The Township of Spallumcheen plans to join other North Okanagan communities in withdrawing from the inter-municipal emergency operation service.
The service currently consists of the City of Vernon, the District of Coldsream, Village of Lumby, Spallumcheen, City of Armstrong, City of Enderby and the Regional District of North Okanagan.
A new five-year agreement approved by the partners began Jan. 1, 2015.
“There was a personnel change in the service in 2015 which resulted in an evaluation of the service by the manager,” said Corey Paiement, township chief administrative officer.
“The manager recently explained the changes that occurred in 2015 and recommended that an additional staff position be created for 2016.”
RDNO and Coldstream responded by initiating the process for each partner to withdraw from the service.
“Each is choosing to do that because there is uncertainty about how that service will function and who will pay what should there be any partners remaining,” said Paiement.
The township would have to give two years notice of its plan to withdraw by the end of 2015.
Asked by Coun. Todd York to clarify that the township will still be covered in case of an emergency, Paiement stated that would be the case.
“The current service overlaps,” he said. “It will be two years to determine how each community or group of communities will provide emergency management service in the North Okanagan. That could take on any number of forms, but two years should provide ample opportunity for that to occur.”
A new service would have to be in place by Jan. 1, 2018.
Spallumcheen council is expected to adopt a withdrawal notice bylaw before Dec. 15.
