REGIONAL CONNECTIONS

Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen

RDOS Helps Agriculturists Chip Trees

October 2016 Newsletter | Volume 4 Issue 8

TREE CHIPPINGRDOS helps agriculturists chip trees.

ROCKS IN YARD AND WOOD WASTEContractors seeing big bills at landfill.

in this issue

RDOS BUDGET MEETINGSBudget process kicking off.

RDOS BOARD HIGHLIGHTS

WEST BENCH LEAK DETECTION PROJECTA good news story!

Agriculturists removing trees or vines this Fall should contact the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) by October 7th for a free chipping quote. The RDOS provides assistance to growers in the south Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys removing agricultural trees.Burning trees is a common source of air pollutants in BC valleys. Smoke from fires contains particles that can harm lungs. The RDOS has been assisting growers chip agricultural trees for the last decade. Chips can be used onsite to help retain moisture and add nutrients slowly to the soil. Air quality has been significantly improved by having growers chip instead of burning.To help extend the program, the grower pays only one quarter (1/4) of the cost of agricultural tree chipping. The RDOS pays the remaining three quarters (3/4) of the cost. All the money paid by growers goes to allowing more properties access to the chipping program. Agriculturists can request a free quote by contacting the RDOS at 250-490-4203, toll free 1-877-610-3737 or e-mail info@rdos.bc.ca. The chipping contractor will visit the property and discuss the work with the grower. To ensure work is completed this Fall growers should

contact the RDOS by Friday October 7th for a free quote. Agriculturists calling after that date can still access the program but work may be completed in 2017 depending on availability of the chipper. Owners who are removing orchards that have codling moth infestation are required to chip or take all wood and/or prunings to the landfill. The reason is that when Codling Moth larvae leave the fruit they spin up cocoons under the bark of the tree. If this wood is sold or moved to another location - codling moth larvae move with it. These larvae will then pupate, emerge as an adult moth, then mate and lay eggs. These eggs will then hatch and infest the closest unsuspecting apple or pear trees.Introducing infested wood to a new area will very quickly re-infest clean trees – this then requires growers to get back on their tractors to spray for control. The Sterile Insect Release group is sure that you wouldn’t want anyone affecting your bottom line – so please consider other growers and homeowner and dispose of wood properly.If you have any questions, or suggestions the RDOS office is always available and you are welcome to contact staff or Directors at any time at 250-492-0237 or info@rdos.bc.ca

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Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen

Contractors are seeing big bills at local landfills due to rocks and debris in yard and wood waste. Rocks in yard and wood waste have the potential to damage wood chipping equipment. Consequences include broken blades, jammed equipment and the potential for serious injury.

Yard waste is subsidized at all landfills throughout the Regional District. Low prices encourage people not to burn. For any load of yard waste the first 500 kg / 1100 pounds is free of charge with larger loads charged $50 a tonne. Due to less burning the air quality in local valleys has slowly improved. Yard and wood waste at landfills are chipped for composting, animal bedding and dust control at landfills.

Recently several loads of yard waste have been brought to local landfills containing rocks. Due to safety concerns the haulers were fined extra

fees. The cost to customers went from hundreds of dollars to over a thousand dollars per load.

Don Hamilton, RDOS Solid Waste Facilities Supervisor, advises property owners be careful when land clearing.

“We’re seeing heavy equipment operators scrape rocks into loads of yard waste to save time,” explains Hamilton. “This puts people at our landfill at risk of serious harm if they don’t see stones or rocks when chipping. People could be seriously hurt if rocks hit these powerful moving blades. Ensuring heavy equipment operators keep rocks and other debris out of yard and wood waste will save their customers money.”

Residents with any questions on landfill fees can call the Regional District Solid Waste group at 250-490-4129.

Contractors Seeing Big Bills at Landfill

The RDOS is currently beginning the budgeting process for the 2017 Budget.

Keeping in mind the current economic conditions and challenges faced by RDOS communities, the Board of Directors endeavours to keep services affordable and taxes as low as possible while meeting rate-payers expectations for service and growth. The RDOS currently provides over 140 different services to rate-payers. For each service, a distinct budget is created.

