Kelowna’s mayor says social issues will be front and center again next week during the annual Association of BC Municipalities Conference in Whistler. Colin Bashran will be joined by a number of councilors and senior executives at the five-day conference where they have scheduled several meetings with cabinet ministers to discuss some of the city’s top priorities. Bashran says housing and social issues remain at the top of that list. “We know the provincial government is working on housing legislation. They recognize that housing is in short supply and is becoming more expensive and less affordable for residents across the province,” Bashran said. “We know they have plans for this legislation, and we want to make sure the housing legislation is consistent with our official community plans, our zoning bylaws, and doesn’t overstep municipal authority.” Former Housing Minister David Eby, who resigned while running for the NDP leadership, has repeatedly said he would introduce legislation that would set out the municipal approvals process and, at the same time, give municipalities incentives to approve more housing. Bashran says the city will also continue to support more complex care spaces and supportive housing. He says the joint announcement with the province and Internal Health to provide complex care space in the city is a positive step forward. “We will also continue to push and see if we can get a sneak peek at what the recommendations will be for prolific offenders and how they will be addressed in the upcoming recommendations.” Bashran says he expects an announcement sometime this month on plans around productive offenders, something he says the city of Kelowna has been a driving force behind. “We’re also going to push the provincial government into a new fiscal relationship with municipalities because we know that nature of applications or grants and sometimes you get them and sometimes you don’t really struggle with budgeting and budgeting.”
