Water, spending and town priorities dominate Osoyoos candidate town hall

Water, municipal spending, development, health care and the future use of public property led a wide-ranging discussion Monday evening as four declared candidates took questions directly from Osoyoos residents. **Note: This is a longer read, but the meeting covered a great deal of ground. We have reported the discussion in detail so residents who could not attend can see what was asked, and how each candidate responded.

Rougly 100 people attended An Evening Town Hall with Some Declared Candidates at the Sonora Community Centre on Aug. 31. The event was organized by mayoral candidate Dustin Sikora and included council candidates Frank Zandvliet, Ron Sergeant and Arlyn Greig.

The meeting was not presented as an official all-candidates forum. Instead, those taking part described it as an opportunity for residents to raise local concerns and question the candidates who attended. Audience members were initially asked to keep their questions to about 30 seconds, with answers of roughly one to 90 seconds, although many of the exchanges ran longer as residents challenged or followed up on the responses.

The result was a discussion that ranged from the drinking-water system and property taxes to short-term rentals, doctors, boat launches, bylaw enforcement, tennis courts and the use of volunteer committees.

Candidates introduce themselves

Zandvliet described himself as someone who has generally worked behind the scenes rather than as a politician. Born and raised in Osoyoos, he said he worked for the Town for 33 years and understands much of its infrastructure. He emphasized frugality, keeping taxes down and his history of volunteering, including more than 25 years with the community fireworks.

Sergeant said he has lived in Osoyoos for seven years and considered running in the previous election, but concluded at the time that he had not lived in town long enough or learned enough about its issues. Since then, he said, he has attended or watched council meetings and remained active with community organizations.

He spoke about his years with search and rescue, Scouts Canada, the Festival Society, Rotary and the Osoyoos Seniors Centre, where he said he has served as president for the past couple of years. A plumber by trade, Sergeant made clear that this does not make him an expert on the Town’s water or sewer systems. His central concern, he said, is improving communication among council, municipal employees and residents.

Greig said she has lived in the community for 12 years and now has more time to devote to the Town after years of supporting non-profit groups and individual causes. She identified water as her main focus and described herself as someone who watches how every dollar is spent.

Sikora, who is running for mayor after also seeking the position four years ago, described himself as persistent once he takes on an issue. He spoke about his military background, building a private business serving a need within government and choosing Osoyoos as the place where he and his wife would raise their children.

He placed water at the centre of his campaign, arguing that it affects public health, tourism, property values and confidence in the Town. He called for a cohesive community effort, a reassessment of possible solutions and a firmer negotiating approach with senior governments.

“This isn’t about ego. This is not about titles. This is not about individuals,” Sikora said. “This is about us as a group in the community to fix the water.”

Where the candidates live — and what that means to them

The first audience question asked the candidates to state exactly where they live, reflecting an issue that has surfaced during the campaign over whether candidates reside inside Town boundaries and how municipal decisions affect them.

Sergeant said he lives on the east bench and does not drink the water supplied to his home because his wife prefers bottled water. Zandvliet said he was raised in Osoyoos and lives within the municipality, meaning the next council’s taxation decisions affect him directly.

Greig said she lives on the lower section of Anarchist Mountain but has owned two houses, a condominium and a downtown business during her 12 years in the area. She said she installed water-treatment systems in each of those properties and argued that rising costs and municipal decisions still matter to her regardless of where her current home sits.

Sikora said he lives in town on Dividend Ridge and also owns a small property outside the municipality, making him a taxpayer on two properties. He estimated the collective value of taxable property in Osoyoos at approximately $3 billion and said he would approach the Town’s money as carefully as he treats his business finances.

He also referred to the effect of recent property-tax increases on seniors living on fixed incomes, saying even another $150 or $200 can take away money that would otherwise be spent on food or grandchildren.

What comes after water?

One resident asked the candidates to identify priorities other than water, saying residents were already familiar with that issue.

Sergeant nevertheless returned first to water as an example of what he considers poor municipal communication. He said residents had not been given clear enough information about water results or what alternatives were available to people who did not want to rely on bottled water. He suggested the Town could have considered a central filtration point where residents and visitors could obtain treated water.