Currently RDOS departments are preparing the draft budgets and through a series of public workshops in late November and early December the Board of Directors will discuss the various program changes and overall budget requests and tax implications of the proposed budgets. The public is encouraged to attend those workshops and /or talk to their Electoral Area Directors about issues of concerns.

Budget meetings will take place in the RDOS Boardroom at 101 Martin Street in Penticton on:

November 17, 2016RDOS Boardroom – 9 am to 1 pm

December 1, 2016RDOS Boardroom – 9 am to 1 pm

December 2, 2016RDOS Boardroom – 9 am to 1 pm

The RDOS is working hard to be an effective, fiscally responsible organization.

RDOS Budget ProcessKicking Off

RDOSBoard of Directors

MARK PENDERGRAFTRDOS ChairArea “A” - Osoyoos Rural

GEORGE BUSHArea “B” - Cawston

TERRY SCHAFERArea “C” - Oliver Rural

THOMAS SIDDONArea “D” - Kaleden/Okanagan Falls

KARLA KOZAKEVICHArea “E” - Naramata

MICHAEL BRYDONOSRHD ChairArea “F” - Okanagan Lake West/West Bench

ELEF CHRISTENSENArea “G” - Keremeos Rural/Hedley

BOB COYNEArea “H” - Princeton Rural

ANDREW JAKUBEITRDOS Vice-ChairCity of Penticton

HELENA KONANZCity of Penticton

JUDY SENTESOSRHD Vice-ChairCity of Penticton

ANDRE MARTINCity of Penticton

PETER WATERMANDistrict of Summerland

TONI BOOTDistrict of Summerland

RON HOVANESTown of Oliver

SUZAN MCKORTOFFTown of Osoyoos

FRANK ARMITAGETown of Princeton

MANFRED BAUERVillage of Keremeos

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It seems people either love or hate water meters. Whatever side you are on, this story illustrates one of the benefits of water metering.The RDOS takes total monthly water consumption data from each newly installed water meter through drive by radio reads. In addition to consumption data, the meters flag and report leaks, starting with ‘continuous leak’ reports. Continuous leaks are recorded for further investigation when water never stops flowing through the meter into the customer’s service line. One West Bench resident’s water meter showed a continuous leak for over 35 days. This prompted an on-site investigation which revealed that 30 gallons per hour was flowing night and day, regardless of other water use. 30 gallons per hour is equivalent to 27 bathtubs full a day. With such a big leak, the RDOS replaced the meter to insure that it was not at fault. The new meter confirmed the original reading.The elderly property owner’s family was contacted and were very concerned. Their investigation indicated that nothing above ground seemed to show itself to be the culprit; no visual puddles, green spots, soft areas, or subsidence. The next step was to employ a specialized audio scope, which did detect a possible leak, very close to the house, in ‘old’ irrigation pipes laid soon after the house was built decades before. Many older systems like this one still exist on the

West Bench and in the region. The property owner engaged a plumbing contractor with digging equipment. From the first bucketful of dirt, dampness soon turned to a muddy, goopy mess. The leak was at over 5 ft. down in a split pipe, water escaping downhill underground. To ensure that this was the only break, after fixing the pipe, the water was turned back on and the meter was rechecked. It recorded zero consumption meaning the single leak was responsible. A leak like this could have easily caused major problems with the home, the septic field, the property and surrounding downstream properties. The soils in the West Bench area are notorious for sink holes, and this could have been a big one. To date, the leak detection project has compiled a whopping 250 gallons per hour or almost 1 cubic meter an hour in leaks throughout West Bench, and property owners have been actively engaged in making the repairs that will no doubt save them money when billing moves to new metered rates in 2017. Metering has been instrumental in the West Bench area meeting water conservation goals identified in the bulk water agreement between the City of Penticton and the RDOS.If you have any questions, thoughts or suggestions about water conservation, the RDOS office is always available and you are welcome to contact staff or Directors at any time at 250-492-0237 or info@rdos.bc.ca.

