Governance and services study moves ahead for Okanagan West

Dec 8, 2021 | 3:00 PM Pete McIntyre

The plan for a governance and services study of the Central Okanagan West electoral area is moving to the next phase.

The Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) board has approved the framework for the study which is funded in part by a $60,000 provincial government grant.

Terms of reference will be used to guide the study process which is expected to see a final report by the end of September 2022.

The study is a result of discontent among some residents of the North Westside Road area, including the communities of La Casa, Fintry and Killiney Beach, about the services, or lack there of, provided to them by the RDCO.

RDCO said the next steps include developing a request for proposals to hire an independent, private consultant with experience in the governance and services studies to work with an appointed study committee.

The Central Okanagan West area director will also be recommending members to serve on the study committee, subject to regional board approval.

The study will:

Describe the governance of unincorporated areas, contrasted with governance of municipalities as appropriate for clarity;
Describe how decisions are made in each local government jurisdiction for each of the local government services received;
Identify and describe the different roles, responsibilities, and jurisdictions of all service providers, including the costs and cost recovery method for services;
Identify geographies of concurrent services and cohesive community identities; and,
Engage residents and property owners in the identification of common interests and concerns.

RDCO said it’s important to note that the Ministry of Municipal Affairs said this is not an incorporation study, rather: “the governance and services study will build on the recommendations of the 2017 North Westside Services and Community Issues Review,” a RDCO news release stated.

“It will see opportunities for engaging with North Westside residents, to understand their concerns and interests about governance and to identify options within the regional district framework for addressing their most pressing needs.”