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Good evening everyone. Thank you very
much for coming tonight. Uh my name is

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Eric Thompson. I'm with the regional
district of Okonogan Silkamine. I'm with

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the communications and engagement
department. In just a moment, we will

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hear from Jim Zafino. He is the regional
district chief administrative officer.

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We'll also hear from Matt Taylor, your
area Director. Tara Faganello is with

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us. She's the assistant deputy minister
for local government division at the

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ministry of housing and municipal
affairs province of British Columbia of

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course and also Michelle Dan. Michelle
is the executive director governance and

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structure branch local government
division of the Ministry of Housing and

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Municipal Affairs. So we have our Q&A
that'll be coming up and then we'll wrap

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things up. We'll talk a bit more about
next steps which include the election on

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October 17th of this year. Uh we'll also
invite you to monitor the RDOS regional

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connections web page. There is a project
page on there for the district of

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Okonogan Falls, your new newly named
community. And uh that's where any

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information that is new will be posted.
If you have questions that you'd like

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answered, what we'll do is we'll take
those questions there, we'll post them,

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and we'll post the answer on that
project page. So if you're all okay with

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the uh website, with the internet. Now,
of course, if you if that doesn't work

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for you, you can always call the RDS
directly. So, with that, I'm going to

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open up the floor to your area Director,
Matt Taylor.

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» Thanks very much for coming. I really
want to say um thank you. Um it's been

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quite a process, uh five or six years.
Um people have put in a lot of time, a

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lot of effort, and um I'm just saying
thank you. Uh that's to you as

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residents. But I also want to say thank
you to um members of the board at the

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RDOS and some of our lead staff. Jim
Zafino at the end, our chief admin

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officer, Eric who just spoke with you a
moment ago as our uh comm's manager.

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These are people that have put in a lot
of time. Um we have provincial staff. Uh

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the assistant deputy minister and
executive director

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working
But we've been working with it with them

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uh through three projects now over the
last

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seven years and it's uh strictly this
and then there's the elected people the

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minister uh our MLA have all done their
bit and um honestly I want to say thank

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you to the Soy use Indian band for uh
the effort and time that they've put to

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uh their responses in the consultation
that's been ongoing for the last year.

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[clears throat]
So having said that um we we are

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essentially incorporated now um and
that's kind of

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the end of this process or or the start
of another one. Um some highlights.

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Uh the name uh so we are incorporated as
the district of Okonogan Falls and that

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comes with a mayor and four counselors
and there will be staff uh minimal staff

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but staff and collectively their
objective is to serve the best interests

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of Okonogan Falls and its residents. So
that's you know somewhat different

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scenario than uh working under the
regional district

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which has a much broader um interest
base that they have to to satisfy. As I

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said it's been a 15-month process. Um
managed and legislated by the province.

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Um, so that's a process that we've just
worked our way through and we've just

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been one player at the table in a in a
process that is managed by the province.

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So what we know now um the name district
of Okonogan Falls the boundary

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um is not identical to what was in the
ref

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and there are reasons for differences.
Um

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the the one big thing from our residents
perspective, the parks are included in

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the district of Okonogan Falls. They're
not left out with the regional district.

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Um there are some bits of crown land
along the boundary that are

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still within the regional district and
that's government policy now is to leave

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crown land outside the municipality
where possible.

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Then the third area wanted to highlight
um is just in the area of governance.

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So, as I've said, starting with an
election in October,

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October 17th, I believe it is by a mayor
and four counselors and carried out by

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staff that are employed by the district
of Okonogan Falls. We are going to have

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three advisory committees.
Advisory committees are used by

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municipalities all across the province.
Pentictton has several advisory

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committees. The province is starting us
out with three advisory committees.

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One for water services,
one for transportation

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and one for reconciliation.
Those are you know those are set in our

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letters patent at the outset.
They do have a sunset clause and they

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have a defined purpose. They have a
sunset clause at the end of that time

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frame.
The mun the council may choose to extend

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those same committees or they may choose
to let that committee die and strike up

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a different one on dog rules or um
whether there should be an off leash dog

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park or what have you. I I don't know.
Um

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but those are the three that we're going
to start with. Um those three committees

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are advisory. That means they recommend
to council. They don't they're not a

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decision-making body themselves.
As I said, each of them has a sunset

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clause.
So they all expire sometime between 29

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2029 and 2032.
Um, as I said, they could be extended or

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or not by council. And last, they have
OIB representation on them.

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That's probably different than it might
have been 20 years ago. But if you look

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at municipalities across this province
now,

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including the city of Pentictton,
many of the advisory committees that

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they have have a statement in there that
there will be an OIB representative to

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this committee. So that's the way we've
been started off by the province.

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And again, as I say, those committees
are uh advisory in nature. Lastly, we

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have set out in the letters patent um a
reconciliation collaboration agreement.

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Again, this is got a triplebarreled
name, but we used to have uh a protocol

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agreement between the regional district
of Okonogan Silkamine

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and all of the OA nations.
This is similar to that. it govern. It's

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intended to set out this is the topics
that the first nation wants to be aware

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of and this is the kind of information
they want to be

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made aware of
the time frames in which you know we

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might put it to them in order that they
can comment back just the same way we do

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when we're doing a development. We've
got a big 4x8 sheet of plywood that

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says, you know, there's going to be a
development here. It's a very similar

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kind of thing, only this is specific to
OIB.

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So, at the end of the day, my

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we wanted to incorporate
Okonogan Falls. We've got that name. We

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wanted a boundary that was set out as
per the referendum that's very close to

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what we have now.
And we've been given three advisory

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committees which are advisory in nature
and are not totally dissimilar to what

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you might find in another city. We're
getting given some starting a foundation

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to work with.
So, um

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I'm relatively happy. This is me
happily. Okay. Um I'm I'm cautiously

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optimistic that we've got the things we
need

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and we haven't been given things that
are going to be insurmountable

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difficulties.
Um, I had wanted to have this meeting so

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that you could ask uh questions or state
your concerns

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um whether to myself, whether to staff
at the regional district or staff from

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the province. I wanted to give you that
opportunity

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and I learned my lesson from last year
and I made sure else is going to beating

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the meeting because I don't want to be
trying to do all that at the same time.

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So having said that I'm going to turn it
over for some comments from our

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assistant deputy minister um Miss Tara
Faganello who we've been working with

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for the last several years and uh after
that you'll have time for your

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questions.

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Good evening. Uh it's lovely to be back
here in uh the now district of Okonogan

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Falls. Um I'm Tara Faganello. Got
introduced earlier. I was here in April

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uh for the open house that we held then
and we heard your feedback loud and

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clear and we took that back to Victoria
to decision makers and you now have now

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have your letters patent uh for the new

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years. So um you're famous for that uh
as well. Um, yeah, please. You deserve

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it.

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So, uh, as director Taylor reviewed with
us, the letters patent set out key

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elements of the new municipality,
including your name, your boundary, size

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of council, and how services will
transition from the regional district of

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Okonogan Smokamine and the province.
Uh so you are on track for the election

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on October 17th and then uh
incorporation is effective November 6th

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of this year. Uh we have worked closely
with the Soyuse Indian Band throughout

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the process to establish a successful
foundation for BC's newest municipality.

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Uh once incorporation is complete,
residents and families can benefit from

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local decisionmaking.
So as director Taylor pointed out,

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council will be making decisions in your
boundary.

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Uh the new municipality will have all
the same powers and authorities of all

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other municipalities in the province
through the local government legislation

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that exists.
and um we staff in the Ministry of

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Housing and Municipal Affairs and
elected officials uh will continue to be

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here to support the new municipality as
you work through your startup uh the

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various uh aspects of the letters patent
that director Taylor pointed to

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including the agreement and the advisory
bodies. So we are not far away and uh

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Michelle and I are happy to be here and
take your questions. So with that I will

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conclude and hand it back to Eric. Thank
you.

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» Thank you very much. And I wanted to
remind anyone who is watching online

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live on July the 15th that if you are
tuned into WebEx, if you want to ask a

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question, you press three. That will
raise your hand and then press three

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again to lower your hand. If you're
watching this on YouTube, it's not live

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and you'll have to just listen and
that's all you'll be able to do. So, I

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just wanted to remind you about that.
And uh with that, we are going to get to

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questions and answers and comments in
just a moment, but right now I'm going

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to invite Jim Zafino to step up to the
microphone. Jim is the chief

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administrative officer with the regional
district of Okonogan Silkamine.

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» Thank you, Eric. So, one of the things
that we were tasked is to determine how

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many services that uh the new
municipality will take over 100%. It

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turns out to be 16 and 13 of those that
we have until December 31st, 2027 to

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actually make the transition.
Ultimately, we'll negotiate with the

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mayor and council and the staff to see
when they can actually take it over

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because there's going to be a lot of
work to begin with. The other three are

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the one sewer and two water. So, the new
municipality will have three years to

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make sure that they have the order and
then they could take it over. There's

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going to be some continuity with that.
We're also looking to be fair in looking

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at the reserves that area D put into the
system. So, right now, area D was this

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big. Now, area D is this big. So, we
have to determine how many of the

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reserves stay with D and how many
reserves go over to the the new

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municipality. And we're in the process
of doing that. and we're going to be

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making sure that it's fair. So we we
will be taking a formula or have taken a

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formula to the board on how we can do
this and essentially the reserves were

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increased using assessment. So we're
going to use the same formula to bring

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the reserves and put them back into the
the what to put them back with Okonogan

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Falls. So
any if you have any questions I could

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come back and answer them. Essentially
that's about it. We pledge that we're

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going to make it fair and we're going to
work and help the new municipality

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succeed.
>> Thank you, Jim. Now, we get into our Oh,

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go ahead.
>> There's a question.

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» Okay. I don't know. I'm going to step on
a ledge here. Does anybody here old

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enough to remember Phil Donahghue? So,
what I think I'll do is I'll come to you

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with the microphone to make you feel
comfortable and then I'll come back and

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check the WebEx comments. I don't see
any right now, but I I understand we

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have one question so far. Where would
that be? All right. I'll fill Donahghue

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my way over there. I will hold the
microphone for you and invite you to

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share your thoughts with us. I'll get
you to stand up if you don't mind just

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so people can see you.
>> My question is for you Jim. So when the

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incorporation study committee looked at
services, there were 42 services that

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Okonogan Falls was receiving at that
time. And so I'm a little confused as to

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you said there were we were only taking
over 16 of these services. Can you

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clarify that please?
>> Yes. the the remainder of the services

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are regional services. So I I'll give
you an example for Pentictton for

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instance. Pentictton has probably about
20 25 services that the regional

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district does on their behalf. So
there's some services that stay with the

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regional district, but the the 16 will
be moving over. So you're correct. what

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the numbers that you stated are correct,
but not all of them move over because

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there's some some requirements that they
are regional services.

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» Did you want to follow up on that? No.
And I'm going to go to the next person

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over here, but Jim, the new mayor and
council will have uh quite a say in what

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the future looks like as far as when the
RDOS continues, whether they continue

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with some of those services.
>> Not on the regional ones. So one of the

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things that uh the new municipality has
is where we have a restriction. I'll

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give you an example for the recreation.
All reserves all monies that are

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collected for the recreation as far as a
regional district's concerned stays with

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the reg stays with the recreation. That
means we can't move it to any other

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service. Once we transfer the reserves
over to the new municipality that can go

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to general fund and the restrictions
aren't the same.

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All right, we have a question over here.
>> Um, excuse me. I was just wondering, um,

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Okanogen Falls used to have their own,
uh, water irrigation system and then at,

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uh, sometime along the way the regional
district took it over. Um, we all had an

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increase of $542
quarterly for the water which we paid

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the regional district. Um, are we going
to be getting our water back? And if so,

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are we having control over that again?
And if we're not getting it back, what

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happens to all the monies that were paid
to the regional district district by

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this community? Do we have to pay more
to our new municipality or does the

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regional district give us back that
monies that we've already put in?

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Because it's been transferred twice now.
The first time they took all the monies

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when they took over and now we've paid
them again. So I was cons curious as to

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how that would work.
>> It will be transferred back to the

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Okonogan Falls. The mayor council will
take control of it. They will control

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the fees and all of the any reserves
that go with that comes also to the new

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municipality.

