Meeting this month is pending due to a couple of guests that had scheduling conflicts. Thus the next meeting is this upcoming Tuesday evening @ 7 P.M., in the People Place meeting room on March 24th, 2015. However as this entry's title suggests there are a couple things to share.
First, there is a letter that has been submitted to the Morning Star Paper (Letters to the Editor) Re: Annexation. It reads as below:
"This letter is written on behalf of the B.X./Swan Lake Community Association in response to several recent public comments regarding amalgamation, proposed further annexation of properties from the Electoral Areas by the City of Vernon, and the faulty perception that residents of these areas are freeloading at the expense of Vernon taxpayers.
Choice. Residents of the Electoral Areas B and C have generally made an active choice to live there as we prefer a more rural life style rather than an urban one. We have a variety of reasons for making this choice. In a recent survey, residents of Areas B and C soundly rejected joining the City of Vernon, opting to maintain their current status as electoral areas.
Taxes. Yes some of our property taxes are lower but we also receive fewer services. We do not have street lighting, sidewalks, sewer, garbage pickup, or transit. Fire protection is provided by volunteers. We pay our full share for recreational, cultural, policing, hospital and school facilities. We support local events, businesses and retail outlets and volunteer for many local service organizations. In short, we are full community members
Annexation. All too often in the past, annexations have benefited the developers at the expense of City taxpayers. The annexations have contributed to urban sprawl with little regard for agricultural land or sensitive environments. Frequently these developments, like The Rise or The Outback, only have seasonal residents whose contribution to the community is limited. As Vernon takes over more of the electoral areas, the Vernon taxpayers have to pay more taxes to maintain roads and policing costs while diminishing the Electoral Areas ability to support their own services. In the past industries have been established within areas zoned as industrial. However, the City has permitted residential developments immediately adjacent to those designated zones, residents complained, and the industries were forced to relocate. This has happened several times. Is this to happen again on the Swan Lake Corridor where there are already long standing rural residences? Where is the public consultation?
Please respect the choices that people in Areas B and C have made and recognize we are real community citizens. The City of Vernon does not need more land. There is already enough vacant land within City boundaries to accommodate development for decades. If you think your taxes are too high and rising too fast, ask your City Council how much it actually costs you, the taxpayer, to annex more and more property."
Belinda Stewart, Secretary to the B.X/Swan Lake Community Association
The indents are for space saving format (instead of blank lines separating the paragraphs.) We believe that this letter has also been forwarded to the Kelowna Courier as well. Please feel free to leave comments below.
Another issue came up in the Morning Star today...
Gravel pit rules adopted
There are now firm rules regarding gravel pits in Greater Vernon’s rural areas.The Regional District of North Okanagan board has adopted a soil removal and deposit bylaw for BX-Swan Lake (Area B) and BX-Silver Star (Area C).
“It conforms to Ministry of Mines regulations,” said Mike Macnabb. BX-Silver Star director.
“It doesn’t prohibit but it regulates soil removal and deposits.”
Some BX residents have been concerned about the potential impact of gravel pits, and particularly with noise, dust and hours of operation.
The bylaw doesn’t apply to existing operations.
A proposed pit on Brentwood Road would be considered new and would have to conform to the bylaw.
http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/news/297077191.html
