Hello Penticton, on behalf of council and city staff, we wish you a happy and successful 2019.
January is a month that focuses our attention forward to the year ahead, a time of planning, when we take stock and set goals. While the days in January are short on light and low on temperature, the underlining potential that accompanies the arrival of the first month of a new year triggers feelings of confidence and optimism.
Let’s get started!
Last October you elected a new city council. As our community’s mayor, I’m delighted to work alongside six incredible councillors who, individually, offer a diverse set of perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing Penticton while, collectively, share common values on the need for transparent processes, wise spending and respectful dialogue.
During our first three months working together, we’ve reviewed and consolidated the issues and priorities we each discussed during our campaigns and, with staff’s assistance, will incorporate these issues and priorities into the upcoming business planning discussions that will accompany our 2019 budget deliberations in February. More affordable housing, reducing crime, infrastructure renewal, economic development, support for youth and seniors, transportation links, emergency readiness, working with First Nations and rolling out a new Official Community Plan are all areas that require council’s immediate attention.
Finding a new CAO
In early January the city’s Chief Administrative Officer, Peter Weeber, announced to council his decision to accept a new position in the private sector. Peter’s time with the city coincided with a challenging period in our community’s history and Peter and his team worked hard to resolve several high-profile issues. He has been a tremendous asset to Penticton and served as a strong leader who understood the business of local government and the role that a proactive CAO plays in the community, leading the corporation and advising council. The process of choosing a new CAO is now underway and council looks forward to announcing the name of the successful candidate once that process is completed.
Seniors and youth
During last fall’s election we heard about the gap between seniors and youth. Exploring ways to close that gap is something I’d like to address during my time as mayor. Despite differences in age, seniors and youth both share a common interest in the well-being of our community, each seeing it from their own experienced perspective.
Bringing these groups together holds tremendous potential for sharing ideas, creating solutions and passing on knowledge. And when it comes to meeting with seniors and youth, there’s also a role for the city to play.
Barriers to information, combined with a lack of knowledge on how to participate in the public process, are sometimes cited as problems for both groups. To address these concerns, the city is designing its engagement events to be considerate of the needs of seniors, including how information is accessed, where events are held and at what time. Similarly, planning is now underway to host a council meeting oriented towards youth, to be held at Penticton High School in the month of May. Students attending the meeting will learn about local government in Penticton, the services the city provides and the process by which decisions are made, all via an agenda that caters to the interests and concerns of young people.
Coming together
One of the biggest challenges facing local government is the impressive scope of opinions and ideas that emerge on any one topic.
When making a decision on a difficult issue, individual members of council rely on input from the public, staff, experts and each other before determining their position. Progress can be slow. To keep the decision process focused, I encourage individual groups to identify areas where, collectively, they hold mutual interests.
A great example was recently seen in the area of arts and culture. During a forum hosted by the Okanagan School of the Art at the Shatford Centre, efforts to bring several groups together led to a thorough and well attended discussion on the future of that organization and facility. Similar results are being seen through the city’s regular public engagement program which, in the span of only a few months, can schedule a variety of events, meetings or surveys designed to gather common points of view from those participating.
If you’ve never attended one of the city’s public engagement events, I encourage you to do so this coming year. Make it a goal to get involved!
All the best for 2019.
John Vassilaki is the Mayor of Penticton and writes a monthly column for the Penticton Western News.
