Council Highlights - July 8, 2025

Regular Meeting

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Date of Issue: Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Watch meetings live or through the webcast archive

Council meetings are livestreamed at westkelownacity.ca/webcasts and archived within one business day. To view the July 8 webcast archive, please visit pub-westkelowna.escribemeetings.com.

Check out City and community summer events at Memorial Park and the civic plaza

Memorial Park and the City Hall/Library Building community plaza are abuzz with many great activities this summer! Council thanked everyone who organized, supported and attended Canada Day festivities and encouraged our community to attend Westside Daze, coming up next. Our community’s signature summer event will take place from 3 p.m. Thursday, July 10 through 5 p.m. Sunday, July 13. Check westsidedaze.com for the full schedule. Council also encouraged the public to check out the City’s new Pop Ups in the Plaza with yoga taking place on July 15, followed by Zumba on Aug. 5 and a two-step class on Aug. 19 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday Markets will also pop up in the plaza, at 3731 Old Okanagan Highway, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on July 18, Aug. 8 and Aug. 22. The Westbank Farmer’s Market has also moved to the plaza every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. until Sept. 27.

Council welcomes new staff

Council welcomed Patrick Pulak as the City of West Kelowna’s new General Manager of Operations, Johanna Cooke as Land and Legal Agent and Ashley Stewart as Communications Manager.

Acting Chief Financial Officer appointed

Council appointed Lisa Siavashi, who has been with the City for 16.5 years, as acting Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Council thanked former CFO Warren Everton for his professionalism, service, and dedication since joining the City of West Kelowna 6.5 years ago. Mr. Everton will be leading an important, special assignment to implement the City’s new enterprise resource management system and work on a team to modernize West Kelowna’s policing system.

Johnson Bentley Memorial Aquatic Centre operations record surplus in 2024

Active Living Enterprises, which operates Johnson Bentley Memorial Aquatic Centre on behalf of the City of West Kelowna, had a 2024 operating surplus of $34,115. Council voted in favour of giving $10,000 of the surplus to Active Living Enterprises as stated in the operating agreement. The City will retain the remainder of the surplus and apply it towards future operations. For more information, please read the July 8 Staff Report to Council.

Woodell Road zoning amendment adopted

Council adopted a Zoning Bylaw amendment that rezones 3885 Woodell Road from Manufactured Home Residential (R1M) to Single Detached and Duplex Residential (R1) as outlined at the time of the first three readings, which were given at the June 24 Council meeting. The rezoning was requested to permit construction of a carriage house on the property.

Council approves 30km/h speed limit along Gellatly Road waterfront

Council approved a reduction in the speed limit on Gellatly Road from 50 km/h to 30 km/h along the waterfront multi-use corridor between Boucherie Road and Gellatly Road South. A third-party safety assessment had recommended a reduction to at least 40 km/h. Signs will be changed this summer and RCMP will be asked to increase speed enforcement along the corridor. The Gellatly Road multi-use corridor provides residents and visitors with various amenities including beaches, trail networks, parks, boat launch, playgrounds, bicycle routes, CNR Wharf and parking.

Waterfront licences of occupation to be submitted to the provincial government

Council rescinded a resolution passed at the March 25, 2025 regular Council meeting and agreed to resubmit applications, with housekeeping amendments, to the Government of B.C. seeking to acquire 30-year licences of occupation for existing public swimming areas and boat ramps/launches for Pebble Beach, Marina, and Casa Rio Parks and for Casa Loma Beach, Dupuis Boat Launch, Casa Loma Dock and Casa Loma Waterfront Access and 47.9 hectares of Okanagan Lake foreshore along Gellatly Bay.

Council defers decision on new park names

Council directed the Parks Department to draft a new Parks Naming Policy for Council’s review and input. Council also deferred the naming of four parks, referred to in the report dated July 8, 2025, until the new Parks Naming Policy has been approved by Council.