Greig also began with water, saying she had been researching possible assistance for schools and seniors’ buildings and talking to someone who could help locate grant opportunities. Beyond that, she called for more business activity and greater public input into municipal spending.

Sikora identified legal, municipally regulated short-term rentals as one of the larger issues outside water. He conducted an informal show of hands in the room, although several audience members pointed out that the answer depended heavily on what type of short-term-rental program was being proposed.

He said he did not yet know what the correct balance would be, whether through neighbourhood limits, a lottery or another licensing system. His broader argument was that Osoyoos, as a tourism-dependent community, should be looking for ways to attract more events and visitor spending and use that revenue to support amenities for residents.

Zandvliet said Osoyoos needs to make clear that it is open for business. Rather than pursuing a major industrial operation, he favoured attracting smaller employers capable of providing year-round jobs for local families and helping sustain enrolment in the community’s schools.

The discussion exposed a difference in emphasis rather than a clean division. Sikora focused heavily on tourism, events and capturing visitor revenue. Zandvliet emphasized small businesses and permanent jobs. Sergeant later said tourism must extend beyond July and August, but argued that deteriorating streets, sidewalks, parking and public washroom access must be addressed if the Town expects to attract people during the quieter months.

Short-term rentals, workers and housing

The discussion about short-term rentals quickly became a discussion about where workers and families would live if Osoyoos succeeded in attracting more businesses.

Zandvliet said the community’s geography and surrounding Agricultural Land Reserve leave limited room to expand outward. He suggested Osoyoos may need more apartments and greater density, while acknowledging that building height can be constrained by local firefighting capacity.

Greig said mixed-use buildings, with businesses on the ground floor and housing above, could be part of the answer. She recalled neighbourhood businesses elsewhere that operated from the main floor while the owners lived upstairs.

Sikora supported what he called a small or moderate amount of high-quality development, but said he has no interest in Osoyoos becoming another larger urban centre. He advocated a more coherent architectural vision and pointed to mixed residential and commercial developments that create a central, walkable gathering place.

He also questioned whether all future staff housing would necessarily have to be built on high-value Osoyoos land, noting that Oliver is nearby. His position was that the community first needs to create businesses and year-round economic activity, after which housing solutions could follow.

Sergeant cautioned against treating short-term rentals as a simple yes-or-no issue. He said he supports them in principle, but not an unrestricted program covering the entire town. Residents who do not want short-term accommodation operating nearby must also be considered, he said.

Public land and private development

Another resident asked whether the candidates would support issuing a request for proposals and working with private developers to make better use of Town-owned land. The question specifically referred to boat-trailer parking land and the possibility of combining seniors’ housing, commercial space and a new town hall.

Sergeant said he could not commit without knowing the value of the properties, the Town’s financial position and what assets might be needed as security for future municipal projects. He said a new town hall is not the immediate priority and argued that past projects missed opportunities to combine public facilities with housing. As an example, he pointed to the decision to build a single-storey fire hall on a large parcel rather than considering housing above it.

Zandvliet also placed a new town hall below essential infrastructure on his priority list. He said the existing building should be assessed to determine whether it can continue to serve while money is directed to more pressing work.

Sikora said the Town first needs a clear community vision and master plan. He favoured acquiring or retaining strategic properties, rezoning them where appropriate and ensuring the municipality captures some of the increased value before land is turned over for private development.

He said developers could play a role in replacing deteriorating buildings, adding housing and commercial space and improving the appearance of the community. However, he argued that the Town and its residents should first decide what they want those sites to become, rather than allowing each development proposal to set the direction.

Plans, budgets and competitive quotes

Residents pressed the candidates on whether they had read the Town’s Official Community Plan, strategic plan and five-year financial material.

The answers varied. Some candidates said they had read the plans, while others said they had started but not completed them. Sergeant openly acknowledged that municipal financial statements are not his field of expertise, saying he would rely on the Town’s financial officer to explain the numbers while using his own judgement to decide whether a proposal is affordable.

Sikora said he had read the plans and financial statements and had submitted numerous freedom-of-information requests seeking details he believed were not clear in the public documents.

