By Mayor Julius Bloomfield
When Council laid out four priorities that would drive our term in office, it was with the intent to make sure the words were translated into action. There would be no gathering of metaphorical dust on them. If they were going to be the underpinning of how we governed, we needed to see results.
Just as importantly, the results couldn’t be a guarded secret that only a few had access to. The public deserved to see what progress was being made and what challenges remain.
This week, Council received quarterly updates that show how the City is doing across the breadth of the organization.
Safe and resilient is one of Council’s priorities, a commitment to enhancing and protecting the safety of residents and visitors.
The latest crime statistics show a continued declining trend with new programs making a difference. The Car 40 program, which pairs an RCMP officer and nurse, is now up and running and proving effective. Bylaw Services has instituted foot patrols during peak hours to enhance public safety. And there are plans for more programs this summer.
However, a key component of safe and resilient community is advocating for and finding non-enforcement responses. That work is largely done by our Social Development department.
We’ve launched the City’s first affordable housing reserve program pilot. Under this pilot, staff will continue to deliver on Council’s priority of attainable housing by providing pre-development funding to get housing projects ‘shovel ready’ for future capital grant applications.
The City was successful in receiving funding from the Province to partner with the YMCA of the Southern Interior on the renovation of the former Bugaboo University at the Community Centre into the Power Street Child Care Centre. This new childcare facility will see 80 net new childcare spaces to Penticton. This comes after the opening last year of the Edmonton Street Child Care facility.
A growing area of concern for many is food security, which is why we’re working with local groups to collaborate on local needs to address food access, production, and distribution. Groups like the Salvation Army, Oasis Church, the Purple Pantry and Soupateria are all see a significant increase in usage and the demographic of those needing assistance is increasing. Data from the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control estimates the monthly cost of healthy food for a family of four at $1,264 in the Okanagan, representing an approximate 23% increase since 2017.
We know housing – affordability and availability – remains a top priority in the community. This quarter saw the completion of community meetings to revamp the Official Community Plan to meet those challenges and the results will be seen in the upcoming quarter.
As well, we’re seeing an increase in construction with developments representing over $60 million dollars in construction value were issued permits over the first three months of 2024, with notable projects like Sokana (270 Riverside Drive) and Westmin 795 by Cantiro (795 Westminster Avenue) in the North Gateway and two new day care centres (Wiltse School and Uplands School) getting underway. City Council, through the first five meetings of the year, also approved development permits representing 84 new housing units.
Part of what makes Penticton is the vibrancy and connectedness of the community and we want to ensure that feeling is felt year-round. We saw the first Frost Fest this year and the Canadian Sport School Hockey League’s annual championship brought teams and fans for two weeks. And the Accessibility Committee continues its work to ensure that residents can participate in the life of the community.
And our organization continues to excel in ensuring the infrastructure we need is in place. Projects designed to keep our community growing are moving forward, with highlights including Point Intersection and new dog parks.
Sometimes the work being completed is being done in isolation when it’s actually part of a plan. The first quarter of 2024 has been extremely busy as all these threads are woven together to create the ultimate goal of a vibrant, resilient and healthy Penticton. There’s more to do and together, we will get it done.