Regehr says he’s more than just a numbers guy
While he may be known as a number cruncher, Penticton city council candidate Frank Regehr says he has much more to offer voters.
That includes support for parks, smarter urban planning and backing the arts and cultural community.
Regehr, who retired in 2010 after 22 years as secretary-treasurer for the Okanagan Skaha school district and its forerunners, said he supports all 11 recommendations contained in the new Parks and Recreation Master Plan.
“I absolutely admire the Save Skaha Parks Society and the tenacity with which they stuck to a multi-year program to arrive at this,” added the father of five and grandfather of eight.
He’s also interested in the updated Official Community Plan that’s due to be presented early in the new council’s term and what sort of planning principles it will include regarding densification.
“I think some of the densification that’s been done in spots in the city has really left streets that have no parking, no green spaces. With densification, there should be nicer ways to do it,” he said.
Finally, Regehr believes the arts and culture community receives a relatively low level of support from the City of Penticton compared to the sports community, in particular those who use costly arenas.
“I think there’s perhaps an equal number of people who feel just as passionately about arts and culture, and they just don’t get anything close to the level of support,” he said.
Back on the money side of things, Regehr would advocate for better information with which to make better decisions, such as including capital expenditures and depreciation when calculating the true cost of facilities, and figuring out a fairer way for residents of surrounding communities to chip in for the Penticton recreational facilities that they use.