The Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) board has approved the framework for a governance and services study for the Central Okanagan West electoral area.
The framework will be used to guide the study process which is expected to produce a final report by the end of September, 2022.
The next steps include developing a request for proposals seeking an independent, private consultant with experience in governance and services studies to work with an appointed study committee to deliver the final report. The Central Okanagan West area director will recommend members to serve on the study committee, subject to RDCO board approval.
The study will describe the governance of unincorporated areas contrasted with governance of municipalities. It will also describe how decisions are made in each local government jurisdiction for each of the local government services received.
The study will identify and describe the different roles, responsibilities and jurisdictions of all service providers including the costs and cost recovery method for services. It will also identify geographies of concurrent services and cohesive community identities and angage residents and property owners in identifying common interests and concerns
The RDCO notes that the Ministry of Municipal Affairs says this is not an incorporation study. Instead, the study will build on the recommendations of the 2017 North Westside Services and Community Issues Review. There will be opportunities for engaging 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.
The study is funded in part by a $60,000 provincial restructure planning grant.
“I am pleased to hear that the North Westside Community Association’s request for a Restructure Planning Grant has been approved by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs,” said Wayne Carson, electoral area director for Central Okanagan West.
“This work will provide the information requested by this community to evaluate governance options and to understand the concerns and interests of the North Westside through an independent study. I look forward to getting this study underway so that we can receive the answers we have all been waiting for.”
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