Kelowna City Council 2015

Hefty Kelowna property tax increase resting on contract obligations, mayor says

KELOWNA - Mayor Colin Basran would love to pare down the 4.11 per cent tax property tax increase council is considering but says they don’t have much room to move. Basran says the combined costs of recent union contracts with city workers and firefighters, plus initial borrowing cots for the new police station, all contractual...

Kelowna golf clubs want to start serving liquor at 9 a.m.

KELOWNA - Golfers at Gallagher’s Canyon and the Okanagan Golf Club aren’t likely to be able to get a drink any earlier or later than they already do. City staff are recommending against an application from the owner of the two golf courses to add an extra hour of drinking time on either end of...

Kelowna nightclubs granted extra long opening hours for special occasions

KELOWNA - Night owls can soon look forward to a few extra extended bar nights in downtown Kelowna. Councili has endorsed a staff recommendation that allows certain nightclubs and bars three extra extended hours openings per year, on top of the three already allowed. The nightclubs will be responsible for extra policing costs on those...

Kelowna nightclub owners want to keep booze flowing longer

KELOWNA - City staff are recommending against a request for a half hour extention of hours at downtown bars and nightclubs in Kelowna but would support doubling the number of special event nights with closing times as late as 4 a.m. According to a report by community planning manager Ryan Smith, a downtown industry group...

Kelowna councillor seeks change to council meeting schedule

KELOWNA - City councillor Charlie Hodge needs more homework time and wants to move council meetings to another day. “This is what I get Friday morning in my agenda package,” Hodge says, brandishing a three-inch thick stack of reports. “I’m supposed to know all this by Monday morning or at least have an understanding of...

Parkinson Rec Centre replacement moves a step closer

KELOWNA - A plan which could one day see a replacement for the Parkinson Recreation Centre in Kelowna is moving to the next step. Parks and building manager Terry Barton says in a report to city council a replacement for the aging multi-use facility is the most pressing recreation need in the city. Built in...

Central Okanagan amongst the leaders in wildfire fuel reduction in B.C.

KELOWNA - The B.C. Forest Practices Board is praising Kelowna’s wildfire fuel mitigation efforts as amongst the most advanced in the province even as it criticizes the overall lack of progress in B.C. in protecting urban interface areas. “Today, Kelowna is an example of what communities can do to protect themselves. B.C. has been lucky...

Prospect of liquor stores inside grocery stores prompts Kelowna bylaw review

KELOWNA - No one has even asked yet about putting a liquor store inside a Kelowna grocery store but planning staff will be asking city council if it wants to shore up its zoning bylaw to regulate them. “Right now we have five locations where there is already a retail liquor store on the same...

Kelowna city councillors balk at unexpected request for new fire engine

KELOWNA - A majority of Kelowna city council has said no to spending $730,000 for a new fire engine a year earlier than scheduled despite a warning from Kelowna Fire Department chief Jeff Carlisle it could result in “response capacity gaps” in rural areas of the city. “We need to put our planning hats on and...