Town politicians give update on Osoyoos

The Town of Osoyoos released its Annual Report 2005 and held its AGM on Monday, June 20, prior to the regular meeting of council. Many townspeople came to ask questions and provide comments to council.
Mayor John Slater read a statement affirming that the Town of Osoyoos is in a strong financial position.
As we move forward in 2005, we will continue to pursue projects, programs and services which will result in significant outcomes for the benefit of the town, its businesses and its residents, Slater said.
Each of the councillors then read through the 2004 Municipal Services Report, noting the past year's achievements.
Ken Davreux outlined achievements in corporate services, including a staff succession plan, the Desert Park Review Project, a new fire truck and second firehall location in east Osoyoos, and new light standards to help reduce light pollution.
Bud Fraser spoke to achievements in development services, including the fact that building permit values for 2004 were $23,931,000. He also said the department processed 150 building permits, as well as numerous development permits, variances and other miscellaneous permits and applications.
Fraser also reported that the OCP Review Committee is hard at work on a new official community plan and said work got underway, in partnership with the OIB and the Ministry of Highways, on an east Osoyoos transportation study.
Dick Flintoft addressed recreation and leisure services achievements, noting that phase one of the Sonora Centre was completed. He added that year-round recreation and leisure programming is now being offered. He also reported that a location for the Skateboard Park was confirmed and said work should begin on the building of the park in early July.
Tom Shields gave an overview of achievements in operational services. Shields reported that electrical power was installed at the Osoyoos Landfill.
He also reported that a Water Smart coordinator continued work on public education initiatives and the metering pilot project. And finally, he noted that many road improvements were undertaken, improving the safety of Osoyoos' streets.
Mayor Slater then introduced Jeff Duguid from White Kennedy Chartered Accountants, the town's auditor.
Duguid explained the accounting procedure and then remained to field questions from the audience.
Michael Ryan was first to address Duguid, and asked him to identify the third party mentioned in the Notes to Financial Statements. The Town of Osoyoos is committed to provide a total of $1,176,500 in grants and capital funding to this third party over the next five years.
Duguid said the third party is actually Destination Osoyoos.
Ryan asked if there was any reason why DO was not specifically named in the financial statements.
As far as generally accepted accounting principals are concerned, the only time you would have to mention the name of a party and relate the relationship to a corporation is if some of the same people are also on the board of directors of the 'third party,' and that is not the case here, Duguid explained.
DO is not a group associated with the mayor and council other than through the funding arrangement.rnGwen Monteith spoke next. She asked about the figure of $704,024, in the statement of Reserve Fund Operations, listed as contributions from developers. Duguid explained that the figure represents developers' contributions toward capital projects (infrastructure, water, sewer, roads, etc.) that took place in 2004.
Developers are responsible for a certain percentage, depending on the contract they have with the town, Duguid said. Developers pay half the road costs and for their curbs and gutters.
Monteith pointed out that, although the developers pay a portion of capital projects, the town must share in the cost.
So, consequently, having these developments in town does cost the taxpayers money, she said.
We have certain infrastructure that we pay for. We also collect so much per unit built from the subdivision owners, Slater said.
If there is an added burden on the existing infrastructure, then the development company pays for the increased cost.rnMonteith also asked about the figure of $1,835,561 for sundry in the revenues portion of the Statement of Current Fund Operations.
Duguid explained that sundry consists of things such as parcel taxes and solid waste management.
These statements are prepared to be implemented in with the provincial government statements, Duguid explained.
These are the categories that they would like the Town of Osoyoos to put their numbers into.
Points were also raised at the AGM about the Official Community Plan, which is still in progress. People asked why the community was not more involved in the planning process and why there was little information forthcoming from the town.
Councillor Bud Fraser, who sits on the OCP Committee with Councillor Ken Davreux, said that an open house would be scheduled for mid-July, where the public would have the chance to look at plans.
We do have a public committee that is working on this plan, and we will have open houses and a series of public hearings to go through all these aspects, added Slater.