REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
Food Waste Presentation
Council was provided an update on costing for a curbside food waste program and was asked to request formal participation in the program by representatives of the Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO). Council decided not to support the proposed program at this time and to revisit it in five years due to excessive costs.
Regional Transportation Service
Council agreed to consider a bylaw to establish a Regional Transportation Service as proposed by the RDCO which would include developing regional transportation plans, facilitating regional transportation coordination, and delivering regional transportation education and programming. The program would contribute to a healthy, thriving, and connected future for the Central Okanagan, improving the movement of people and goods, preparing for growth and technology innovations, and ensuring transportation infrastructure can accommodate future needs. Other member municipalities and electoral areas of the RDCO will be asked to support the service and approval is required by the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs before the Board can adopt an amending bylaw and complete the service establishment process. Peachland’s contribution towards the $400,000 program would be $11,000.
Fees and Charges Review
Council directed staff to bring forward amendments to the Development Application and Licence Fees Bylaw as discussed at the meeting. The move stems from the Development Approvals Process Review (DAPR) project, a provincially initiated program which the District received funding through. Application fees are for cost recovery not income and the previous bylaw was adopted in 2015. Fees were reviewed using comparison against similar municipalities and consideration of staff time and efforts. Peachland’s fees were found to be lower than others, to not reflect the project size or level of service and staff time and contain gaps which should be addressed. It was recommended to increase the fees and update the structure to address complexity and include annual fee increases to address inflation. Council directed staff to proceed with bylaw amendments outlined in the report based on the following rationale:
To ensure fair compensation for staff time and efforts required by development and licensing applications.
To provide sustainable service delivery.
To provide an equitable and sustainable revenue stream for the District.
To better align with peer municipalities within the region for consistency and transparency.
Next Council Meeting
The next Regular Council Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 24, 2025, beginning at 3 pm. Council meetings are open to the public and webcast live. Find the full schedule by visiting www.peachland.ca/government/meetings. Find webcasts of past meetings at www.peachland.ca/government/meetings/archived-webcasts. Keep informed; subscribe to get news and event information emailed directly to you at www.peachland.ca/services/subscribe.