Councillors jump into fray
Opening salvos in the Penticton municipal election campaign certainly managed to turn a lot of heads.
An overflow crowd of close to 500 people – the highest turnout in years – showed up to hear two dozen city councillor hopefuls discuss the issues at a recent candidates forum at the Penticton Lakeside Resort.
While no single issue grabbed the spotlight, the city’s current plans for downtown revitalization came under scrutiny.
A $2-million upgrade to the 200 block of Main Street and the southern half of the 100 block has been proposed. The city would pay $1.81 million, with the owners of 34 affected downtown properties (including five banks) contributing $254,000 – representing 25 per cent of sidewalk and streetscape costs.
The project is subject to property owner approval through a reverse petition. More than 50 per cent of property owners, representing more than 50 per cent of assessed property values in the designated area, must object by Nov. 14 to block the funding bylaw.
Brent Madsen, owner of the Elite Cafe on Main Street, said he supports the move to reduce one-way traffic flow to two lanes from the current three lanes.
“What other city has a three-lane highway going through their downtown?” he said. “As a small business owner, why would you not want the traffic to slow down going past your business?”
Madsen said the project also calls for wider sidewalks which would allow businesses to partially move outside for the summer months.
However, Garry Gratton claimed some downtown merchants aren’t sold on the need for the Main Street upgrade.
“Is it really in our best interests to spend millions of taxpayers’ dollars on a downtown beautification project that even some of the downtown business owners don’t seem to want?” he said.
Gratton noted most residents will have no say in the project, even though close to $2 million of city money is required to upgrade two blocks of Main Street.
“There’s something wrong with this picture,” he said.
Campbell Watt, president of the Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce, refuted suggestions that the reverse petition process for gaining property owner approval was akin to “ramming it down their throats.”
“I believe that people don’t agree with the reverse petition, but the plan is solid,” he said. “If you look through the entire plan of revitalization, I think you’ll see that it makes sense.”
Watt said the overall revitalization plan makes senses and a majority of business owners appear to support the project.
“The downtown core is really essential to any city’s development. We need to be vibrant and that revitalization is a key component to that,” he said.
Meanwhile, Brian Horejsi: (pronounced: Hor-ay-see) said Penticton would face a bleaker future if the city lost its green zones. “The air and watersheds that surround this town are the basis for the amenities that we all enjoy.”
Lynn Kelsey: said council should reduce its in-camera discussions since residents deserve to know what’s going on before major decisions are made. Council should listen to all its citizens, not just special interest groups.
Helena Konanz: pointed to her record during her first term on council, noting she voted to increase funding for econom- ic development and was the first to voice support for the Boonstock music festival.
David Korinetz: said he supports a vibrant arts community, solutions for affordable housing, and initiatives that attract more businesses to Penticton with good-paying jobs.
Andre Martin: called for the tourism and economic development functions to be combined, but not under direct control of City Hall. “I firmly believe the two of them need to be in one unit together.”
Doug Maxwell: said Penticton should look to adjacent regional district communities to help fund such city facilities as the community centre pool. “Then we won’t need to talk about two-tier (admission) pricing.”
Jenine Nicholas: said the city should nurture the bonds with the Penticton Indian Band for greater economic stability. “We need to understand the symbiotic relationships we have with the west and east sides of our city.”
Kevin Noonan: suggested the community should be less oppositional to progress and more positive and pro-active. “Great things come through collective effort and unity, not division.”
Max Picton: called for a united community rather than the current fragmentation. “We need to repair relationships and trust, communicate effectively and work together to achieve a collective impact.”
Vic Powell: said fiscal responsibility rather than unbridled spending should be the focus of council. He said infrastructure upgrades to water, sewer, roads, parks and economic development are needed most.
Katie Robinson: said Penticton needs to capitalize on its existing assets such as the Trade and Convention Centre. She said a shortage of good quality hotel rooms is hurting the city’s convention marketing plans.
Daryl Sanders: said he is a dependable individual with a strong work ethic. “Penticton needs a kick start – no more fence-sitting. It’s not the yes’s and the no’s that are killing us, it’s the maybes.”
Tarik Sayeed: pointed to his IT management experience and involvement in such organizations as the PenMar Arts Society. “I support economic growth embracing technology, environment care and social development.”
Judy Sentes: said the city’s economic incentive zone tax breaks have resulted in more than $30 million in new development and 350 new jobs. She said this provides a positive foundation for future growth.
Debra Slater: fears some companies which receive fiveyear tax breaks for new construction might simply move out of town once that period is over. Young people shouldn’t have to move elsewhere to look for good jobs.
Steve Boultbee: suggested the ill-fated hockey dorm property on Eckhardt Avenue should be used as housing for nursing students at Okanagan College. He added there is still a need for fire hydrants in many rural areas.
Patrick Buchanan: said the city didn’t need to expand its cycling network into the industrial area. He said more bike lanes closer to school zones would make it safer for children riding their bikes to class.
Paula Cattani: said the city should help reopen Penticton’s fruit packing houses as a way to create more jobs. She also called for more industrial area businesses, such as manufactured home plants.
Don Dumesnil: expressed his support for Boonstock, despite its security and other problems. He said the city should learn from the experience and move forward, if not with Boonstock, with some similar event.
Ryan Foster: an organic farmer, believes prosperity should be measured by quality of life rather than credit scores. He said by generating electricity through existing dams, Penticton’s power bills could be cut in half.
Brian Henningson: outlined some “easy fixes” for the city, including improved parking, bus service and fewer closed-door council meetings. He claimed Penticton’s in-camera sessions last longer than Toronto’s.
Tim Hodgkinson: could not attend the forum due to illness. He stated in a letter that council incompetence and lawsuits need to stop, pointing to the city’s unsuccessful legal battle against the Penticton Hospitality Association.