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» All right, just checking to see if we
have any questions online. No, none yet.

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Uh do we have another question or
comment from the audience?

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00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:08,840
Oh, there is one. I'm not seeing that
one.

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Let's just see. Oh, there we go.
Uh,

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where is Oh. Uh, will there be a local
bylaw officer and or police officer?

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That's our question online. Will there
be a local bylaw officer or a local

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police officer?
We'll let Jim take that one.

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One of the transfers of uh staff will be
someone that will be able to do bylaw.

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Yes.
Now, because you're a smaller

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municipality, it may be a shared
position up to the mayor and council.

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So, they may decide that the bylaw
officer may be a bylaw officer and

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something else that we can't control.
But you are you will be receiving an

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individual that can be a bylaw.
>> All right. And we've uh got another

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question over here. Hello.
Go ahead, please.

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00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:17,520
» I just didn't understand your third
point about the boundary changes perhaps

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and being fair and part of area D may be
incorporated into the city.

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» Part of area D will not be in the city.
D is it is on its own. And uh while

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we're waiting for another question, I
just wanted to mention I I feel uh bad

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that I didn't mention our other three
panelists up there. They're the

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technical crew, Lewis, Adam, and Mark.
Uh Mark is with Scaha Sound. Um and

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Lewis work with the RDOS, and they are
the ones that make these meetings

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possible because sometimes it's kind of
like relaunch

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to be able to have a live meeting online
as well. All right, any other questions?

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Go over here. Phil did really good job,
didn't he? He used to run. I I I'm not

237
00:20:54,320 --> 00:21:01,600
going to run today. Here you go. Go
ahead, please.

238
00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:07,520
» Um, in regards to the advisory committee
committees, who is going to be invited

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00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:10,240
to sit on those committees?
It's

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» an important question. And who would
like to talk about that?

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00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:17,559
Area Director Matt Taylor.

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00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:27,120
Each of the committees has got a uh
at least the way it's set up now in the

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00:21:24,799 --> 00:21:32,400
letters patent each of those three
committees has stated membership and you

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00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:38,640
can look online and see what the
membership is at the moment and I'm

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00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:43,679
being totally upfront with you like uh
OIB has a representative one

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00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:48,240
representative or will be invited to
appoint one representative to two of

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00:21:46,559 --> 00:21:52,400
those committees.
and they'll be invited to appoint two

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00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:59,280
people
or an equal number to what the district

249
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has appointed to the third one which is
the reconciliation group

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00:22:03,919 --> 00:22:12,559
and I yeah oh we got a followup
quick follow

251
00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:18,080
» over there please
>> so when you say appointed are you going

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to be inviting members of the community
to participate on these advisories.

253
00:22:21,039 --> 00:22:31,840
» Okay. Again, that's not going to be me,
but the mayor and council will set out

254
00:22:27,360 --> 00:22:33,360
parameters for people to apply to sit on
those committees.

255
00:22:32,799 --> 00:22:35,679
» Okay.
>> Yeah.

256
00:22:33,919 --> 00:22:39,440
» So, and it's volunteer based, so people
can put their names forward and and um

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and then it's up to mayor and counsel.
And before we get to another question on

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00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:48,400
that note, um I don't know if you wanted
to give us a date after the October 17th

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00:22:46,159 --> 00:22:52,640
election when a new mayor and four
counselors are chosen. The first local

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00:22:51,360 --> 00:22:55,600
council meeting will be when? Is it?
November 6th.

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00:22:53,360 --> 00:22:58,240
» November the 6th is the first council
meeting

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00:22:56,080 --> 00:23:01,679
» and that will be open to the public.
>> Well, I think all meetings technically

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00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:03,919
are going to be open to the public.
>> Just a matter of where and how that

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works out.
>> Where?

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00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:10,400
» Excellent. Yeah.
>> All right. Any other questions? We have

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00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:14,240
one over here.
Yeah.

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00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:20,440
» So, you did answer the question about
the bylaw officer, but there was no

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00:23:16,559 --> 00:23:20,440
answer on police.

269
00:23:21,039 --> 00:23:29,039
Policing is the question. Will there be
a local officer assigned to the district

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00:23:26,159 --> 00:23:34,919
of Okonogan Falls?
Okay. Tricky. Policing is

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a service that we're paying for, but
it's delivered by the RCMP.

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00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:51,600
We're not getting a separate detachment
in Okonogan Falls. Our police service

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will continue to be delivered in much
the same fashion as it is now. Although

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00:23:53,919 --> 00:24:05,760
I would expect that like Oliver, a
Soyuse and Summerland,

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00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:09,440
um the RCMP actually comes in and briefs
council

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00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:15,200
every quarter.
We don't get that.

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00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:22,799
We we get something similar. They come
to the regional district and they brief,

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00:24:19,279 --> 00:24:28,960
but it's for the whole region.
I would expect that once you have a

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00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:35,279
mayor and council, the RCMP will come in
and give you a briefing every quarter on

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00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:39,039
just Okonogan Falls. And that's an
opportunity for mayor and council to

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00:24:37,120 --> 00:24:41,520
interact directly with them at that
point.

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00:24:39,919 --> 00:24:46,320
» And and I believe you might not be able
to comment on this, but the threshold is

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00:24:43,120 --> 00:24:49,039
approximately 5,000 residents where you
cross that line where now you get to pay

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extra.
>> You Yes. For this you get that benefit.

285
00:24:51,679 --> 00:24:56,320
» Yeah.
>> Yeah. So that

286
00:24:54,400 --> 00:25:00,400
» we're a ways off here in the district of
local.

287
00:24:56,960 --> 00:25:06,159
» My wicked sense of humor uh under wraps.
>> Okay. All right. We're doing well. We

288
00:25:03,120 --> 00:25:13,080
got more questions. Followup.
>> Oh, okay. Sorry

289
00:25:09,279 --> 00:25:13,080
to wave. Hi. I'm

290
00:25:13,120 --> 00:25:20,240
» Where does the money come from for the
regional services?

291
00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:24,559
» Money for regional services. I'll come
back over to you for your follow-up in a

292
00:25:21,760 --> 00:25:30,640
sec.
So the question is where does the money

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00:25:26,320 --> 00:25:35,360
come from for regional services? So in
your new tax notice for the municipality

294
00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:40,159
you'll have one tax notice but it's
going to have municipal taxes and then

295
00:25:37,760 --> 00:25:45,120
regional district taxes. Same as
pentictton all over summerland they but

296
00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:51,440
you it will be identified. you will know
that the difference with an extra one

297
00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:58,880
with the right now as a rural tax area
you also have leasing and road etc that

298
00:25:56,559 --> 00:26:05,679
that will be gone because the province
has promised 5year pause on the road

299
00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:11,760
maintenance which is awesome.
Did you want to call out with

300
00:26:09,120 --> 00:26:18,320
that? The district of Okonaga Falls will
be in charge of local roads.

301
00:26:14,720 --> 00:26:20,480
» No. Well, for five years. After 5 years.
>> After 5 years.

302
00:26:19,039 --> 00:26:23,679
» You don't want it sooner because that
means you're paying for it.

303
00:26:22,159 --> 00:26:26,679
» What does that mean for snow removal?
Then

304
00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:33,760
» regional districts don't have any don't
have any control of roads as it is. It's

305
00:26:31,120 --> 00:26:36,720
always been uh the the provincial
government that does the roads or

306
00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:40,640
regional districts.
>> So that's a good point then. So that

307
00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:42,559
means that that stack the same for five
years.

308
00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:47,200
» Yes.
>> Okay. And then so snow removal that type

309
00:26:45,120 --> 00:26:51,120
of thing is the same as is it as it is
now then where it's AIM

310
00:26:49,679 --> 00:26:57,039
» takes care of it in the ministry.
>> That's a benefit for incorporation.

311
00:26:55,039 --> 00:26:59,120
» Okay. Um sorry we did have a followup
over here. And if you do have a

312
00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:02,080
question, if you can wave your hand
really high, just like a good uh

313
00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:04,480
auction, that would be great. I'll be
right over there, sir. You had a

314
00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:09,520
follow-up.
>> Are we keeping our fire department? I'm

315
00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:13,039
hoping so.
>> And and this gentleman asked, is it

316
00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:15,840
still going to be volunteer keeping the
fire department and will it still be

317
00:27:14,480 --> 00:27:20,240
volunteer?
The fire department is one of the 13

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00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:25,760
that's stay coming over to to the new
municipality and it'll be up to the new

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00:27:23,039 --> 00:27:31,799
mayor and council to determine if it's
volunteer or full-time, not not the

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00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:31,799
regional district.

321
00:27:32,159 --> 00:27:36,080
» Will there be a vote on that for the
community?

322
00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:40,240
» I can't speak for the mayor and council.
So, there you go. They they'll be able

323
00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:45,440
to decide. Uh, this gentleman here had a
question. Go ahead, sir.

324
00:27:42,559 --> 00:27:49,720
I was just wondering how many staff
members would they need to hire

325
00:27:51,039 --> 00:27:59,279
in our review right now with the the
billing and the taxation that the

326
00:27:56,559 --> 00:28:05,200
regional district's billing area D. We
we did a lot of work and took out the

327
00:28:02,960 --> 00:28:11,840
area D that's still going to be D and
looked at how many uh support workers

328
00:28:08,159 --> 00:28:17,840
and it would be five support workers and
10 field workers of the 10. Three would

329
00:28:15,120 --> 00:28:24,240
be sewer, two would be water and then
the rest would be parks and whatever

330
00:28:20,159 --> 00:28:31,600
else is uh needed. and it the transfer
would be over one from us to the new

331
00:28:27,520 --> 00:28:35,120
municipality as the council asks for it.
>> How was that decision made Jim? Is some

332
00:28:33,279 --> 00:28:39,360
of that mandated by the province or
through legislation?

333
00:28:37,120 --> 00:28:45,600
» No, we
a little well the sorry the corporate

334
00:28:42,799 --> 00:28:50,399
officer is the only one that there's an
interim corporate officer that was

335
00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:56,080
hired. That's the first position. The
the rest of it and the CFO. I think

336
00:28:52,960 --> 00:29:01,200
» the CFO. Okay. I'm telling I'm I'm Wow.
The CFO also.

337
00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:05,520
Okay. So, the the C I'm recommending
something different though corporate.

338
00:29:03,360 --> 00:29:09,679
I'm recommending CEO CFO be one
position. So, I'm I'm recommending to

339
00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:16,799
the new I can't speak for them, but I do
recommend the CEO is also the CFO. It

340
00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:21,919
saves money and the CEO has direct
control of the of the money to help keep

341
00:29:19,919 --> 00:29:25,279
keep taxes down. So that's chief
administrative officer, the chief

342
00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:29,679
financial officer. If those two roles
are rolled into one, I'm going to guess

343
00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:31,919
here there's a cost savings which is
important.

344
00:29:30,159 --> 00:29:37,600
» Yes, that's why I recommend that.
>> Okay. I believe you had a question sir.

345
00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:42,960
Um so as a business owner uh are there
any things which we need to get

346
00:29:39,919 --> 00:29:47,200
ourselves prepared for the change? uh
like do we have to do any kind of

347
00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:52,559
paperwork or something would be
different or and also for the residents

348
00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:57,840
what would be before and after like the
changes?

349
00:29:54,559 --> 00:30:05,120
» So any changes for business owners?
>> So I would say for the foreseeable

350
00:30:01,039 --> 00:30:10,240
future no difference.
The new municipality

351
00:30:07,039 --> 00:30:16,640
will have the capacity to require
business licenses,

352
00:30:12,559 --> 00:30:23,840
but when and how quickly they decide to
act on that and and who is required to

353
00:30:20,159 --> 00:30:29,039
have a business license, that's
mayor and council decision. And I'm not

354
00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:34,399
sure
they've got an awful lot of things like

355
00:30:31,840 --> 00:30:39,440
bylaws, etc., budgets that they have to
get in place at the start. I don't see

356
00:30:36,799 --> 00:30:46,320
that being right at the top of their
list of priorities. So, I I would say

357
00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:51,679
a business operator is not going to see
a difference on October 17th or November

358
00:30:49,919 --> 00:30:53,520
6th.
>> All right, we've got a question up

359
00:30:52,799 --> 00:30:57,600
front.
>> Yeah, my question is for the assistant

360
00:30:55,200 --> 00:31:02,080
uh deputy minister. um and developing
the terms for letters patent. Can you

361
00:30:59,840 --> 00:31:06,640
describe uh the process or any
consultation uh that took place in in

362
00:31:05,120 --> 00:31:11,760
that regard?
>> Consultation with the community

363
00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:15,679
» um well consultation with yeah I guess
with the community or with the

364
00:31:13,039 --> 00:31:22,480
representatives that uh uh for the
community or and also with the SU band.