Another question asked how many quotes the candidates would require before awarding municipal work. The responses ranged from three to four, but Sikora said the appropriate process should depend on the value and nature of the job. Constantly tendering small work could sacrifice efficiency when the Town already has contractors with a proven record, he said, while work valued at $100,000 or more should receive at least three bids.

The questioner clarified that the lowest bid should not automatically win, a point with which the candidates did not disagree.

Recruiting doctors and supporting local health care

Health care drew one of the evening’s most substantial exchanges. An audience member noted that physician recruitment is not formally a municipal responsibility, but said other communities have taken the lead in trying to attract doctors.

Sergeant said Osoyoos needs more health-care professionals, while the region must also support South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver and its emergency department. He credited the existing local recruitment effort but said more can be done.

Zandvliet also supported bringing additional doctors to Osoyoos and working regionally to support the hospital. Greig said she hoped to join the local recruitment group and had offered part of her home as accommodation for doctors coming to the area.

Sikora pointed to community-led recruitment approaches elsewhere in British Columbia. He said municipal governments cannot simply hire and pay physicians, but can help with clinic space, operating costs, recruitment and other incentives.

He cautioned that new incentives must not leave long-serving local doctors feeling overlooked. Recruitment, he said, is more complicated than offering money because some physicians may be reluctant to practise in a small community where their patients are also their neighbours.

An audience member suggested nurse practitioners should also be part of the solution. The candidates agreed the Town should work with provincial representatives and Interior Health, while recognizing that responsibility for delivering health care ultimately rests with the Province.

The former Sagebrush Lodge was repeatedly raised as a possible location for health services, including a walk-in centre, nurse practitioners, therapists and temporary offices. Candidates supported exploring better use of the building, but stopped short of promising a particular model without knowing the property, ownership and service details.

Questions about True Consulting

One resident asked directly whether the next council would reconsider the amount of work given to TRUE Consulting.

The responses showed broad interest in reviewing the relationship and seeking other options, but none of the candidates claimed to have completed a full assessment of the company’s work.

Sergeant questioned the repeated explanation that TRUE’s long history in Osoyoos makes it the natural choice. He pointed to delays and unexpected complications in the water-meter installation program as reasons to consider other consulting firms.

Zandvliet said his experience working for the Town had given him direct exposure to the company’s work. He said the municipality does not owe its work to any one consultant and should be free to hire others. He added that he used a different engineering firm for work on his own subdivision.

Sikora cited what he recalled as approximately $1.2 million to $1.3 million in consulting-related spending during the previous year, but said he could not remember the exact figure. He argued that the Town should examine whether some expertise could be hired directly, open the books and evaluate contractors, consultants and engineers individually instead of making a blanket judgement.

Greig said the Town should work through its MLA and MP where senior-government support is required. During the broader discussion of consultants and municipal buildings, Sergeant also argued that existing facilities should be refurbished when that is less expensive than replacing them.

Boat trailers, launch fees and winter uses

The proposal to redevelop the boat-trailer parking area prompted another practical question: where would the trailers go?

Sergeant said the current area serves a real purpose because trailers cannot simply be left on residential streets. If it were redeveloped, he said, the Town would need another site or a private operator would have to provide storage. He also suggested Osoyoos should consider charging to launch boats and park trailers, as other communities do, with annual or discounted passes available to residents.

Zandvliet identified unused land near the south end of Desert Park as a possible seasonal alternative, although the feasibility and ownership details were not discussed. He cautioned that the Town should not operate a year-round storage business in direct competition with private operators.

Greig agreed that fees for boat launching and trailer parking should be considered. Sikora supported looking for more ways to collect revenue from visitors using local facilities, rather than placing the full cost on property taxpayers.

The candidates also discussed possible off-season use of the existing parking area, including an outdoor skating rink. No firm proposal or cost was presented.

Bylaw officers and municipal staffing

An audience member questioned the value of employing bylaw officers through the winter and alleged that officers had been seen sitting behind Town Hall using their phones rather than working.

Sergeant said Osoyoos needs year-round enforcement, but argued that responsibilities must be clearly assigned and applied consistently. He questioned why the Town now uses private security for work that bylaw officers previously performed, including locking public washrooms, and why two-hour parking restrictions appear to be enforced in some places but not others.

