on City Council. (I decided to get a picture this time)