365
00:31:19,919 --> 00:31:28,240
» Great question. Thank you. Um yeah,
there was extensive consultation by the

366
00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:37,039
province on the letters patent with um
the community. We post the incorporation

367
00:31:31,679 --> 00:31:42,080
vote. Um we had an engagement uh survey.
We had an engagement website. We came

368
00:31:39,120 --> 00:31:47,279
and did the open house in April. Uh
heard a lot of uh feedback from the

369
00:31:44,559 --> 00:31:52,880
community from that. We also, as I
mentioned, have the legislated duty to

370
00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:58,159
consult with the First Nations in the
area. And so we undertook extensive

371
00:31:55,360 --> 00:32:06,320
consultation with the Soyuse Indian ban
prior to cabinet uh deciding on the

372
00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:11,519
letters patent. And um we consulted with
some of our other ministry colleagues uh

373
00:32:08,559 --> 00:32:16,080
in particular ministry of transportation
um ministry of waterlands natural

374
00:32:14,159 --> 00:32:21,519
resource and of course ministry of
indigenous relations and reconciliation

375
00:32:19,039 --> 00:32:27,840
um a lot of consultation with RDOS
obviously um they were instrumental in

376
00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:33,679
in helping us uh leading up to letters
patent. So I think I think I've got a

377
00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:39,440
full full list there. Anybody else I
missed? No, I think that's Yeah. Does

378
00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:42,399
that help?
>> Could I follow up on that? I'll ask over

379
00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:47,679
here if you don't mind. I'm just
wondering so much was learned during

380
00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:51,360
this process. Will there be uh not a
guide book, but but uh something put

381
00:32:49,360 --> 00:32:55,200
together that would help inform future
incorporations because it seems like a

382
00:32:53,200 --> 00:32:58,960
lot of work was done that hadn't been
done before because it's all new.

383
00:32:56,960 --> 00:33:05,120
» Oh. Oh, great question, Phil. I mean,
Eric. [laughter] Um, yes, absolutely.

384
00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:11,200
Uh, this, as I said, was the first
incorporation in 16 years and it was the

385
00:33:07,600 --> 00:33:14,960
first incorporation under DRIPA and, um,
we do have a lot of lessons learned and

386
00:33:13,120 --> 00:33:19,679
I think your community has helped us
with uh, some of those. So we will be

387
00:33:17,679 --> 00:33:25,679
undertaking some lessons learned work
and uh look to what if any changes we

388
00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:31,279
need to make in our incorporation
uh processes maybe information. Not sure

389
00:33:28,799 --> 00:33:35,600
if we need any legislative changes yet
but uh yes we will be doing that work.

390
00:33:33,679 --> 00:33:38,399
» Thank you. I saw a hand go up here and
then I'll head over there to you John.

391
00:33:37,120 --> 00:33:41,360
Actually sorry I'll go this lady. She
hasn't spoken yet. We're trying to get

392
00:33:39,519 --> 00:33:46,000
as many voices in as we can. Go ahead
please. I was just wondering if out of

393
00:33:43,679 --> 00:33:51,519
town owners are going to be able to
vote.

394
00:33:48,960 --> 00:33:55,760
» Good question. U there are there is
legislation um that's set in place.

395
00:33:54,480 --> 00:34:02,159
Director Taylor, if you'd like to talk a
bit more about that on who can vote in

396
00:33:58,559 --> 00:34:09,280
local elections. really tricky question
and there's a lot of um details there,

397
00:34:06,559 --> 00:34:16,560
but the short answer is it's going to be
the same as

398
00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:20,960
it has been. If you could vote before
for your area director,

399
00:34:19,679 --> 00:34:25,839
then you're going to be able to vote for
a mayor and council.

400
00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:30,480
» And the election for the regional
district of Okonogan Simil electoral

401
00:34:27,839 --> 00:34:33,839
areas and the mun the new district will
be handled separately. They're two

402
00:34:31,679 --> 00:34:36,879
separate elections on the same day, the
17th of October.

403
00:34:35,359 --> 00:34:42,320
» Correct.
Um, and I guess the other point I'd just

404
00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:49,520
like to make those
rules on who can vote where,

405
00:34:46,240 --> 00:34:54,720
again, not pinning it on anybody, but
those are provincial rules and they

406
00:34:51,679 --> 00:34:57,680
apply across the province for every
municipality.

407
00:34:56,079 --> 00:35:01,440
» And that information is all available
online. And if you can't find it, if you

408
00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:06,079
contact the RDS directly, we'll be able
to provide the information for you to

409
00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:12,000
the links where you can find it. Yeah.
And Eric has actually gotten set up

410
00:35:10,240 --> 00:35:17,280
already.
In the past, you've used RDOS regional

411
00:35:14,720 --> 00:35:24,000
connections. There was a project page
for the previous projects on boundary or

412
00:35:21,599 --> 00:35:31,839
on the cost benefit. There was a
separate page for Okonogan Falls.

413
00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:38,320
There's now a new separate page for the
district of Okonogan Falls

414
00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:45,280
and that's where you can find questions
and answers and there'll be initial

415
00:35:40,880 --> 00:35:50,720
information about elections, dates, who
can run, and where you can go for more

416
00:35:47,359 --> 00:35:56,240
detailed information from that. Yeah,
>> I I don't want to

417
00:35:53,760 --> 00:36:01,760
put anybody on the spot here, but this
kind of stuff is typically overseen by a

418
00:35:59,680 --> 00:36:10,800
corporate officer.
And you can quickly stand up because we

419
00:36:06,560 --> 00:36:15,119
now have an interim corporate officer
who has been hired under contract from

420
00:36:12,960 --> 00:36:20,240
the province.
And that individual selected again

421
00:36:18,079 --> 00:36:27,119
through a very collaborative process
administered by the RDOS working for uh

422
00:36:25,280 --> 00:36:37,079
the province.
And last just on all that kind of crap

423
00:36:30,720 --> 00:36:37,079
um we a website okonoganfalls.ca

424
00:36:38,480 --> 00:36:46,240
and that will be the municipality's
website. And I want to put a shout out

425
00:36:43,680 --> 00:36:53,520
to the Okonogan Falls Business and
Community Association because that was

426
00:36:48,880 --> 00:36:59,680
their website and um I only had to break
three arms

427
00:36:55,440 --> 00:37:05,200
for them to give it to us uh for the for
the new municipality. And I I really do

428
00:37:02,240 --> 00:37:10,000
appreciate that. I think it it's super
that the community can have a website

429
00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:13,760
that actually says what it is. and your
new interm corporate officer will have

430
00:37:12,320 --> 00:37:17,440
to make decisions on what happens with
that website, who populates it. But in

431
00:37:15,520 --> 00:37:21,440
the short term, the RDS regional
connections page, project page for the

432
00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:26,320
district of Okonogan Falls will have
information about the local community.

433
00:37:23,520 --> 00:37:30,320
» Yeah, John has a question. Hello, John.
Long time no see.

434
00:37:27,920 --> 00:37:34,880
» Thanks, Eric. Just a couple comments and
then one question for the uh ADM. The

435
00:37:33,119 --> 00:37:40,400
comments are regarding the policing
service and the highways. So I can I can

436
00:37:38,400 --> 00:37:45,520
speak from experience with the policing
service. Um the police will uh the

437
00:37:44,320 --> 00:37:50,480
powers that be with the police
department will meet with council.

438
00:37:47,119 --> 00:37:55,119
Usually it's in camera uh because they
get specific in terms of properties and

439
00:37:53,119 --> 00:37:59,920
crimes and who's doing what and they
hear from council as to what the

440
00:37:56,720 --> 00:38:04,160
concerns are directly as this house is a
problem, that house is a problem, this

441
00:38:01,920 --> 00:38:09,520
road is uh dangerous cuz people are
speeding. So the the council will really

442
00:38:07,040 --> 00:38:14,480
have a lot of input to the police. And
in terms of highways, we don't have

443
00:38:10,960 --> 00:38:21,920
highways for 5 years here, but your CEO
or CFO uh or council can contact um the

444
00:38:18,880 --> 00:38:26,720
leadership in highways and say we really
need a crosswalk here or we need

445
00:38:23,599 --> 00:38:31,440
something done with this the speed uh or
something with the road condition and

446
00:38:28,560 --> 00:38:35,280
actually get more um direct attention.
And also there's there's funding

447
00:38:33,040 --> 00:38:40,640
opportunities with ICBC for speed
readers and things like that. But for

448
00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:45,040
the ADM is with the Soyus Indian ban
just recently announcing or being

449
00:38:42,560 --> 00:38:48,800
announced um that they're going to do
reconciliation a reconciliation

450
00:38:46,560 --> 00:38:52,800
agreement with the province. Will that
run separately from the reconciliation

451
00:38:50,880 --> 00:38:56,960
committee at the District of Okonogan
Falls or will those sort of

452
00:38:54,160 --> 00:39:01,680
crosspollinate or are they two separate
uh processes that won't really get in

453
00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:06,240
each other's lane?
Yeah, great question. Um, they are

454
00:39:03,599 --> 00:39:10,079
separate processes. Um, [clears throat]
in the letters patent,

455
00:39:08,560 --> 00:39:14,320
uh, as director Taylor mentioned
earlier, those are online. You can see

456
00:39:11,520 --> 00:39:18,880
them. It's all public. Um, with the
reconciliation agreement and the

457
00:39:16,240 --> 00:39:26,640
reconciliation advisory body, there are
certain um topics uh sub subject matter

458
00:39:23,119 --> 00:39:33,440
of interest uh that was included. And so
those are the kinds of uh topics that

459
00:39:29,920 --> 00:39:39,280
the OIB and the advisory bodies will be
working on together for the community.

460
00:39:37,359 --> 00:39:42,640
» All right. Well, we've got two more. I
saw you had your hand up first and then

461
00:39:40,480 --> 00:39:45,599
we'll get over to you there. Go ahead,
please.

462
00:39:43,359 --> 00:39:50,160
» Um Matt, you partially answered my
question, but not not as fully. What

463
00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:57,599
activities are going to take place
between now and October 17th and then

464
00:39:53,520 --> 00:40:03,440
November 6th and who will be undertaking
them and how will they be communicated

465
00:40:00,240 --> 00:40:09,440
to the community?
>> All right. So what type of activities

466
00:40:06,240 --> 00:40:13,520
governance-wise the interimm corp
what will happen between now and the

467
00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:16,880
election and then the November 6th
meeting? What will be going on? our

468
00:40:15,359 --> 00:40:20,800
interimm corporate officer, your
interimm corporate officer will be

469
00:40:18,720 --> 00:40:24,800
working on some of that. I don't know if
she wants to talk. Probably not.

