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Friday, March 25, 2016
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Theatre process defended
District adopts budget RICHARD ROLKE
RICHARD ROLKE
Morning Star Staff
Morning Star Staff
The Regional District of North Okanagan’s 2016 budget has been given the final nod after some last-minute changes. On Wednesday, a majority of the board decided to take $100,000 out of reserves and add it to the budget to reduce the overall tax requisition. “The reserves are sitting at $1.7 million and I don’t like m o n e y sitting in reserves u n l e s s it’s for a specific item,” said Catherine Lord director Catherine Lord. “It’s beneficial to use that now.” However, a number of board members were opposed to the process. “I would have liked more opportunity for a discussion,” said director Shirley Fowler, adding that the proposal to use $100,000 from reserves was only presented at Wednesday’s meeting for the first time. “I would have liked to have made an informed decision.” The overall tax requisition for the region has climbed 1.2 per cent, but it will vary between jurisdictions, and in some cases neighbourhoods, depending on the services received. Some jurisdictions may see their tax requisition increase 10 per cent while others may see the tax burden drop 12.5 per cent. The total 2016 budget is valued at $63.6 million, which is a $1.6 million decrease from 2015.
EGG DROP LISA VANDERVELDE/ MORNING STAR
Brothers Jonah Violini (above), 11, Gabe, eight, and Jude, four, put their ideas together to keep their eggs safe while being dropped from the ceiling at the Okanagan Science Centre. Clark Reynolds, of the OSC, drops Khadijah Hoceini’s and her brother Abdullah’s wellcushioned egg from the ceiling. Their clever design kept their egg safe and sound.
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Proponents of an outdoor performance venue continue to defend their planning process. About 80 people attended an open house Tuesday hosted by the Okanagan Summer Festival Society, which is proposing up to a 5,500-seat amphitheatre in a ravine at Okanagan College in Coldstream. “A large majority were there to discuss the potential impact of our proposal on the neighbourhood,” said Diane Bond, with the society. Many residents in the adjacent subdivision have expressed concerns that an amphitheatre will create noise and traffic and development of the ravine could negatively impact the environment and cause flooding. “We anticipated everything we heard,” said Bond. “We have a long list of things we’re proposing as part of the pre-construction process, including environmental and engineering studies. But we have to fund those. We are a charity and we have to do these things bit by bit.” The first priority is sound testing. “That will take until the end of the year until we get that report and we will share that report,” said Bond. Bond still believes the location is the best for an amphitheatre because of the slope, proximity to Highway 97 and its view of Kalamalka Lake. “Until someone comes forward with a site that meets our criteria and that we can afford, it (moving) is academic,” she said. “We searched for locations for some time.” Beyond the critics, Bond says there were people at Tuesday’s meeting who were interested in the project and recognize the process is in the early stages. “They wanted to get more information.” The amphitheatre could cost $5 to $10 million, with the money possibly coming from senior government grants and donations.
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