NOTICE OF OUR ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The BX-Swan Lake Community Association will be holding their Annual General Meeting. Where? Hillview Elementary School Gym 1822 Francis St When? April 28 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM Information will be provided on the following; Water Rates Parks, Recreation and Culture Drought Response Growing Your Own Food Followed by Question period and AGM business.

WHAT’S WRONG WITH PARKS?

The BX/Swan Lake Community Association represents residents of Electoral Areas B & C and we believe there has been a lack of clarity in the information provided by/to the press regarding parks. We have been gathering public information about the current situation regarding the Greater Vernon Parks, Recreation and Culture Service (GVPRC) and trying to understand what issues prevent the service review from resolving these issues and constructing an agreement that will work for all four participants, those being The District of Coldstream, The City of Vernon, and Electoral Areas B & C. From the information we gathered as recorded and presented by Allen Neilson-Welch who has been the facilitator for the service review which has been on-going for a year now, there are ten categories that have been identified. There is general consensus on some of these categories, there is qualified consensus on some and then there are deal breakers. Because the City of Vernon has not responded to us we have not been able to determine The City of Vernon’s position on some of the categories which has resulted in a lack of clarity. The remaining three participants have responded and indicated their positions on all of the following categories: 1)Service Scope, 2)Local Parks, 3)Recreational Facilities, 4)Arts & Culture Facilities, 5)Arts Culture &Youth Programs, 6)Scheduling & Programming, 7)Service Governance, 8)Service Operation, 9)Service Costs, 10)Deal Breakers. The District of Coldstream along with the Electoral Areas B & C have indicated that in order for negotiations to continue, there has to be agreement on the future voting structure of the GVPRC Service Conversion and Service Establishment bylaw #1648. Currently, Coldstream and Electoral Areas B & C each have one vote, while The City of Vernon has 3 votes. As a result, currently, no one participant has control. However, if the 2011 Census determines Vernon’s population to be 40,000 or greater, then The City of Vernon will receive one more vote for a total of four. This fourth vote creates an imbalance that will force a detour away from the spirit of the original agreement . If all four of the representatives from the City of Vernon vote the same way, the City could control the outcome of every motion that required a vote. It is the wish of Coldstream and Electoral Areas B & C to introduce a method whereby fairness and a balance of power would be maintained throughout the life of the Service. If a sense of fairness and a balance of power can not be achieved, the service as we know it will probably cease to exist. No relationship will last without a sense of fairness, be it corporate, governmental or personal. The Excel spreadsheet with all categories and the positions of each participant that we were able to determine can be downloaded by clicking on "What's Wrong With Parks"