Greig supported keeping core bylaw coverage throughout the year and hiring additional part-time staff during the busier summer months.

Sikora said jobs could be reconfigured so full-time employees perform different duties in the off-season, with extra seasonal officers added in summer. If employees are sitting idle, he said, it wastes salary, vehicle and fuel costs and is unlikely to be satisfying for the employees themselves.

He also proposed a regulated buoy program to address unapproved moorings in Osoyoos Lake. Under such a system, boat owners or visitors could pay for authorized buoys, producing revenue that could help fund marine bylaw enforcement.

Zandvliet said council should review job descriptions and determine what staff are actually doing before drawing conclusions. Sergeant widened the discussion to other municipal staffing gaps, saying builders experience delays and inconsistent direction because inspections may be conducted by different Regional District personnel from one visit to the next.

Sikora said major development sites should eventually be prepared for investors before they are offered. In his preferred model, the Town would settle the public vision, zoning and permitting requirements in advance so developers could bid on clearly defined, permit-ready projects.

Committees and public participation

Asked whether they supported volunteer committees dealing with water, sewer, bylaw enforcement, events and other specialized subjects, all four candidates said yes, although they differed on how extensively committees should be used.

Sikora favoured committees with defined projects, budgets, deadlines and authority, particularly for municipal assets and facilities. He said volunteers with the right experience could take responsibility for specific problems, reducing the burden on council and senior staff.

Sergeant supported committees for some purposes but said open town halls are equally important. He pointed to the Osoyoos Seniors Centre, saying its non-profit operators had spent approximately $70,000 over five years on heating, floors, the roof and kitchen while other organizations appeared to receive more municipal assistance.

Zandvliet said committees could bring knowledgeable residents into the decision-making process and help council understand what the majority wants. Greig agreed, saying the size of the job facing the next council will require many hands.

Pickleball, tennis and volunteer repairs

Recreation funding produced some of the evening’s liveliest exchanges. Asked about pickleball, Sergeant said the existing public courts must remain accessible to everyone. If demand exceeds the Town’s capacity, he suggested a private operator could establish a paid facility.

Greig also said private investment could be part of the answer. Sikora suggested lighting courts near the high school or dog park to extend playing hours without creating noise near homes. A condition quickly followed from the room: improvements should come only after the water problem is addressed.

Tennis players then described courts with weeds, damaged fencing and wind screens that had not been replaced. One member said the Town had received an $18,000 estimate to repair the fence, while club members with contracting experience believed they could do the work for approximately $2,000.

The candidates agreed the condition of the courts should be addressed, but the exchange revealed a complication that applied to more than recreation. Even when volunteers are willing to undertake work at little cost, the Town may face collective-agreement, inspection, insurance and liability requirements.

Sikora returned to his committee proposal, suggesting a properly authorized group could receive a budget and responsibility for maintaining a facility. Zandvliet supported council working with such a committee to find the most cost-effective repair.

Sergeant was more cautious. He supported allowing residents to save the Town money where possible, but said council would first have to understand liability, insurance and the work assigned to municipal employees. He compared it to a resident who had reportedly offered to repair a damaged public sidewalk while pouring a private driveway but was told the work remained the Town’s responsibility.

Closing commitments

In their closing remarks, the three council candidates emphasized listening, fiscal care and working with the rest of council.

Zandvliet said the community contains people with valuable knowledge and promised to work hard, listen and build on work already completed while changing what needs to be changed.

Sergeant again acknowledged that he is neither an accountant nor an expert in every municipal department. He said council must hire qualified staff, listen to their advice and still protect taxpayers by deciding what the Town can afford. He also stressed that he is running independently and is not affiliated with Zandvliet or any other candidate.

Greig thanked those who attended and said the candidates would have to negotiate with the rest of the council team when they disagreed.

Sikora described the event as a job interview for what he called the Town’s “highest elected employees.” He said elected officials are there to serve residents and repeated his commitment to a local recall mechanism.

He said all four candidates at the meeting had agreed that residents should be able to remove them if they lost the public’s confidence, describing the concept as a “Costco refund policy for defective politicians.”

No details were presented about how such a municipal recall measure would be structured or whether a council has the legal authority to enact one.