470
00:40:22,872 --> 00:40:30,000
[laughter]
We'll ask Michelle Dan from the province

471
00:40:26,880 --> 00:40:34,480
of DC.
So, great question. Um, one of the

472
00:40:32,400 --> 00:40:40,079
things
is doing right now with RDOS is

473
00:40:37,200 --> 00:40:45,760
developing a manual for the interimm
corporate officer which will lay out a

474
00:40:42,960 --> 00:40:50,720
number of the activities that we
anticipate the corporate officer will be

475
00:40:47,520 --> 00:40:56,640
doing. things like getting um inaugural
meetings ready, figuring out meeting

476
00:40:53,440 --> 00:41:03,920
places um starting to connect with other
ministries um so that there's uh some of

477
00:41:00,880 --> 00:41:09,119
the work that a new municipality is
going to need to do will have already

478
00:41:06,400 --> 00:41:14,800
had some legs. Um so those are a few of
the things. Um, I think right now what

479
00:41:12,640 --> 00:41:20,400
is probably going to be um front and
center for a lot of folks as we've

480
00:41:17,359 --> 00:41:26,319
talked about already is the election of
mayor and council. So um a lot of

481
00:41:23,920 --> 00:41:29,520
municipalities across the province and
uh the regional districts are getting

482
00:41:27,760 --> 00:41:34,000
ready for that election. So I think that
will take a lot of focus in the in the

483
00:41:31,680 --> 00:41:37,640
community.
And director Taylor,

484
00:41:38,640 --> 00:41:44,000
if
>> I could add, there's other stuff though

485
00:41:41,680 --> 00:41:51,280
that is going on behind the scenes which
RDOS staff for the most part are leading

486
00:41:48,800 --> 00:41:56,640
on and that is development of a budget
for instance. So your mayor and council

487
00:41:54,560 --> 00:42:02,319
are going to come in on November the
6th.

488
00:41:58,880 --> 00:42:08,560
I I don't know who they will be, but
they need to have a budget in place for

489
00:42:04,240 --> 00:42:16,960
the next fiscal year. Um, RDOS has
already got a draft budget prepared for

490
00:42:12,319 --> 00:42:23,920
us as a starting point. Um, there's it
again, sorry, information technology.

491
00:42:20,560 --> 00:42:31,839
Um, again, RDOS has already gotten going
on that um getting the domain name

492
00:42:27,920 --> 00:42:38,079
organized, getting uh not just the
budget but the accounting process

493
00:42:34,480 --> 00:42:42,680
working, etc. So, those are just some of
the things that have to go on.

494
00:42:44,240 --> 00:42:51,599
» Great. I saw a hand up and I know
there's uh you at the back.

495
00:42:50,000 --> 00:42:56,560
I said I over here next and then I'll
head over there. Go ahead please.

496
00:42:54,480 --> 00:43:03,839
» Curious as to I know there's going to be
consultation with the different bands in

497
00:42:59,040 --> 00:43:09,760
the area but um as a community household
owner member of this community we never

498
00:43:06,480 --> 00:43:14,319
see any representation from them or hear
anything from them. We just hear it from

499
00:43:12,560 --> 00:43:19,680
the people that are all sitting up
there. I would like to hear what they

500
00:43:17,280 --> 00:43:22,640
actually really have to say instead of
going through this government, this

501
00:43:21,440 --> 00:43:27,119
government, this government, this
government. I mean, we've worked very

502
00:43:24,800 --> 00:43:31,599
well in this community for over hundred
years together with the cattlemen and

503
00:43:29,520 --> 00:43:36,960
the ranchers and everybody in this
community got along with each other and

504
00:43:34,400 --> 00:43:41,839
they talked to each other. Now all of a
sudden it's just certain people saying

505
00:43:39,200 --> 00:43:46,720
certain things, but I still don't see
representation from other people that

506
00:43:44,480 --> 00:43:52,640
are going to be involved in this
community. And it's not for a lack of

507
00:43:49,680 --> 00:44:01,040
wanting to be involved. It's just I
don't see the ministries or anybody else

508
00:43:57,440 --> 00:44:05,680
showing this community that here this is
what these people have to say and and

509
00:44:03,040 --> 00:44:10,480
and we want to be honest about this and
this and that because there's so many

510
00:44:07,839 --> 00:44:15,440
rumors going around that it's causing a
division within this community and

511
00:44:12,800 --> 00:44:20,359
that's not this community. That's not
how we operate.

512
00:44:17,359 --> 00:44:20,359
» Yeah.

513
00:44:22,079 --> 00:44:29,200
Okay. I believe you had a question, sir.
Somebody I saw a hand up over here. Oh,

514
00:44:26,640 --> 00:44:31,920
this gentleman. Sorry. There you go.
>> Okay. Thank you. I'll take it.

515
00:44:31,119 --> 00:44:34,800
» I'll hold the mic.
>> This is like a UFC. They usually I don't

516
00:44:33,680 --> 00:44:37,520
know if you noticed the host usually
holds the mic.

517
00:44:35,599 --> 00:44:44,880
» You've been vaccinated or are you okay?
So anyway, all right. Um, I have been

518
00:44:42,400 --> 00:44:51,119
following this incorporation since day
one and way back then we were sold and

519
00:44:48,720 --> 00:44:56,560
part of the reason that we voted for it
was some of the financial statements

520
00:44:52,960 --> 00:45:04,160
that were made way back then.
Now, how my my question really is uh how

521
00:45:01,040 --> 00:45:07,160
far away are we from those original
estimates?

522
00:45:07,599 --> 00:45:16,160
and I call them estimates.
I also have seen this place uh flesh I'm

523
00:45:14,240 --> 00:45:20,319
like pleased to see it flesh out and and
and actually come to life and I

524
00:45:18,720 --> 00:45:25,359
appreciate all the support that we're
getting from all your people. But uh the

525
00:45:23,359 --> 00:45:30,160
my question was and I remember the
number that I was told my taxes would

526
00:45:28,240 --> 00:45:33,680
rise.
>> So taxes are based on assessment and I

527
00:45:33,119 --> 00:45:40,319
can say
>> assessment not we got before.

528
00:45:36,800 --> 00:45:45,599
So, I'm the one that did did the budget.
I'm recommending I would recommend to

529
00:45:43,200 --> 00:45:50,319
the mayor and council that they adopt it
to third reading and and they take a

530
00:45:47,599 --> 00:45:55,920
look at it in the budget that was
created. And I I had the deputy CFO do a

531
00:45:54,240 --> 00:46:02,800
separate one all of their own and we
were within $30,000 of each other. So,

532
00:46:00,160 --> 00:46:08,319
one of the thing it's from what I saw
from what it's probably the same report

533
00:46:04,720 --> 00:46:13,200
you did, it's fairly close. However, the
mayor and council can change it. They it

534
00:46:10,720 --> 00:46:18,720
can go up or down. One of the things
that I do and I believe strongly in it

535
00:46:15,359 --> 00:46:25,839
is I did not use any reserves, did not
use any grant money to lower the taxes.

536
00:46:22,000 --> 00:46:30,160
Your may council may want to do that. I
wouldn't recommend it. It's it's either

537
00:46:27,839 --> 00:46:34,640
pay now or pay later. But from what I
saw, what you were originally told, and

538
00:46:32,319 --> 00:46:40,800
I didn't have anything to do with that,
and what myself and the deputy did is

539
00:46:37,520 --> 00:46:45,680
fairly close.
>> Oh, I do want to add one more thing is

540
00:46:43,520 --> 00:46:50,960
we are very precise on the number of
hours and FTEEs that we have for every

541
00:46:48,000 --> 00:46:57,200
one of our projects. We have over 160
projects that we do and we allocated

542
00:46:53,680 --> 00:47:03,520
4,000 FTE hours, regional district hours
for the conversion and we are are on

543
00:47:01,280 --> 00:47:07,680
track right now to we're going to reach
that 4,000 hours by the time everything

544
00:47:06,000 --> 00:47:10,720
is said and done. [snorts]
>> FTE is a full-time equivalent.

545
00:47:09,599 --> 00:47:15,680
» Yes,
>> Director Taylor.

546
00:47:13,760 --> 00:47:21,440
» Yeah. Yeah, I just wanted to say that um
this community has had

547
00:47:18,160 --> 00:47:27,040
two sort of financial analyses through
the last project um administered by Alan

548
00:47:25,520 --> 00:47:32,720
Nielsen and I think many of you will
have come and sat through some of his

549
00:47:29,440 --> 00:47:39,200
sessions but you know they did analysis
and they determined I think the average

550
00:47:35,280 --> 00:47:47,440
household was going to spend $250
per year more for the average house. Um

551
00:47:44,000 --> 00:47:55,119
so that was that was their analysis.
um our CEO who used to be the CFO for

552
00:47:51,920 --> 00:47:59,680
the region um
with his staff has done their own

553
00:47:57,520 --> 00:48:04,640
analysis and they've come at it from a
different perspective but they've come

554
00:48:01,040 --> 00:48:12,319
up with a very similar number and so I
think we're really benefiting there that

555
00:48:08,400 --> 00:48:15,760
that is uh a close budget but it will
depend on what the mayor and council

556
00:48:14,000 --> 00:48:19,119
decide what they want to do with it
afterwards.

557
00:48:17,920 --> 00:48:22,960
Okay, we're trying to get as many
questions in as we can. It's about 7:20

558
00:48:21,200 --> 00:48:25,599
right now. Yeah, this gentleman over
here had his hand up and we've already

559
00:48:24,079 --> 00:48:28,319
talked to you, so I'll come back to you.
Uh, we're going to wrap it up at 8, but

560
00:48:27,200 --> 00:48:30,880
we still have lots of time, but we want
to get as many voices in as we can. Go

561
00:48:30,000 --> 00:48:37,119
ahead, sir.
>> Eric, thank you. Um, just a question and

562
00:48:34,079 --> 00:48:43,280
and this goes back to uh an earlier
question about the irrigation district

563
00:48:39,599 --> 00:48:49,119
and the additional $500 uh a quarter,
but the waste management and the

564
00:48:46,400 --> 00:48:52,880
wastewater treatment and the water
treatment right now are wrapped up in

565
00:48:51,280 --> 00:48:58,400
one.
And those there's some contracts in

566
00:48:55,680 --> 00:49:04,720
there with waste uh management. Jim,
will those contracts move at fair market

567
00:49:00,960 --> 00:49:10,400
value or how is that going to happen uh
in the new community? And then Matt, I

568
00:49:08,000 --> 00:49:17,680
know there's a regional uh water
treatment initiative possibly going to

569
00:49:13,119 --> 00:49:21,760
happen. And is Okonogan Falls sort of in
the back of someone's mind when you're

570
00:49:20,079 --> 00:49:24,760
looking at a regional water treatment
facility?

571
00:49:26,079 --> 00:49:33,200
So I'll start with the contracts. All
contracts that the regional district

572
00:49:29,920 --> 00:49:40,319
signs actually come over to the to the
new municipality. And as far as uh I

573
00:49:36,800 --> 00:49:44,960
don't water and sewer are separate and
all any monies that collected like I

574
00:49:42,400 --> 00:49:49,520
stated earlier will be transferred back
to the district of Okanogan Falls. I

575
00:49:48,640 --> 00:49:56,000
don't know if that answers your
question. take uh contract values that

576
00:49:52,800 --> 00:50:00,480
you negotiated do we the contract values
that you negotiated with with U waste

577
00:49:58,960 --> 00:50:04,960
management
um we're obligated to that contract for

578
00:50:04,079 --> 00:50:09,200
how long
>> until the well it depends on the

579
00:50:06,800 --> 00:50:16,000
contract it's until it expires one of
the things that Okonogan Falls is going

580
00:50:11,599 --> 00:50:22,800
to have take is um the curbside so the
curbside contract is signed until 2032

581
00:50:19,760 --> 00:50:27,040
that after 2032, your your mayor and
council can decide to stay with the

582
00:50:24,720 --> 00:50:31,359
regional district or go on its own with
its own contract.

583
00:50:28,240 --> 00:50:36,160
» Stay with stay with wastewater or uh
waste management or Yeah. Okay. Good.

584
00:50:34,400 --> 00:50:39,440
» Okay. And then a question for director
Taylor in there as well.

585
00:50:37,920 --> 00:50:43,040
» Yeah.
>> So the question was about uh water.

586
00:50:42,559 --> 00:50:46,800
» Yeah.
>> And water treatment system. the reg the

587
00:50:45,280 --> 00:50:51,040
regional water treatment system and
that's being considered for Heritage

588
00:50:48,720 --> 00:50:58,079
Hills and Scaha estates.
>> So

589
00:50:53,760 --> 00:51:05,760
going back a year or two um the regional
have water system on Skya Lake.

590
00:51:03,839 --> 00:51:14,240
Then
um Lakeshore Waterworks came on and Skya

591
00:51:10,319 --> 00:51:18,559
Estates came on and became um
administered by the regional district

592
00:51:15,920 --> 00:51:23,440
and both of them take water from Skaha
Lake.

