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Friday, February 13, 2015
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Irene Bieller enjoys a bowl of ice cream to celebrate jopo’s 50th birthday party at the Halina Centre Monday, wearing a hat with 40 years of pins she has collected during all the Vernon Winter Carnivals she has attended. For more Carnival photos visit the Vernon Morning Star Facebook page.
Mild weather swamps Enderby RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff
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Heavy equipment tackles a mud slide on Granville Street in Enderby. Melting snow and frozen ground is creating challenges in the community. “We ask people to avoid driving up there unless they live up there,” said Bengtson of potential safety risks with large vehicles. Besides Granville Street, other issues are developing in the community because
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The City of Vernon’s attempt to engage with the public is falling on deaf ears. Hundreds of customer satisfaction surveys were handed out in 2014 to individuals with development, business license and building permit applications, but only 17 were completed and returned. “If so many went out, what’s the reason for so few coming back?” said Coun. Catherine Lord at Tuesday’s council meeting. The goal is to make the survey more widely available online, but Coun. Scott Anderson isn’t sure if the Scott Anderson public participation rate will improve. “Engagement with the public is a two-way street, and while I’m pleased that the city is reaching out, citizens also have a responsibility to bring forward their feedback,” he said. “I believe there’s a widespread feeling of powerlessness in the public, as if their opinions will just be ignored, and we have to continue to try to change that perception.” According to the survey responses that were received, when asked about overall satisfaction with the service received from staff, 89 per cent (16) were satisfied or very satisfied, 5.5 per cent (one) were neutral and 5.5 per cent (one) were unsatisfied. “Sixty-one per cent or 11 indicated they would recommend doing business in Vernon with others in the development industry and 5.5 per cent or one would not,” said Kim Flick, director of community development. “Not all respondents answered this question. The percentages reflect the entire number of surveys received, not just those that answered this question.” When asked how their experience in Vernon compared with similar projects in other jurisdictions, 22 per cent indicated it was similar or OK, 22 per cent said it was superior and 5.5 per cent said it took longer. Not everyone answered the question. *
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the ground is still frozen and the melting snow has no where to go but basements and properties. “It’s a weird circumstance,” said McCune, pointing to a 13 to 14-year-old home on Johnston Street that has been flooded. “They’ve got water in the home for the first time ever.” In another case, a resident on Brickyard Road has had pumps running constantly to keep a ditch from overflowing and threatening his home. It hasn’t been very successful. “It (water) is coming right back to the ditch,” said McCune. Even city infrastructure is being impacted by the runoff. “The sewer treatment facility is taking in double the water it usually does,” said McCune. City staff and council will consider if any infrastructure improvements are needed to minimize the impact of future snowmelt, but McCune admits that it’s difficult to prepare for everything Mother Nature presents. “We’re doing all we can,” he said.
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Melting snow has kept Enderby officials and residents busy coping with flooding and slides. One home had to be evacuated Monday on Granville Street after runoff saturated the hillside and it gave way. “We’re blessed no one was hurt,” said Mayor Greg McCune. Engineers ultimately visited the site and while the evacuation order for the house was lifted Tuesday, a garage remains offlimits because of the instability of the slope. “Every time it sloughs, it turns into a slide,” said Tate Bengtson, the city’s chief administrative officer. Crews have been scrambling to ensure the situation doesn’t get any worse along Granville Street. “The work will be quite extensive,” said Bengtson. “We are excavating the bank and pulling away anything at risk of sloughing. We’re armouring the bank with two-foot rock.” Granville Street remains open but dump trucks are prevalent.
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