Four ‘juicy’ topics at one open house

The City of Penticton is blending four ‘juicy’ topics in one open house later this month. Residents are invited to drop in at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre on August 28 to discuss the legalization of cannabis in the city, the future of wastewater solids management, the findings from the SOEC parking study and proposed changes to the Building Bylaw. The open house will run from 4 pm to 7 pm and will feature four separate stations, one for each of the key topics. Attendees are invited to enjoy a complimentary fresh juice or smoothie while they review the materials.

“These are four important projects that are in various stages of development but all at a point of needing input from the community,” says JoAnne Kleb, Engagement Strategist. “Blending the topics into a single event is an effective use of residents’ time and City resources and should create a great environment for juicy dialogue.”

Over the next few weeks, staff will provide more information about each topic leading up to the open house. An overview of the topics and the information that will be shared is provided below. Anyone not able to attend the open house will have the opportunity to review the information and share their feedback online at shapeyourcitypenticton.ca beginning August 21.

“Our hope is that residents may come for one topic but will stay to learn more about the other three,” says Kleb. “It is a bit of an experiment so if we find that citizens need more time to discuss one or more of the topics, we will make that happen.”

Open House Topics

An overview of each of the topics that will be discussed at the open house is provided below:

Cannabis Framework

  • The City is involving the community in determining the rules for the retail sales and public use of cannabis in Penticton when it is legalized in October.

  • Citizens were asked to complete a community survey that kicked off on April 16.

  • The results of the survey and a proposed framework were shared with Council on July 3.

  • Residents will have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback on the proposed framework at the open house.

  • Feedback collected will be used to refine the framework and prepare the necessary policies and procedures to review with Council in the fall.

SOEC Parking Study

  • The City announced plans to update a 2015 parking study at the SOEC complex on May 23 in order to address parking pressures in the area.

  • The goal of the study is to collect current data on parking demand in order to identify opportunities to better manage available parking.

  • The City conducted a survey to gather feedback from users of the facilities and area residents and traffic counts during typical and busy weekends at the site.

  • The survey results and some of the initial findings from the counts were shared during an Open House on June 25.

  • An additional parking count was completed on July 14 during the John Fogerty concert to capture data during a special event.

  • Residents will have the opportunity to review the complete findings and discuss the recommendations at the open house.

Waste Water Solids Study

  • The City announced plans to review the options for managing the solids from the waste water treatment process on April 13.

  • Solids from the waste water treatment plant are currently trucked to the Campbell Mountain Landfill and composted.

  • The compost site is aging and needs a significant investment to bring it into compliance with current regulations.

  • The purpose of the review is to determine whether or not the current process is the best investment for the future.

  • The City reviewed 23 different processes for treating the wastewater solids and is developing a shortlist of options to discuss with the community.

  • Staff will be on hand to discuss the findings from the review and gather feedback on the shortlist in order to prepare a recommendation for Council in the fall.

Building Bylaw Modernization

  • The City announced plans to modernize the Building Bylaw on May 8.

  • A new bylaw will reflect recent changes in the Building Act and other industry codes and phase in the recommendations from the new BC Energy Step Code.

  • The changes will affect the requirements for residential and commercial construction.

  • The City would like to review the changes with residents and gather feedback on the plan to phase in the recommendations before taking the bylaw to Council this fall.


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