LIBRARY STRIKE | Management and union positions aren’t far apart as rotating strike begins [A5]
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Sunday, May 6, 2012
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City taxes up 1.7 JENNIFER SMITH Morning Star Staff
LISA VANDERVELDE/MORNING STAR
Just behind Westside Road, the top Worst Road in B.C., Coldstream’s Cosens Bay Road took the sixth spot as it’s plagued with potholes and crumbling pavement.
Westside named worst road JENNIFER SMITH
people up here are getting very impatient,” he said. “I’m looking forward to seeing Westside Road Cars off cliffs, potholes that could swallow a drop off that list because MOTI did something.” small car, and narrow, windy, unlit stretches have The worst section of road, according to Edgson, all led to Westside Road being deemed the worst is the approximately three-kilometre stretch north road in B.C. of Shelters Cove. And Coldstream’s pothole and “Going north is not bad but coming south crumbling pavement riddled Cosens you take your life into your hands.” Bay Road took the sixth spot. Yet the entire stretch of road needs work Those are the results from BCAA’s and Edgson hopes the results of this survey Worst Roads Campaign – as voted will give the ministry the push it needs to by B.C. residents. finally resolve the issues. After 12 years of fighting to see “The MLA (Ben Stewart) and minister improvements on Westside Road, of MOTI (Blair Lekstrom) have driven that Jim Edgson Jim Edgson (Central Okanagan West road and know how bad it is,” said Edgson, electoral area director) was happy to who personally alerted Premier Christy Clark see the stretch move from 18th in last year’s survey to the problem last year. to first for 2012. It is hoped a five-year plan for Westside Road “This road is in dire need of improvement,” will be formed and adhered to. said Edgson, prior to meeting with co-members of But Edgson admits it may be a bumpy road as the Rural Westside Road Improvement Committee some sections of Westside lie directly on private Friday to work out a request for the Ministry of property, therefore there are purchasing issues. Transportation and Infrastructure to take on a In the meantime, he encourages residents to five-year plan for the road. “Quit patching the keep sending their concerns to the government to patches and start renewing it. ensure the BCAA survey results don’t fall on deaf “As you can tell by the BCAA survey, a lot of ears. Morning Star Staff
And: “You’ve got to drive with due care and attention until it is fixed.” Meanwhile Coldstream’s mayor questions the credibility of the BCAA survey, which ranks Cosens Bay Road as the sixth worst in B.C. “The sampling is questionable,” said Jim Garlick, also pointing out that the road is mainly in Area B’s jurisdiction. “I don’t think it carries much weight unless they can provide us with some more information on it, such as areas of it.” But he does admit the road needs some work. “For the amount of traffic, it could be improved,” said Garlick of the chip-sealed road that channels residents from across the North Okanagan to Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park. From April 2 to 23, close to 3,500 motorists, pedestrians and cyclists took part in the BCAA second annual Worst Roads Campaign and identified 730 separate stretches of road that they believe are the worst in B.C. “Through their responses to the campaign, British Columbians are putting a spotlight on roads that they believe have a negative impact on their vehicles, stress levels and safety,” said Ken Cousin, BCAA’s associate vice-president of Road Assist.
The average Vernon taxpayer will officially be shelling out an extra $14 this year. The city set its 2012 tax rates bylaw Thursday and evened out some numbers to ensure there are no surprises. “We’ve achieved a rate 1.7 per cent above last year’s,” said Mayor Rob Sawatzky. Based on the assessed value of the average home ($336,676), that increase works out to $14. There had been some confusion with the numbers, as a decrease in assessments meant the increase would actually work out to 4.06 per cent over last year. “It’s back to where it was originally thought to be (1.7 per cent),” said Coun. Bob Spiers. “I’m never happy with any increase but this was more palatable than four per cent.” The 2011 average home in Vernon was assessed at $340,976, but council did some adjustments to ensure they could keep the tax increase under control. Assessed values are out of the city’s control. Sawatzky is pleased with the work that has been done by council and staff to keep the increase minimal. “I think it’s quite reasonable.” The increase for the business class is 2.66 per cent, which Sawatzky is also pleased to see. “That’s lower than the provincial average which is around 3.2 per cent.”
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