Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2010 3:22 PM
Subject: Follow Up on Peachland Visit


Hi, Cliff. Here is my impressions of the meeting yesterday. Feel free to pass them on.

The feasibility study regarding fire protection for the Trepanier area had reached a point where it became necessary to talk to the Peachland Council and propose a way to provide water from Peachland to Trepanier without
Trepanier joining Peachland. Without water, fire protection would be difficult. I worked with the Regional District to prepare such a presentation (attached), and made that presentation on Tuesday January 12, 2010 at Peachland's Committee of the Whole. The presentation was well received; there were many questions - some of them very tough, but straight forward. I do believe the case was made effectively for Peachland and the
RDCO to work together moving forward.

Please note that the feasibility study done so far - in Draft Form - is for fire protection. It became obvious that water was an issue which needed to be dealt with before fire protection could move forward. There has been no
water feasibility study yet.

Peachland has agreed to look at the proposal put forward. The RD must understand the costs from the Peachland perspective. In order for this to occur Peachland will need to take a look at what has been done, what the water capacity is and what - if anything - needs to be upgraded from their perspective, advise the RD of the costs which Peachland requires, etc. Peachland has committed to keep both RD staff and myself updated.

What the RD needs is to understand the costs associated with hooking up to Peachland water so that the RD can then combine these costs with other (water) feasibility study costs, and thus be able to communicate as complete a picture as possible to you, the residents and property owners of Trepanier. Once these costs are better understood, a meeting will be called (please keep in mind that meetings could be called before this!). This is sometime in the future.

Nothing has been committed on behalf of Trepanier yet for water - it cannot be committed. Once the RD hears from Peachland, there needs to be a study for Trepanier water (assuming that Peachland agrees to allow the RD to hook up to Peachland water). Even when we get to the point of communicating the results of the final draft of the yet to come water feasibility study to you all, what we will be doing is asking you if you wish the RD to take it to
the next step - the approval process. If sufficient people say it should be taken to the approval process, then the RD will communicate to Trepanier citizens what needs to happen. Amongst the things which will need to happen after the yet to come water feasibility study is as follows:

1): a letter requesting that an approval process for the provision of water services be done, noting the support for this occurring comes from signatories on the letter (the signatories commonly are from an ad hoc
committee of Trepanier landowners/residents - there is already such a committee in place - TRIPOD. RD staff and myself would work with whatever committee is in place to handle this issue);

2): once the RD receives this letter, the request will go in front of the RD Board for the approval to proceed;

3): most likely the Board will approve a RD approved petition process for a Local Service Area (LSA) to be set up for the provision of water. In the approval (if it is to be accepted by the Board) the boundaries of the LSA will be defined; the costs will be defined, and other conditions will be defined. In order for the petition to be passed successfully, two things must happen: 1): greater than 50% of the landowners affected must say yes; and 2): landowners with greater than 50% of the assessed value must say yes. Both must be met.

You will note there has been no commitment on your behalf yet. This can only occur at the point where a decision is made to hold the approval process, and even then there is no commitment on your behalf to spend anything. The only time there will be a commitment to spend is if and when the approval process says go (subject to conditions noted and others which will come out in the public meeting).

Some may ask why we do not go to referendum. In a referendum, not all the landowners will be able to vote (especially if they live out of the Province or are away). In the petition, all landowners are sent a letter and will have an opportunity to vote - subject to the electoral laws of the Province for these type of petitions (this will come out in the public meeting).

You will note that if Peachland agrees to the suggestions presented to them which will involve giving this over to the RD to finalize, the only thing you will be deciding is whether or not you want water. Not about joining Peachland.

As noted, this is an update. Peachland is considering things at the present time; assuming Peachland agrees to support the suggestions given them, Peachland will be working with the Regional District to finalize a yet to come water feasibility study, and then the results will be brought forward to you in Trepanier for consideration and for a commitment to either proceed or not.

Timing? That is up in the air - a lot depends on Peachland at the present time, but I will be following up as I usually do and keeping you in touch.

I hope this is a help. Should you have any questions, please feel free to let me know. I will be continuing to e-mail Cliff as pertinent information comes forward.

Thanks!

Jim Edgson - Regional Director Central Okanagan West
jim.edgson@cord.bc.ca
Ph: 250-212-7296