Council Highlights July 23, 2019

Council Meeting
July 23, 2019

2018 Annual Report
Council considered the 2018 City of West Kelowna Annual Report. As required under Section 97 of the Community Charter, each year a municipality must prepare an annual report that includes the audited annual financial statements, permissive tax exemptions, a report respecting municipal services and operations, performance measures and objectives and any other information Council considers advisable. The 2018 Annual Report includes information on key projects and initiatives undertaken.

Seclusion Bay Development
Council gave second reading to an Official Community Plan Amendment and first and second readings to a Zoning Bylaw Amendment for 3060 Seclusion Bay Road to facilitate a proposed development of 16 residential units on the waterfront property. The current OCP land use designation on the lower (lakefront) portion of the property is Resource Land with the applicant seeking the designation of Tourist Commercial. The applicant also wishes to rezone the property from Rural Residential Small Parcel to Comprehensive Development Zone. The applicant’s vision is for a strata development of eco-villas, an amenity building and a dock with slips for all units. The proposed development utilizes the natural features and environmental assets of the site to minimize impacts.  The property does not have community servicing and the development will include on-site services for water and sewer. The access road to the development is privately-owned and maintained. The proposed amendments will now be scheduled for an upcoming Public Hearing.

Community Visioning Update
Council was provided an update on the Community Visioning Project, a Council strategic priority for 2019. The Visioning exercise involves engaging with community members to reflect on the current state of the City and help shape a shared direction for the future. Establishing a long-term community vision will be collaborative and based on input obtained through extensive community engagement. The process will begin in mid August and is expected to be complete in December 2019. Information will be provided via a number of channels to seek as input from community members of all ages. A key engagement element of the visioning project will be an online survey launched in August and a community open house in October.

Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program
Council agreed to provide a letter of support for the Okanagan Lake Protection Strategy being developed by the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program. The Strategy will provide a multi-jurisdictional approach to addressing challenges in shoreline management and create a roadmap for the future. The main objective of the project is to develop a better understanding amongst stakeholders of the most pertinent issues impacting Okanagan Lake.