The City of Armstrong is joining other North Okanagan municipalities in withdrawing from a City of Vernon-managed function.
Council unanimously voted to withdraw from the regional inter-municipal emergency operations service.
“The City of Vernon is the manager and it conducted an evaluation of the service as a result of personnel changes,” said Melinda Stickney, chief administrative officer for Armstrong.
In October, recommendations were brought forward to the function’s governing advisory and policy boards requesting increases to staffing levels in 2016. The increases were needed to ensure staffing needs are met and service levels maintained.
The proposal resulted in two of the partners, the Regional District of North Okanagan and District of Coldstream, initiating a withdrawal process.
Armstrong has given two years notice of its plan to withdraw.
“Given that the RDNO and Coldstream are major contributors to the funding of the service, and for the remaining partners there is uncertainty as to how the service could be afforded or operated without all of the current partners, the remaining partners are initiating withdrawal notice,” said Stickney.
The two-year withdrawal period provides an opportunity for all partners – which includes the Township of Spallumcheen – to explore alternatives and options for the service. That includes entering into other types of agreements with neighbouring local governments.