The West Bench Leak Detection Project

Water systems rely on power to maintain operations for pumping in source water, for treatment and for distribution of the water to the customers. All pumps, machinery, computers and sensors are dependent on the continuous supply of power. The Naramata water system currently does not operate with standby power. The RDOS awarded the Naramata Water System-Standby Power Upgrade to Houle Electric Ltd. in the amount of $1,052,505.28 plus applicable taxes. Houle Electric Ltd. will install and commission three diesel standby generators for the Naramata Water System. A generator will be installed at each of the following sites: Raw Water Pump Station, Water Treatment Plant and Juniper Pump Station. The work will bring the standby power upgrades into operation.

The Board of Directors approved the purchase of a 2014 F550 Super Duty flat deck, crew cab truck for $48,429.00 plus applicable taxes for the Keremeos Fire Department.

The South Okanagan Transit System Services Establishment bylaw received three readings July 7, and then received approval by the Inspector of Municipalities. An alternative approval process is now underway which will end October 17, 2016. The total number of eligible electors to which the alternative approval process applies is 15,962, and the number of elector responses required to prevent the bylaw from proceeding without a referendum is 1,596.

The Regional Economic Development Service Establishment bylaw received three readings June 2, and then received approval by the Inspector of Municipalities. An alternative approval process is now underway which will end October 17, 2016. The total number of eligible electors to which the alternative approval process applies is 70,890, and the number of elector

responses required to prevent the bylaw from proceeding without a referendum is 7,089.

The Board of Directors gave three readings to the RDOS Sub-Regional Conservation Fund Service Establishment Bylaw. The bylaw was then forwarded to the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development for approval. The Ministry has requested that the bylaw wording be amended to detail the purpose of the bylaw. The Board of Directors have now given third reading to the amended bylaw. Upon approval of the Inspector of Municipalities, participating area approval for the bylaw will be obtained for the entire service area through an alternative approval process.

The RDOS first introduced a bylaw to control noxious insects in 1970 to require owners or occupiers of property to prevent and clear infestation of caterpillars or other noxious insects on their property. Recently the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug poses a significant threat to the local economy as it damages a wide variety of host plants including apples, peach and choke cherry trees, beans, tomatoes, peppers and corn. The Board of Directors have adopted the Noxious and Destructive Insect and Pest Control Amendment bylaw which will now include the Adult Brown Marmorated Stink Bug on the list of pests requiring control.

The Regional Board has accepted 5% cash in-lieu of parkland dedication for a subdivision lot in Okanagan Falls. According to the Local Government Act a subdivision applicant can be required to provide an area of parkland of up to 5% of the total area of the subdivided land, or provide cash in-lieu of land, which must then be used to purchase land for public park space. It has been determined that there is not sufficient land to create adequate parkland on the subdivision parcel.

The Regional Board has adopted the 2016 RDOS Property Tax Exemption bylaw. The Board at its discretion may grant an exemption to eligible organizations from taxes payable to the RDOS for the upcoming tax year. The list includes the following:

Previous Exemptions, No New Application in 2016

Osoyoos Wildlife Federation, Electoral Area “A” The Natures Trust, Electoral Area “C”South Okanagan Sportsmen Association, Electoral Area “C” South Okanagan Sportsmen Association, Electoral Area “C” Fairview Mountain Golf Club Society, Electoral Area “C” OK Falls Heritage & Museum Society, Electoral Area “D” City of Penticton - golf course, Electoral Area “D” Okanagan Falls United Church, Electoral Area “D”Naramata Museum Society (RDOS Ownership), Electoral Area “E”Penticton Shooting Sports Association, Electoral Area “F” Keremeos-Cawston Sportsmen Association, Electoral Area “G” Nickel Plate X-Country Ski Club, Electoral Area “G” Hedley Sports Association, Electoral Area “G”Keremeos Elks Lodge, Electoral Area “G”Princeton Golf Club, Electoral Area “H”

The Regional Board endorsed the implementation of T911 (Phase 1) of the NG911 within the boundaries of the RDOS. The specialized text service allows people who are Deaf/Deaf-Blind, Hard-of-Hearing or Speach Impaired to communicate with 911 call takers by text.

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Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen

RDOS BOARD MEETING HIGHLIGHTSSelected highlights from the regular meetings of the

Board of Directors of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen held September 1 and 15