593
00:51:21,359 --> 00:51:30,160
So, at the same time, we've got Okonogan
Falls looking for additional

594
00:51:26,640 --> 00:51:34,680
sources, whether it's a new well or what
for the for town water.

595
00:51:34,800 --> 00:51:38,920
It's more cost effective.

596
00:51:39,200 --> 00:51:49,040
Both Lakeshore and Scaha states are
going to be required to have their own

597
00:51:44,960 --> 00:51:53,119
water treatment facility. It makes
them to have a separate one. Dollars

598
00:51:51,940 --> 00:51:58,079
[clears throat] to donuts. They will
have one water treatment facility

599
00:51:55,599 --> 00:52:06,480
serving both systems.
And it also makes sense if you can

600
00:52:03,119 --> 00:52:11,760
to to spread this that overhead over a
larger number of accounts such as

601
00:52:08,480 --> 00:52:19,119
Okonogan Falls. So yeah, it makes a lot
of sense to have one water treatment

602
00:52:14,640 --> 00:52:23,760
facility serving Heritage Hills, Sky
States Estates, and Okonogan Falls.

603
00:52:21,359 --> 00:52:30,319
That's the cheapest way of getting a
water treatment facility. And

604
00:52:26,079 --> 00:52:35,040
conceivably conceivably at their call,
uh, Kheden might want to participate in

605
00:52:32,800 --> 00:52:37,760
that as well.
>> Okay, let's get back to some questions.

606
00:52:36,559 --> 00:52:41,760
I just want to check and see if there's
anybody who hasn't asked a question yet.

607
00:52:39,760 --> 00:52:44,559
If there's uh I want to try and get as
many voices in as we can again. So,

608
00:52:43,040 --> 00:52:49,040
we'll head over there in one sec. This
gentleman here was quick with his hand.

609
00:52:46,480 --> 00:52:54,640
» I'm just wondering on 7th Avenue back in
September of 2025, it was approved to

610
00:52:52,319 --> 00:52:59,280
put the water line down and then
apparently Clarence Louie stopped that.

611
00:52:56,960 --> 00:53:02,640
And I'm wondering the new increase in
cost for that. Now, is the provincial

612
00:53:00,880 --> 00:53:06,559
government going to be paying for that?
Because it appears that's where we're uh

613
00:53:05,359 --> 00:53:11,280
the
decision was made and can maybe the

614
00:53:09,040 --> 00:53:15,800
minister, assistant minister can let me
know or answer that question.

615
00:53:18,640 --> 00:53:28,960
Um, so I believe I don't know all the
facts to this uh situation on 7th

616
00:53:25,280 --> 00:53:34,720
Avenue, but if it's a uh Heritage
Conservation Act and Archaeology

617
00:53:31,760 --> 00:53:39,040
Assessment issue that would be handled,
pardon me, uh, with our Ministry of

618
00:53:37,280 --> 00:53:42,960
Waterlands and Natural Resource
Stewardship.

619
00:53:40,720 --> 00:53:50,160
That's what it is. Yeah. Okay. So, I
can't speak to it. Sorry. Uh it's not my

620
00:53:45,599 --> 00:53:54,160
it's not my area of expertise. Um but we
can take that one away and see what

621
00:53:52,400 --> 00:53:59,119
information we can provide back through
director Taylor and Jim Zapino.

622
00:53:57,359 --> 00:54:03,280
» And those types of questions that we
can't answer right here, we'll certainly

623
00:54:00,880 --> 00:54:05,760
uh put them on the regional page, RDS
regional connections. So we'll make a

624
00:54:04,480 --> 00:54:09,839
note of that when we get some details
back and then we'll have the answer. I

625
00:54:07,520 --> 00:54:13,520
have a question right over here. Go
ahead please.

626
00:54:11,119 --> 00:54:17,280
» Hi Tara, bear with me here. you keep um
commenting on legislative duty to

627
00:54:15,440 --> 00:54:21,839
consult, legis legislative duty to
consult, legislative duty to consult

628
00:54:19,280 --> 00:54:26,880
because of DRIPA and like this lady
said, there's a lot of frustration

629
00:54:23,200 --> 00:54:31,280
because so much of the um
consultation

630
00:54:28,800 --> 00:54:36,160
went on with people completely
separately. A lot of comments behind

631
00:54:33,760 --> 00:54:41,200
closed doors, non-transparent
people had no idea what you were or were

632
00:54:38,160 --> 00:54:47,119
not consulting about. Yet it would
directly impact us if the NDP loses the

633
00:54:45,200 --> 00:54:52,319
next provincial election if the
Conservatives repeal, resend or vastly

634
00:54:49,680 --> 00:54:56,160
change legislation so that the current
DRIP is not in effect. And yet that was

635
00:54:54,720 --> 00:55:01,920
what you were basing a lot of your
decision-m for the letters patent. What

636
00:54:59,119 --> 00:55:08,079
is the recourse for us dealing with the
letters patent package that you have

637
00:55:04,559 --> 00:55:10,800
handed us if we wanted to make changes
like would we have to go through the

638
00:55:09,359 --> 00:55:15,040
courts? Would the province be able to do
it? How would that work? You say we're

639
00:55:12,800 --> 00:55:22,160
the first ones since DRIPA. So I'm
asking how we would changes if DRIPA

640
00:55:18,319 --> 00:55:26,400
changes. Secondly, related to this, EB
said he would never do anything that

641
00:55:23,520 --> 00:55:29,760
impacted private property. The OIB says
they want to be part of infrastructure

642
00:55:27,920 --> 00:55:33,359
and development have all kinds of say
within OK Falls. The property

643
00:55:31,680 --> 00:55:39,440
immediately south of us is private
property. my grandparents, merchants,

644
00:55:36,240 --> 00:55:43,920
banges, now Clarence, Lou, and the OIB.
You kept those properties out of the

645
00:55:41,760 --> 00:55:49,680
municipal boundary, so we won't receive
taxes for them. Um, who's supplying the

646
00:55:47,359 --> 00:55:56,640
water? Who's supplying the power from
the town grid to them? Who is supplying

647
00:55:53,119 --> 00:56:00,559
uh fire services? They're not part of
the district of Okonogan Falls. We're

648
00:55:58,640 --> 00:56:05,119
not going to get any tax revenue for it.
I'm assuming they requested to not be

649
00:56:02,720 --> 00:56:09,599
included with OK Falls, but they wanted
all kinds of say. So, I'm just curious

650
00:56:07,200 --> 00:56:13,280
how we deal with all these things after
the fact when we have a mayor and

651
00:56:10,960 --> 00:56:18,240
council and if DRIPA changes
significantly in BC.

652
00:56:16,160 --> 00:56:23,280
» Okay, we'll give the uh floor to the
assistant deputy minister uh keeping in

653
00:56:20,720 --> 00:56:26,400
mind that it's difficult to uh guess
what might or might not happen in

654
00:56:25,200 --> 00:56:32,000
provincial election.
>> Yeah, thank thanks Mel. Nice to nice to

655
00:56:30,480 --> 00:56:37,040
see you again, Mel. Thanks for your
question. Um, yeah. So, I can't

656
00:56:35,200 --> 00:56:41,440
foreshadow. I I don't know what's
happening in the future there with the

657
00:56:38,720 --> 00:56:46,720
legislation. What I can say, and we were
pretty o open with this at the open

658
00:56:43,680 --> 00:56:53,200
house, was that our duty to consult uh
with the OIB on the letters patent also

659
00:56:49,520 --> 00:56:59,680
uh refers to the um uh constitution act
of 1982. So uh there was also the

660
00:56:56,559 --> 00:57:05,440
requirement to uh consult in from that
legislation as well. Um as far as the

661
00:57:03,200 --> 00:57:09,440
properties that are not in the municipal
boundary, they will continue to be

662
00:57:07,119 --> 00:57:13,280
serviced by the regional district of
Okonogan's milky.

663
00:57:11,680 --> 00:57:15,920
» Okay, we've had this gentleman waiting
here for a bit up front. Thanks for your

664
00:57:14,720 --> 00:57:19,599
patience and then we'll get to some
other questions. I heard some reference

665
00:57:17,680 --> 00:57:23,839
earlier to the corporate officer and I
may have missed something, but um if uh

666
00:57:22,319 --> 00:57:26,319
if they're here tonight, I'm wondering
if somebody' be kind enough to introduce

667
00:57:25,359 --> 00:57:31,440
them.
>> So, we have the new interimm corporate

668
00:57:28,400 --> 00:57:35,400
officer. Um and director Taylor, if
you'd like to uh be honored.

669
00:57:35,520 --> 00:57:44,160
» So, I I thought we'd I if I didn't
introduce her properly, I I really

670
00:57:40,559 --> 00:57:51,599
apologize. uh interim corporate officer
lore

671
00:57:46,079 --> 00:57:59,880
and contracted uh to the province um and
selected with input from RDOS and the

672
00:57:54,720 --> 00:57:59,880
province. So, and

673
00:58:02,400 --> 00:58:08,200
I'd like to go back on one of the
things. Um,

674
00:58:08,720 --> 00:58:16,559
it's a small valley.
I I can't see the person who was

675
00:58:13,200 --> 00:58:23,040
speaking earlier about OIB and First
Nations.

676
00:58:18,160 --> 00:58:29,680
It's but it is a small valley and
relations have worked, I would say,

677
00:58:25,920 --> 00:58:34,880
reasonably well and improving over the
last 10 or 20 years.

678
00:58:32,960 --> 00:58:40,799
Terara will acknowledge that I've said
this multiple times in our meetings with

679
00:58:37,200 --> 00:58:44,960
the province that the province will not
be here

680
00:58:42,799 --> 00:58:52,240
very shortly from now on and it'll be up
to us and OIB to work out how we're

681
00:58:49,520 --> 00:58:55,920
going to work together and we need to
work together

682
00:58:54,079 --> 00:59:01,839
and we're both going to be better off if
we work together and there's real

683
00:58:58,480 --> 00:59:06,799
opportunities that they can give us
and that we can give them if we're

684
00:59:04,000 --> 00:59:12,319
working together.
So, I'm just putting that out there.

685
00:59:09,839 --> 00:59:15,760
That's it's it's a small valley. We're
going to have to get along and we're

686
00:59:13,839 --> 00:59:20,480
going to have to do more than just
getting along.

687
00:59:18,400 --> 00:59:24,960
» And uh Director Taylor, you did mention
the hiring process for your new interimm

688
00:59:23,200 --> 00:59:29,280
corporate officer and the Soyuse Indian
Band was also involved uh in that

689
00:59:27,040 --> 00:59:33,680
decision as well. We've got a question
over here. Go ahead, please.

690
00:59:30,799 --> 00:59:41,760
» Hi. Yes. I'm just curious to know the
this lady over there did ask where is

691
00:59:37,599 --> 00:59:47,440
the OIB? Why aren't they here to help
consult with all this when we hear that

692
00:59:45,040 --> 00:59:48,559
they're part of this? Why aren't they
here?

693
00:59:48,000 --> 00:59:56,319
» Yes,
>> they should be here for this meeting is

694
00:59:52,559 --> 01:00:01,920
in my opinion they should be here.
>> I'll let Director Taylor uh address

695
00:59:58,960 --> 01:00:06,799
that.
Um well you may be able to blame that

696
01:00:03,680 --> 01:00:12,160
one on me. Um we'll make a best efforts
to have OIB present in future.

697
01:00:10,480 --> 01:00:16,559
Okay.
say if I may that as a community

698
01:00:14,799 --> 01:00:21,680
meeting, this community meeting is open
to everyone as far as participating and

699
01:00:19,040 --> 01:00:25,119
uh attending and um absolutely anyone
from OIB if they were available would

700
01:00:23,200 --> 01:00:29,280
have attended and uh are more than
welcome of course

701
01:00:26,240 --> 01:00:34,880
» and I believe there were OIB uh
representatives who came to the open

702
01:00:31,119 --> 01:00:37,839
house that was held April 23rd I
believe. So

703
01:00:36,240 --> 01:00:41,200
» all right and one more question over
here.

