EAGLE VALLEY
NEWS
Organizations benefit from grant support Page 5
Coyotes find Eagles tough to beat Page 7
Wednesday, October 8, 2014 PM40008236
Vol. 59 No. 41 Sicamous, B.C., • 1.25 (GST included) • www.eaglevalleynews.com
Martin to run for 24th year with CSRD By Barb Brouwer Eagle Valley News
Rhona Martin’s term as president of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities ended with this year’s convention in September. But that does not mean the longtime politician will be any less busy or enthusiastic. Martin, who describes her time at the helm of UBCM as an amazing opportunity, will try for a 24th year as Area E Rural Sicamous director. Of course I am still enthusiastic. Do I breathe?” she laughs. “I always wanted to try to improve things in the area and I continue to want to be there because it’s important to have the voice of rural B.C. involved at all levels.” Martin, who has already submitted her papers, says there are still a number of regional district issues that continue to be a challenge. “For many electoral area directors, the challenges are development and employment, something CSRD is attempting to address through Shuswap Economic Development and Shuswap Tourism,” she said. Martin says the new four-year term is a long time, but adds that when You do have to she first entered politics take your share of the the terms were only two load as… (a) direcyears. tor; it’s a team effort Along with the longer supported by good term, has come heavier staff that makes sure workloads. we’re prepared and “When I was first elected, we got a pack- have the information age (of information) needed… Rhona Martin once a week and the odd phone call. I am still getting the package, but people are sending emails every day,” she says. “The workload has increased tremendously and there are great expectations from the electorate.” It’s not just meeting once a month, she adds, noting there are committees both within and outside of CSRD and the workload has to be shared. Another political requirement is learning to be a team player, she says, pointing to how successful teamwork at the hospital district has meant large See Advisory council on page 3
Game night: Mikel Stuart helps son Dawson Stuart, Graysen Hicks and daughter Brodie Stuart with a board game during Family Games Night Friday at the Sicamous branch of the Okanagan Regional Library. The ORL is considering cuts for Sicamous and 18 other branches. Photo by Lachlan Labere
Staffing cuts proposed for local libraries ORL: Board aims to achieve greater equity between branches. By Lachlan Labere Eagle Valley News
The Okanagan Regional Library is considering cuts at 19 branches, including those in Sicamous and Salmon Arm, to achieve a better balance of service levels at its libraries. Last week, ORL announced its CEO Stephanie Hall has drafted a staffing level plan for branches were spending needs to be reduced. Among them, the Salmon Arm branch is looking at a reduction equivalent of 1.86 of a full-time positions; half a full-time position could be cut at the Sicamous branch, and .4 of a position
from the Silver Creek library. No change is proposed for the Sorrento branch. In total, ORL is looking to reduce 12.5 full-time positions at 19 of its 29 service locations. Library staff and their union representatives with CUPE and the Professional Employees Association (PEA) have received a copy of the confidential staffing report, and have been asked for input. ORL spokesperson Michele Rule assures the library board and administration are “not in a hurry to cut and slash or anything like that.” “What they told us on the management team is they
want us to take it really slow, so they want us to do a multiyear process, and they want us to do as much as possible without disturbing services,” said Rule. “But they understand that something is going to have to happen.” The staffing plan is in response to a 2013 study comparing what local governments were paying for service levels at their respective library branches. What the ORL found, in essence, is that some communities like Salmon Arm and Sicamous were receiving more service for less money, while the opposite was happening at other branches. Hall has said Salmon Arm
is receiving almost $300,000 more in service than revenue recovered. Rule noted Salmon Arm has already lost one position to attrition, and this has helped ORL meet its goal for 2014 without any layoffs. Salmon Arm library branch head James Laitinen, who is also a PEA member, confirms there is no definite timeline as to how the proposed staffing changes will play out, adding management hopes to achieve any cost savings through attrition, as opposed to actual layoffs. Regardless, he says require a balancing act at individual branches facing cuts. See Administrative on page 2