SUMMERLAND REVIEW THE VOICE OF OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 1908
VOLUME
67
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ISSUE
NO.
3
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S U M M E R L A N D,
WWW.SUMMERLANDREVIEW.COM
B.C.
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T H U R S D AY,
JANUARY
16,
2014
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16
WHAT’S INSIDE:
Meal service
Each week, volunteers deliver meals to clients in Summerland through the Meals on Wheels program.
Page 8
The provincial Agricultural Land Commission must give its approval before Summerland’s Urban Growth Plan can be adopted.
Public projects
Summerland has completed several large-scale public projects in the past 15 years, but none are in the works for this year.
Page 3
Taking a survey
International swim meet
Members of the Orca Swim Club are raising money to attend an international meet in late June.
Page 12
YOUR SMILE I’d love to help you out. Which way did you come in?
$1.15
INCLUDING
GST
by John Arendt
Page 2
Page 7
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Municipal staff reductions expected to save nearly $500,000 in coming year
Plan approval
A survey will gather information about the shopping patterns and plans of people in the region.
Six jobs gone PA G E S
A downed power line
John Arendt Summerland Review
Municipal crews were on hand to repair a downed power line on Peach Orchard Road on Monday around noon. A tree which toppled during heavy winds was responsible for the downed power line.
Petition launched to stop land plan by John Arendt
A petition is circulating with a request that 87 hectares near the core of the community remain in the Agricultural Land Reserve. The petition was launched online last week and within hours, more than 100 people had added their names to it. Summerland’s proposed Urban Growth Plan calls for
the removal of 87 hectares from the land reserve to accommodate future growth in the community. The petition states that it is important to protect agricultural land in the community and in the province. “The decisions we make now concerning our agricultural land are ones we are going to have to live with — once the land is gone, we
don’t get it back. The long term benefits of protecting farm land now are benefits that extend beyond our community into our region, province, and beyond. The notion of moving agri-businesses into Prairie Valley lands is great, but there is no reason to do it at the expense of highly productive land,” the petition states. See ORGANIZERS Page 2
In an attempt to balance its books, the municipality has trimmed its staff by six positions. The cuts were announced on Monday morning. Municipal administrator Tom Day said the community’s slow growth rate in recent years, low reserve funds and a lack of public infrastructure projects were factors in making the decision. Three vacant positions at the municipality will not be filled. The positions are those of deputy fire chief, director of works and utilities and director of parks and recreation. The deputy fire chief left the municipality in 2013 to take a role in West Kelowna. The director of parks and recreation retired at the end of 2013 and the director of works and utilities retires at the end of this month. In addition, an information technology position will be eliminated. Of positions within the Canadian Union of Public Employees agreement, a public works secretary position, an engineering technician and a water supply technician position will be eliminated. An electrical worker position will also be eliminated. A manager of recreation position will be created at the parks and recreation department. This position will answer directly to the municipal administrator. At the public works department, a parks maintenance position will report to the director of works and services. The two full-time firefighters at the Summerland Fire Department will be named assistant chiefs. The worker in the water supply technician role will work elsewhere in the municipality, filling an unrelated opening.. The municipality will also add new positions. A manager of financial services role will be created and a new GIS/data base technician position will be created. See CUTS Page 3