704
01:00:38,799 --> 01:00:46,480
» We've we haven't done everything right.
Okay, we're trying uh we're learning

705
01:00:43,760 --> 01:00:52,160
lots of other ways to to do better as as
we go forward and yeah there I mean this

706
01:00:49,920 --> 01:00:58,240
is an open meeting so there's nothing to
stop OIB from having been here um

707
01:00:55,680 --> 01:01:02,240
observing in the audience and yeah I
think probably a great point if you want

708
01:00:59,920 --> 01:01:10,160
to have OIB
invited to a Q&A affair like this um

709
01:01:06,640 --> 01:01:14,240
yeah sure let's let's go for it. I just
heard someone say, "Why didn't we?" I I

710
01:01:11,520 --> 01:01:19,839
I think u I'm going to jump on a ledge
here. This meeting really is we're

711
01:01:16,960 --> 01:01:23,760
talking about the area director for the
uh the region. We're talking about the

712
01:01:22,160 --> 01:01:28,000
regional district, Okonogans, Milkcom,
and the province who are directly

713
01:01:24,880 --> 01:01:32,079
involved in the incorporation. Now, OIB,
I would say, is a partner, an important

714
01:01:30,240 --> 01:01:34,960
partner in all of that, but they're not
directly impact. They're not the ones

715
01:01:33,520 --> 01:01:38,000
that are going to be setting the budget
and that type of thing. Key partners.

716
01:01:36,960 --> 01:01:44,400
But anyway, you had a question. Go
ahead, please. Hi, I'm um I'm a little

717
01:01:40,799 --> 01:01:51,359
confused about this water treatment
thing, plan, whatever it is. Um

718
01:01:49,520 --> 01:01:58,880
now there's going to have Heritage
Hills, Sca Estates, probably Kedon. Um

719
01:01:56,079 --> 01:02:04,559
who's who's paying for this? Uh what
what what areas are contributing? Is it

720
01:02:01,920 --> 01:02:09,280
going to be, you know, partly paid by
the RDOS, partly paid by District of

721
01:02:07,040 --> 01:02:16,319
Okonogan Falls?
Um, yeah, that that seems a little

722
01:02:12,640 --> 01:02:21,359
strange to me because when we voted,
only the town proper size got to vote on

723
01:02:20,240 --> 01:02:28,000
whether we were going to be
incorporated. Um, leaving out all the

724
01:02:25,040 --> 01:02:31,040
outlying uh areas, all the heritage
families, all the ranches, all the

725
01:02:29,520 --> 01:02:36,880
agriculture.
Um but yet now all of these outlying

726
01:02:34,160 --> 01:02:40,440
areas that weren't allowed to vote are
now being in.

727
01:02:40,720 --> 01:02:47,799
» So could you clarify that for me?
>> Okay.

728
01:02:44,799 --> 01:02:47,799
» So

729
01:02:49,280 --> 01:03:00,000
great questions are sometimes to answer
in a short time frame. Um,

730
01:02:55,760 --> 01:03:06,640
Heritage Hills or Lakeshore Highlands
and SCA states are two separate water

731
01:03:02,079 --> 01:03:12,400
systems on the lake and they've got
private or improvement district water

732
01:03:09,440 --> 01:03:17,920
systems.
They've been taken over by the district

733
01:03:15,520 --> 01:03:23,839
and engineering studies have been done
on them and Interior Health

734
01:03:21,359 --> 01:03:31,280
set out whatations
are and they're required to have a water

735
01:03:28,240 --> 01:03:37,039
treatment facility. In both cases,
you're looking at 5 million bucks.

736
01:03:34,880 --> 01:03:42,240
A single water treatment to serve both
of them might cost 6 million bucks.

737
01:03:39,920 --> 01:03:46,960
Okay? because it's only 350 people in
two different communities.

738
01:03:44,319 --> 01:03:52,880
Um,
at the same time, Okonogan Falls is

739
01:03:49,920 --> 01:03:59,200
looking for additional sources for its
water.

740
01:03:55,039 --> 01:04:04,480
So, do we new well and possibly put at
risk some of the aquifers that are

741
01:04:01,680 --> 01:04:10,480
nearby here? That's a concern to those
other people that are on that aquifer.

742
01:04:06,640 --> 01:04:14,880
or do we look at going into the same
water treatment system that the regional

743
01:04:12,720 --> 01:04:20,400
district is proposing for those two
commun

744
01:04:17,440 --> 01:04:26,319
if we were to do it all by ourselves
it would cost us I don't know six or

745
01:04:23,280 --> 01:04:32,160
seven million bucks if we were to do it
in partnership with the regional

746
01:04:28,640 --> 01:04:37,760
district and those two water systems now
we have

747
01:04:34,079 --> 01:04:42,079
close to 2,000 homes
incurring the cost at you're spreading

748
01:04:40,400 --> 01:04:48,799
the cost of that water treatment
facility over 2,000 homes instead of 300

749
01:04:45,520 --> 01:04:53,599
or homes. It's just you're spreading
your overhead over more people. It's

750
01:04:51,280 --> 01:04:57,440
going to be more cost effective.
>> It's economies of scale really. The

751
01:04:55,119 --> 01:05:02,400
intent is not to cost the district of
Okonogan Falls residents extra money.

752
01:05:00,079 --> 01:05:07,280
The idea is to save everybody money.
It'll it would be cheaper than for

753
01:05:05,440 --> 01:05:13,520
Okonogan Falls to put in a water
treatment facility all by itself.

754
01:05:10,640 --> 01:05:19,200
» Yeah. You may have Mayor Council.
>> Yeah. And and I'm reminded

755
01:05:16,960 --> 01:05:24,240
that decision is going to be made by the
mayor and council. Like we're a long way

756
01:05:22,000 --> 01:05:29,920
off of that yet, but it is something
that the engineers are looking at.

757
01:05:27,839 --> 01:05:32,559
» He's answering your question. Okay.
Going to go to this gentleman. and I'll

758
01:05:31,359 --> 01:05:36,319
come right back to you, Mel. Just stand
by for just a moment.

759
01:05:35,039 --> 01:05:41,039
All right. And I'll just remind you of
our time. We are out at 8:00. Right now

760
01:05:38,799 --> 01:05:45,359
it's 7:38. Still lots of time for some
great questions and comments. I'm going

761
01:05:42,400 --> 01:05:50,720
to
bite. Um, two questions. One, I've been

762
01:05:48,160 --> 01:05:56,160
searching all over the RDOS website for
an interm budget for the district of

763
01:05:53,599 --> 01:06:03,280
Okonogan Falls. Can't find it. So, when
will that be posted is question number

764
01:05:59,200 --> 01:06:08,480
one. And the second question is is
the capacity of the Okonogan Falls water

765
01:06:06,079 --> 01:06:13,520
treatment facilities
currently

766
01:06:10,160 --> 01:06:18,000
works. So is the RDOS looking at this
grand scale to bring Heritage Hills

767
01:06:16,400 --> 01:06:21,760
Ceden
SC states because I've heard about the

768
01:06:20,240 --> 01:06:25,920
sewer treatment and we're going to get a
pipe from all of those areas to our

769
01:06:24,319 --> 01:06:31,200
sewage treatment and that's fallen off
the wayside 10 times since I've lived

770
01:06:28,880 --> 01:06:37,200
here. I'm just wondering if this is the
same kind of thing where

771
01:06:34,400 --> 01:06:42,480
we Yes, I understand economies of scale.
I'm I'm fully aware of that. I'm fully

772
01:06:38,880 --> 01:06:49,200
aware that 10,000 or $10 million over
20,000 homes is is I fully understand

773
01:06:45,760 --> 01:06:55,400
that. If it's effective now, why are we
looking at adding

774
01:06:52,400 --> 01:06:55,400
that?

775
01:06:56,640 --> 01:07:02,480
I'll answer the question on the budget
first. The budget's not official until

776
01:07:00,640 --> 01:07:08,319
the mayor and council adopts it and that
will be November 6th. Correct. Yes. So,

777
01:07:06,079 --> 01:07:14,160
at that point, they can change it. They
can say, "I was out to lunch." And as

778
01:07:10,799 --> 01:07:19,280
far as we talking about the the utility,
it it's in the study stages. First of

779
01:07:16,480 --> 01:07:23,440
all, not only would this new mayor and
council have to agree to study and it

780
01:07:21,920 --> 01:07:27,039
comes back to the public, also the
regional district board would have to

781
01:07:24,720 --> 01:07:31,119
look at it. So, it's too early to say if
it's gonna happen or not.

782
01:07:30,559 --> 01:07:37,116
» Good.
>> Well, I'm good. Thank you. All right. I

783
01:07:34,319 --> 01:07:39,359
Mel, you have a question.
[laughter]

784
01:07:37,920 --> 01:07:44,319
You're usually so quiet.
>> I know. I'm trying to be concise, so I

785
01:07:42,079 --> 01:07:50,000
waited and wrote it out. Okay, Terara.
So, the duty to consult and the

786
01:07:46,160 --> 01:07:54,880
Constitution Act of 1982 were both uh
major

787
01:07:51,680 --> 01:07:58,640
factors in your letters patent. My
question was

788
01:07:57,039 --> 01:08:04,720
specifically with especially with regard
to DRIPA and the impacts that it had in

789
01:08:02,079 --> 01:08:10,400
what you decided for the letters patent
package. Who knows what's happening in

790
01:08:07,119 --> 01:08:14,079
the next election. I agree. But if DRIP
maybe this government would decide, oh,

791
01:08:12,000 --> 01:08:19,719
we made some fairly major mistakes here
as far as people's rights. If DRIPA

792
01:08:16,719 --> 01:08:19,719
changed,

793
01:08:19,920 --> 01:08:27,839
are we able to change the letters patent
package after the fact when it was based

794
01:08:25,759 --> 01:08:31,759
on DRIPA? I don't know how to say it
more concisely, maybe you don't know,

795
01:08:29,520 --> 01:08:37,359
but if DRIPA is a major factor in the
letters patent process we got and DRIPA

796
01:08:34,799 --> 01:08:43,120
changes, can we change the letters
patent process we got? And secondly, if

797
01:08:40,400 --> 01:08:47,920
the RDS is going to continue supplying
all of the water in particular to the

798
01:08:46,000 --> 01:08:51,920
property south of us because they're not
within the Okonogan Falls uh district,

799
01:08:50,239 --> 01:08:57,920
but right now they get their water from
an Okonogan Falls well. Is the RDS

800
01:08:54,640 --> 01:09:02,640
drilling a new well for them?
Okay, two questions there.

801
01:09:00,880 --> 01:09:07,279
Uh just to remind you in case you're not
aware, DRIPA is the Declaration on the

802
01:09:04,560 --> 01:09:13,920
Rights of Indigenous People's Act uh
passed by the province in 2019.

803
01:09:10,719 --> 01:09:19,120
» So on the the water question, there
would be an MOU between the new Miss Pal

804
01:09:16,880 --> 01:09:24,480
and the regional district for them to
charge uh the property owner so that

805
01:09:22,719 --> 01:09:28,880
they you ultimately [clears throat] the
utility would get some funds. It may be

806
01:09:26,880 --> 01:09:33,279
through us or or direct depending on
what theou is memorandum of

807
01:09:31,040 --> 01:09:37,120
understanding
this.

808
01:09:34,400 --> 01:09:39,920
» All right. And then the second question
>> don't go ahead.

809
01:09:37,759 --> 01:09:44,880
» Director has something else.
>> Well, don't go away because you can

810
01:09:41,199 --> 01:09:50,560
answer the next one. But I mean
a number of our services

811
01:09:47,359 --> 01:09:55,760
have a bigger footprint than the
municipality of Okonogan Falls. We're

812
01:09:52,880 --> 01:10:02,320
already going to be delivering fire
service outside of the municipality to

813
01:09:59,120 --> 01:10:09,120
parts of area D.
So, we're going to be delivering water

814
01:10:05,520 --> 01:10:12,920
outside to a couple of places as well.
>> And and they pay

815
01:10:17,840 --> 01:10:26,880
the rate that they set. will have to
recover whatever maintenance, operating

816
01:10:24,320 --> 01:10:29,880
costs and capital investment is
required.

