CAMPAIGNS & LOBBYING
Welcome to the Osoyoos Candidates answer section.
First, here are the questions we asked:
1. Why are you running for City Council/Mayor?
2. Civic Elections have notoriously low turn out, especially among young voters. What do you think the key issues are for student voters in your region this civic election?
3. Summarize your position on maintaining a balance between environmental sustainability and economic development. How important is it – and is a balance currently being maintained in your community?
4. What role, if any, do you feel municipal governments should have in the development of affordable housing?
5. Would you make a commitment for the community to set a target for affordable housing to be developed each year? What would you do to ensure that these targets were met?
6. Would you champion the development of a comprehensive affordable housing strategy for your community? What would such a strategy look like?
7. What transit issues does your community face, and what immediate changes do you think could be made to address them and improve service?
8. While our region’s senior population continues to grow recent graduates are looking beyond this region for career opportunities. What is your position on this situation?
9. Why should student voters in your region choose you for City Council/Mayor?
*Please note the responses are presented exactly as received. Some responses have been truncated to the 100 word limit.
Candidate List - Only candidates who responded are listed
Council - Don Brogan
Council - Jim King
Council - Michael Ryan
Council Candidate Responses:
1.
I have been a resident of the South Okanagan (Oliver and Osoyoos) since 1973. I grew up here and am one of the fortunate few that have been able to stay and make a living and raising a family. The South Okanagan economy is not robust and vibrant enough to employ enough people year-round. I want to be on Town Council so that strategies that foster and attract new industry and business to Osoyoos that will provide this year-round employment are developed.
2.
Economic diversification and growing our local economy will provide a stronger infrastructure that will provide more programs and products for youth. I would like to see a satellite campus of a University or college with a strong hospitality management program open in Osoyoos. That would help provide hotels, resorts and restaurants with much needed summer staff from the students that would need practical experience hours as part of their diploma or degree.
3.
Being apart of the Osoyoos Community Sustainability Action Team that has been working on our community's long term goals for being sustainable and renewable and developing policies for our current municipal government to follow that ensure a balanced approach to development and existence in the future, I feel that as important as growing the economy is for the town and the region, it cannot be at the expense of our environment.
4.
I think it is the responsibility of the municipal government to have a comprehensive plan that includes public/private partnerships for development and well designed and executed products that are located in the right places, priced at the appropriate level and accessible to the right people that need the help.
5.
Before yearly targets can be set, the overarching plan needs to be developed so that an agreed upon end goal can be determined. With that in place, yearly targets can be set and measurements can be made. I would commit the community to develop and finalize an official plan with short term and long term goals the council should manage, measure and adjust if need be.
6.
Being in the Tourism industry, I am well aware of the need for affordable housing for the seasonal staff required to operate the hotels, restaurants, retail sector and attractions in the region. Often, the lack of affordable and available housing is the barrier to employment for many prospective job applicants in the Osoyoos region. I see a partnership approach including municipal and provincial government and private industry working at the development and deployment of a realistic strategy.
7.
I would look into the possibility of lobbying the provincial government to provide some more robust regional public transportation like a bus running from Kelowna to Osoyoos back and forth stopping at all points in between and both airports.
8.
With a more diversified economy and the attraction of new business and new industry that fits in our environmental footprint, more jobs and careers will be available that will keep the young people in our region after graduation which in turn will drive an economy that will be able to provide an enriched lifestyle for all age groups.
9.
Being a local student here in the South Okanagan 30 years ago, I faced a bleak outlook for staying local and making a living. It was leave to get an education and find work elsewhere in the world or head to the oil patch. I have the best interests of our young people and young families in our region at heart. I want to grow our economy in order to provide the jobs necessary to keep the families here and allow our students to consider a career in their home region.
1.
With my background as the past president of the surrey board of trade, working with big business and also being the executive director of the surrey crime prevention society, I bring a balanced outlook to the town of Osoyoos. As a leader and a good listener, i am able to make the tuff decisions.
2.
Jobs, maybe partner with the south Okanagan Collage to host night programs. And to make sure the local high stays open for the young families that live here.
3.
The environment is important to all communities, but as small towns move forward you have development for sure. The town is working on a new sustainable and renewable devopment plan that should be good for the town.
4.
Affordable housing is needed in every community. Municipal government should work with Provincal Government and private business to develop affordable housing.
5.
I would make a commitment to afordable housing. We have to set up a plan first before we can make targets
6.
Yes, need to set up a task force, which would bring the hotel, restaurant, and retail together to put strategy together. Have town give insentives for development of affordable houseing
7.
Open up talks with the BC Government/transportation to support more service in our area. Need for more days that our bus service has. More trips to Penticton and Kelowna
8.
Focus in on the type of jobs the graduates are taking and lobby for business to move there head office to the region. Which will help with our economy
9.
With my previous job at surrey crime prevention I had the opportunity to work with over 70 youth and helped move there carriers forward. Our future is our youth and they are important to our communtiy
1.
I am a Councillor, running for re-election in Osoyoos. I want to both continue to serve my community and to further/complete several priorities such as affordable housing ownership and economic development/job creation.
2.
Most of our post-secondary students leave the community for advanced eduction/training. The major issues are jobs that pay a living wage, public transportation and affordable housing.
3.
Osoyoos has just completed a Sustainability Plan for our community. The balance is vital. We will be using sustainability measures to assess economic and other development proposals. The balance was upset in the past, but the current, incumbent Council has worked to rectify the imbalance and will continue to do so.
4.
Local government has a key role. Osoyoos has some Town owned land that is earmarked for affordable home ownership. We have had preliminary discussions with Habitat for Humanity about partnering on its development. We also have policies for one parcel requiring 15% of the units to be devoted to affordable housing by the developer and given to a Housing Society to manage.
5.
We don't have enough housing starts to set such rules.
6.
We have such a strategy (see Q. 4) and it is available on our Town of Osoyoos website.
7.
We have very limited public transit options. A transit bus travels between Osoyoos and Kelowna on a limited schedule. However, Council has reduced the weekly fare for students between Osoyoos and Oliver/Penticton to facilitate their attending education/training opportunities.
8.
The South Okanagan will continue to attract large numbers of retirees. At the same time, it will require young graduates in a range of careers to services them. I would like to see more training and teaching opportunities in the South Okanagan which would provide both educational and career opportunites. A national park in the South Okanagan would provide lots of career opportunities as would a provincial remand centre.
9.
I am aware of the needs and the potential oppotunities of the region and its population and am working on the key priority needs. I would welcome all voters to re-elect me, Michael Ryan, to Osoyoos Town Council.
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