817
01:10:32,239 --> 01:10:44,239
» Okay, back to DRPA. Um, so Mel, the
letters patent or the letters patent the

818
01:10:40,640 --> 01:10:51,199
DRPA related to the process that
government used to develop the letters

819
01:10:47,679 --> 01:10:56,560
patent. So, it's a process situation.
Um, we were pretty transparent that we

820
01:10:54,159 --> 01:11:03,199
were going to consult with OIB to
co-develop the letters patent. Um, and

821
01:10:59,920 --> 01:11:08,080
you have letters patent now uh completed
through that process. So, I'm not sure

822
01:11:05,600 --> 01:11:16,239
what you'd need to change in the actual
letters patent themselves. And if uh a

823
01:11:12,159 --> 01:11:22,239
local government ever did have um and we
can't think of an immediate example uh

824
01:11:19,440 --> 01:11:29,199
but to change your letters patent that
would be um again a process I guess with

825
01:11:25,679 --> 01:11:33,520
the municipality and the ministry and we
would take it through to cabinet but

826
01:11:31,040 --> 01:11:37,280
again I can't think of you know what
you'd need to change in your letters

827
01:11:35,040 --> 01:11:42,320
patent when we have boundary adjustments
from time to time uh for local

828
01:11:40,000 --> 01:11:47,520
governments around the province. Uh we
have a established process for that too.

829
01:11:45,040 --> 01:11:52,719
Uh which requires approval by the local
government, approvals of the property

830
01:11:49,199 --> 01:11:57,920
owners and if cabinet approves an OIC,
then you know a boundary adjustment may

831
01:11:55,199 --> 01:12:00,400
change. But hope that helps.
>> And it's important to remind you as

832
01:11:59,280 --> 01:12:03,600
again, and I know we've said this a
couple of times, but the new mayor and

833
01:12:02,159 --> 01:12:06,560
council really will be answering a lot
of these questions for you. I'm sure

834
01:12:05,199 --> 01:12:09,360
there will be many community meetings
for the new mayor and counsel. Some of

835
01:12:07,840 --> 01:12:13,199
you may be on that council. We don't
know. uh they'll be holding uh community

836
01:12:11,840 --> 01:12:19,280
meetings to talk about many of these
issues. So, we've got about 20 minutes

837
01:12:15,360 --> 01:12:22,400
left or so uh before we have oh 15
minutes left before we have to start

838
01:12:20,719 --> 01:12:25,920
playing pickle ball or something else.
Uh looks like we got a couple of

839
01:12:23,679 --> 01:12:31,679
questions over here. I'm going to go
over to the gentleman with the lovely

840
01:12:29,280 --> 01:12:35,600
green sunglasses.
>> Yeah, you guys keep dancing around the

841
01:12:33,679 --> 01:12:42,159
issue of what tax increase is going to
be. I really want to know whether I'm

842
01:12:38,400 --> 01:12:46,400
paying a lot more taxes or not. And in
five years, you say we're taking over a

843
01:12:44,000 --> 01:12:51,840
whole pile more stuff from the RDOS,
which would probably increase our taxes

844
01:12:48,560 --> 01:12:57,600
even more. We should, if we're going to
vote in a council, have some idea what

845
01:12:54,400 --> 01:13:02,239
we're voting for. You guys are giving us
nothing as far as answers are concerned.

846
01:12:59,920 --> 01:13:08,640
You've got a preliminary budget. We
should know it.

847
01:13:05,600 --> 01:13:11,760
» Jim Zafino is the CEO with the RDS,
chief administrative officer and

848
01:13:09,840 --> 01:13:16,400
formerly the chief financial officer. I
should also mention Jim was part of the

849
01:13:14,000 --> 01:13:19,520
uh incorporation of West Colona and has
quite a bit of background in this and

850
01:13:17,760 --> 01:13:23,760
has done a lot of work to try and make
this situation work to set this

851
01:13:21,360 --> 01:13:30,560
community up for success.
>> So, wow. Thank you. So,

852
01:13:26,800 --> 01:13:34,080
» so French. So, well, first of all, I I
just want to say the importance of

853
01:13:31,840 --> 01:13:38,159
having the very first taxation for a
brand new municipality because usually

854
01:13:36,880 --> 01:13:42,080
when when you're an established
municipality,

855
01:13:39,679 --> 01:13:47,199
if you you say you got a 3% 4% whatever
tax increase and you actually basically

856
01:13:44,880 --> 01:13:50,960
see the increase, you know it's right.
In this case here, you have nothing to

857
01:13:48,960 --> 01:13:55,120
base it on. So, you're looking at
experience. I went through the regional

858
01:13:53,040 --> 01:13:58,560
district budgets. I got help from the
province and thank you very much

859
01:13:56,640 --> 01:14:04,320
especially from Patrick and Simon just
thank for me that I have no idea about

860
01:14:01,920 --> 01:14:10,400
the RCMP costs I had no idea about the
road cost yes you're getting the road

861
01:14:05,840 --> 01:14:16,560
cost free for 5 years but in my world I
would tax you as if you weren't free so

862
01:14:13,679 --> 01:14:22,560
that at the year six you wouldn't have
to all of a sudden have to a big

863
01:14:19,280 --> 01:14:26,800
increase but tax wouldn't be 100% it'd
be slowly rising

864
01:14:24,159 --> 01:14:33,040
And in Eric just said I was in West
Colona. That's what I did. By the time

865
01:14:29,679 --> 01:14:38,560
West Colona was fully independent, they
had a lot of money ready to pay off all

866
01:14:35,520 --> 01:14:45,120
these extra costs. You're asking if you
how the actual budgets reflects what you

867
01:14:42,800 --> 01:14:49,679
were told. It's very close to what the
incorporation study said. That's what

868
01:14:47,120 --> 01:14:54,159
we're saying. But I cannot share
something that has not been authorized

869
01:14:52,159 --> 01:15:00,880
by a mayor and council. They could
change it. If if they're not happy with

870
01:14:56,400 --> 01:15:06,880
it and they if they do reduce it, I have
no choice and I I may not agree to it,

871
01:15:03,520 --> 01:15:12,000
but that's their choice. And I I say
keep the reserves in reserve until at

872
01:15:09,520 --> 01:15:17,440
least year six. And at at that point,
you as a municipal are going to need it

873
01:15:13,840 --> 01:15:22,000
to slowly draw from it to help fund some
of these services that you no longer get

874
01:15:19,040 --> 01:15:28,480
free. So that's the I know you're saying
you're not getting an answer. The answer

875
01:15:23,360 --> 01:15:32,719
is it's not ours to share yet.
And and well, during the incorporation

876
01:15:31,280 --> 01:15:36,560
study, there there were some numbers
that were were set out, if I'm not

877
01:15:34,239 --> 01:15:39,040
mistaken, that uh were all estimates
based on the available information. Is

878
01:15:38,239 --> 01:15:42,480
that right?
>> That that's correct. And what we're

879
01:15:40,719 --> 01:15:48,159
saying I'm saying again it's very close
to what you were told.

880
01:15:45,520 --> 01:15:54,480
» All right. Um I thought I saw a hand
over here this gentleman here and we'll

881
01:15:51,920 --> 01:15:58,880
go for another question from you sir.
>> So what's the process of the election of

882
01:15:56,640 --> 01:16:02,960
the mayor and council?
>> The process for uh election will be

883
01:16:00,960 --> 01:16:06,480
similar to the other municipalities. The
RDS uh and the city of Pentictton and

884
01:16:05,280 --> 01:16:11,199
the other municipalities will be
publishing information about that. Um,

885
01:16:08,560 --> 01:16:14,480
but this particular election, uh, I
would recommend that you check the

886
01:16:12,560 --> 01:16:18,239
regional district page, the rdos
regionalconnections.ca.

887
01:16:16,000 --> 01:16:22,880
That's the actual URL, and you'll find
information there. And Michelle Dan with

888
01:16:20,560 --> 01:16:26,880
the province of BC can shed some more
accurate light on that.

889
01:16:24,159 --> 01:16:33,360
» No, you you did a great job, Eric.
Um what I was going to mention um is

890
01:16:30,480 --> 01:16:40,960
that if you are interested in running
for council um there are some materials

891
01:16:37,040 --> 01:16:45,760
on um the municip on our website and I
I'm happy to share that information. Uh

892
01:16:43,760 --> 01:16:51,280
there's a brochure about what to expect
when you're running uh what what it what

893
01:16:48,560 --> 01:16:57,679
it's like to be uh a mayor and council
or a mayor or counselor. Um, and there's

894
01:16:54,400 --> 01:17:04,239
also some information around um,
finance, campaign finance um, rules that

895
01:17:01,360 --> 01:17:09,679
you have to uh, abide by um, if you're
going to be a candidate and that those

896
01:17:06,000 --> 01:17:19,679
are on the elections uh, BC website. So
happy to sort of share that information.

897
01:17:12,719 --> 01:17:26,880
Um, we are lucky that um, RDOS has um,
um, helpfully found a a a chief election

898
01:17:23,840 --> 01:17:32,880
officer to help run your election. And
so they will be um, sort of

899
01:17:30,000 --> 01:17:36,400
administering all of that information,
where your voting locations are going to

900
01:17:34,640 --> 01:17:40,400
be, and I'm sure there'll be lots of
information shared by your chief

901
01:17:38,239 --> 01:17:44,960
election officer over the coming months
around what that looks like.

902
01:17:42,320 --> 01:17:48,880
elections.bc.ca.
That's the website, elections.bc.ca,

903
01:17:47,440 --> 01:17:52,560
which is standard for the province.
>> That's the campaign finance component.

904
01:17:51,280 --> 01:17:57,520
And then if you're looking for more
general information, um you can come to

905
01:17:55,199 --> 01:18:00,960
the ministry website and that will
provide you information about what it's

906
01:17:59,760 --> 01:18:02,960
like to be a candidate.
>> Ministry of Housing and Municipal

907
01:18:02,480 --> 01:18:05,840
Affairs.
>> Yes.

908
01:18:03,520 --> 01:18:08,960
» All right. And Google it. John, you're
back.

909
01:18:07,600 --> 01:18:13,120
Go ahead.
Just not a question, just a follow up on

910
01:18:10,640 --> 01:18:18,000
what Jim said. Um, after the draft
budget gets say first and second reading

911
01:18:15,679 --> 01:18:22,000
by the new council, uh, under the
legislation, the council has to go out

912
01:18:20,800 --> 01:18:27,040
to the public for community
consultation. So, there'll be an

913
01:18:24,000 --> 01:18:31,199
opportunity for the public to give
feedback on the budget before uh before

914
01:18:29,520 --> 01:18:35,520
it comes back for third reading and
adoption. and the council can take what

915
01:18:33,600 --> 01:18:40,560
the public tells them into account as
Jim said and change uh or keep things

916
01:18:38,320 --> 01:18:45,520
the same.
>> Good point. Sound like

917
01:18:42,239 --> 01:18:50,960
» can't say anything different. Thank you.
>> All right. Oh, gentleman over here.

918
01:18:49,440 --> 01:18:55,280
I think this is going fairly well so
far.

919
01:18:52,640 --> 01:18:59,520
» Understand? Uh all these other areas
weren't part of our incorporation. Now

920
01:18:57,920 --> 01:19:03,520
all of a sudden they're all part of our
incorporation. Why aren't they part of

921
01:19:01,280 --> 01:19:09,360
our corporation? There was they were all
separate. There was we were all Okonogan

922
01:19:06,080 --> 01:19:12,640
Falls was a separate part. Now it's not
we got to give them the the water

923
01:19:11,280 --> 01:19:17,199
things. Now you're doing all this stuff
is being joined together. Why don't they

924
01:19:14,320 --> 01:19:21,920
be become part of our corporation?
>> So the incorporation study defined the

925
01:19:19,360 --> 01:19:25,440
boundary for the area based on a number
of factors. But also when we're talking

926
01:19:24,080 --> 01:19:29,600
about them being part of it, we're
talking about regional services if I'm

927
01:19:27,040 --> 01:19:32,960
not mistaken. Right. When when you're
saying part of it when you

928
01:19:31,440 --> 01:19:37,280
» part of all
>> they were a separate we were a separate

929
01:19:34,400 --> 01:19:42,400
entity and now they're a part of us want
to do the water part together

930
01:19:40,480 --> 01:19:46,480
» there. No I know what you're saying. I'm
going to let Jim talk about that but I I

931
01:19:44,000 --> 01:19:49,040
I have some thoughts on it but I'm not
qualified to talk about that

932
01:19:47,840 --> 01:19:53,360
specifically.
>> Not sure I understand the question. The

933
01:19:50,800 --> 01:19:58,719
water system will stay with the
Okonogona Falls sewer will stay and the

934
01:19:56,400 --> 01:20:04,640
the other 13 services will stay. what
you voted for is what's happening.

935
01:20:02,800 --> 01:20:08,600
» Why weren't they involved in in becoming
part of our incorporation

936
01:20:08,800 --> 01:20:15,120
» now? Why why weren't they part of our
corporation?

937
01:20:13,520 --> 01:20:18,159
» But
it was all separate before. Now we're

938
01:20:16,880 --> 01:20:24,440
all joining together now.
>> They originally were regional.

939
01:20:21,440 --> 01:20:24,440
» Yeah.

940
01:20:36,239 --> 01:20:43,920
sense across
>> I no can we let can we let uh can we let

941
01:20:41,600 --> 01:20:49,760
Jim talk so
>> there's I'll use area D so right now I'm

942
01:20:47,040 --> 01:20:54,159
using the words that calls Okanagan
Falls proper because area D it was this

943
01:20:52,640 --> 01:20:57,520
big and it was all always called
Okanagan

944
01:20:55,520 --> 01:21:02,719
not Heritage Hills, but the part of area
D that's close to you that's not in

945
01:20:59,280 --> 01:21:08,640
there. They pay their own way and
Okanagan Falls pays their own way. It's

946
01:21:05,199 --> 01:21:13,280
separate. If there is a service that
Okanagan Falls are going to do for

947
01:21:10,960 --> 01:21:19,360
supply for the regional district, we
will pay for it. The the staff will bill

948
01:21:16,159 --> 01:21:23,840
us in the budget. Uh there is a fee for
instance for fire protection. the fire

949
01:21:21,760 --> 01:21:28,640
department. It's going to be run by the
new mayor and council, but because the

950
01:21:25,920 --> 01:21:34,159
fire protection area goes outside the
area and it's outside the the boundaries

951
01:21:31,199 --> 01:21:39,679
of where the people voted in, that is a
fee and that it's about keeps your taxes

952
01:21:37,040 --> 01:21:43,360
down because you're not paying 100% of
the fire department. Same thing goes

953
01:21:41,360 --> 01:21:49,040
with water. If there's a water service
outside the service, they pay. And in

954
01:21:46,880 --> 01:21:54,080
every case there will be a a memorandum
of understanding on what that ch cost is

955
01:21:52,000 --> 01:21:59,840
and it will be something that is
negotiated with ultimately the mayor and

956
01:21:57,199 --> 01:22:05,040
council and the board that ultimately
will have to agree for that cost. Every

957
01:22:02,080 --> 01:22:07,760
penny that uh is goes to the new
municipality will stay with the

958
01:22:06,239 --> 01:22:11,280
municipality.
Jim, would you say it's safe to say that

959
01:22:09,280 --> 01:22:15,360
emergency services are a good example of
a shared regional service where it makes

960
01:22:13,280 --> 01:22:19,920
more sense to bring everyone into it and
that's what the discussion is about?

961
01:22:17,199 --> 01:22:25,040
» 911 cost for instance, that's everyone
pays for that. You you're in the

962
01:22:22,320 --> 01:22:28,560
regional taxation, you pay for the
regional library. Well, you're still

963
01:22:27,120 --> 01:22:33,280
going to be in the regional library, but
that's not controlled by the mayor and

964
01:22:31,520 --> 01:22:38,480
council. That's controlled. It's an
Okonaganwide and it's a central Okonogan

965
01:22:36,159 --> 01:22:42,400
and North Okanagan. So you're still
paying that under the regional district

966
01:22:40,320 --> 01:22:50,239
taxes. And there's other services like
that. The SIR for the that is also paid.

967
01:22:46,719 --> 01:22:54,639
There's quite a few services that the
your council has no choice. They they

968
01:22:52,639 --> 01:22:58,080
they're told this is what it is and you
just say thank you very much and here's

969
01:22:55,920 --> 01:23:02,480
the here's the check. and like the
library for instance.

970
01:22:59,600 --> 01:23:06,159
» Uh SIR is
>> sterile insect

971
01:23:04,560 --> 01:23:10,639
whatever.
Thank you. Just one sec. I've seen a

972
01:23:08,800 --> 01:23:15,520
bunch of hands. Have you asked a
question yet? Real quick since I'm here,

973
01:23:13,040 --> 01:23:20,880
» just for clarity, is the reason it's
called the district of Okonogan Falls

974
01:23:18,320 --> 01:23:26,239
because people that are in Scaha states
and Heritage Hills, they will continue

975
01:23:23,040 --> 01:23:30,080
to live in Okonogan Falls.
Why is it the district of Is that like

976
01:23:28,320 --> 01:23:34,320
the district of Summerland? I think
technically they're called. Why isn't

977
01:23:32,639 --> 01:23:38,000
Why aren't they called the city of
Okonogan Falls?

978
01:23:36,320 --> 01:23:41,040
» Keep referring to the municipality of
Okonogan Falls.

979
01:23:39,520 --> 01:23:45,280
» Yeah, that's part of the letters patent
that is becomes a district.

980
01:23:42,560 --> 01:23:50,960
» There's about four different classes of
local government. Okay. Um city, town,

981
01:23:49,360 --> 01:23:52,480
hamlet,
district,

982
01:23:51,600 --> 01:23:56,880
» village,
>> village. All right. Fine. There's five

983
01:23:54,400 --> 01:24:03,520
or six. There's actually seven or eight,
but the minimum requirement

984
01:24:01,840 --> 01:24:08,400
um
if we were going to have our boundaries

985
01:24:05,280 --> 01:24:13,199
where we've got them,
our density,

986
01:24:10,320 --> 01:24:21,040
people per square mile or per hectare
was too low for a a town or that kind.

987
01:24:17,440 --> 01:24:26,480
So, it had to be a district.
There's no real difference between a

988
01:24:23,440 --> 01:24:31,040
district and a town. There's a slight
difference in terms of how many

989
01:24:27,920 --> 01:24:35,679
counselors you might have.
In theory, as a district, we're entitled

990
01:24:33,520 --> 01:24:42,639
to six counselors.
The recommendation out of the study was

991
01:24:39,679 --> 01:24:49,199
we didn't need six. I don't know that
we'd be able to find six.

992
01:24:46,639 --> 01:24:56,560
Four would be enough. uh which is
similar I think to uh town or hamlet and

993
01:24:53,600 --> 01:25:03,679
so that's where we where we went. So
short answer we didn't meet the our our

994
01:25:00,480 --> 01:25:08,320
density was such that we fitted into the
district classification as opposed to a

995
01:25:06,480 --> 01:25:11,040
town or hamlet.
>> All right, we've got time for one more

996
01:25:09,840 --> 01:25:14,639
question and I'll remind you that
rdsreionalconnections.ca

997
01:25:12,880 --> 01:25:17,920
CA is the project page where you can
send in your questions and the answers

998
01:25:16,239 --> 01:25:21,280
will be posted there. If I'm not
mistaken, Greenwood is a city which I

999
01:25:19,840 --> 01:25:24,320
believe is the smallest city in British
Columbia.

1000
01:25:22,960 --> 01:25:28,400
Quick question. Oh, I think they call it
a city. I'm not sure. I could be wrong.

1001
01:25:26,480 --> 01:25:32,239
» Thanks, Eric. Uh, just a quick question.
Uh, it's in regards to the transitional

1002
01:25:30,639 --> 01:25:36,880
funds that the province is actually
providing to the district. Can you

1003
01:25:33,679 --> 01:25:40,960
outline those, please?
>> Thank you.

1004
01:25:38,320 --> 01:25:46,320
transitional funds for our closing two
minutes before we go to our commercial

1005
01:25:43,360 --> 01:25:51,120
break.
>> Getting into the details here, so just

1006
01:25:48,159 --> 01:25:57,199
give me a second while I find this for
you. So,

1007
01:25:54,480 --> 01:26:01,679
uh, yes, the Ministry of M housing and
Municipal Affairs, we've committed

1008
01:25:58,800 --> 01:26:07,199
approximately 1.8 8 million in funding
to support the incorporation.

1009
01:26:04,719 --> 01:26:12,560
Um, including funding to establish the
new municipalities administration,

1010
01:26:09,840 --> 01:26:18,480
inaugural election costs, service
transition support, and other funding to

1011
01:26:15,840 --> 01:26:22,159
help the new municipality get started.
And as we've already canvased, the

1012
01:26:20,159 --> 01:26:26,960
Ministry of Trans Transportation and
Transit is providing inind support for

1013
01:26:24,800 --> 01:26:31,199
road maintenance for the first five
years following incorporation. I don't

1014
01:26:29,600 --> 01:26:35,679
have the total on that, but I can
guarantee you it's probably a lot.

1015
01:26:33,520 --> 01:26:39,440
» So, we are out of time. Uh before we
wrap up, I wanted to take a moment to

1016
01:26:37,199 --> 01:26:45,840
thank all of our panelists who are with
us. Jim Zafino, uh Matt Taylor, Michelle

1017
01:26:42,880 --> 01:26:49,199
Dan, and Tara Faganello, our technical
crew, and of course, thank you for

1018
01:26:47,600 --> 01:26:52,800
spending your evening with us instead of
doing something else outside. And I'm

1019
01:26:51,360 --> 01:26:55,120
going to ask uh any one of you if you
want some closing comments. I know

1020
01:26:54,000 --> 01:26:58,800
Director Taylor would probably like to
say a few things to thank everyone, but

1021
01:26:57,120 --> 01:27:02,800
uh with that, thank you very much again
for all of your time and your great

1022
01:27:00,480 --> 01:27:07,360
questions and comments.
>> Yeah, I just again I'd like to thank you

1023
01:27:04,800 --> 01:27:12,080
for um supporting this process
throughout the five or six years. Again,

1024
01:27:10,239 --> 01:27:18,080
I'd like to thank the provincial staff
and our staff at RDOS, but also the

1025
01:27:14,960 --> 01:27:24,800
board at RDOS, in particular, the chair
and the vice chair have been

1026
01:27:21,600 --> 01:27:32,000
unbelievably huge assets to our efforts
to present oursel to the province. Um,

1027
01:27:29,280 --> 01:27:36,880
one comment I would like to make,
we try and answer your questions as

1028
01:27:34,480 --> 01:27:41,600
quickly as we can and as clearly as we
can. It's not easy. If I hope we got

1029
01:27:40,000 --> 01:27:49,120
most of your questions answered
reasonably. If we didn't, you've got our

1030
01:27:45,440 --> 01:27:53,679
email. I can steer them on to the
province very easily. Um, if you've got

1031
01:27:52,000 --> 01:27:59,280
questions that are more suitable for the
province, but if if you want more detail

1032
01:27:57,679 --> 01:28:05,360
or you've got a question that you don't
feel was adequately answered, please uh

1033
01:28:03,120 --> 01:28:09,760
send us an email and we'll work on
getting you an answer. We'll try and

1034
01:28:07,120 --> 01:28:15,120
post them on regional connections
because you're not the only one that's

1035
01:28:11,199 --> 01:28:23,360
probably asking it. Okay. And uh yeah, I
look forward to October 17th and seeing

1036
01:28:19,360 --> 01:28:28,880
this community uh elect a marin council.
And I can tell you that if you read

1037
01:28:26,159 --> 01:28:36,400
whatever the newspaper was back in the
70s, uh Sheila Daly has shared me copies

1038
01:28:33,280 --> 01:28:43,760
and people were talking about this and
passing votes at the Chamber of Commerce

1039
01:28:39,360 --> 01:28:49,040
in support of incorporation and it's 54
years later and it appears to be just

1040
01:28:46,239 --> 01:28:53,679
about done. So bit of a justation period
there. Anyway, um safe travels home

1041
01:28:52,400 --> 01:28:57,960
tonight. Thank you very much for coming
out. Really appreciate your time.