At the Greenwood Council meeting on Sept. 9, Mayor Nipper Kettle introduced a proposal that would see the size of For Sale real estate signs limited.
“From a tourist’s or investor’s point of view when they come through it looks deplorable to see these big for sale signs in the city,” said Kettle. “If we are going to make a difference in the economy of Greenwood this is a good first step.”
He proposed limiting For Sale signs on commercial properties to 10 inch square or smaller.
Councillor Barry Noll said the problem is not only real estate signs but other signs as well.
Councillor Darla Ashton said that the idea of the signage is to catch the attention of those passing by and questioned the proposed limit on sign size, calling it a slippery slope.
Noll suggested the issue be referred to the next meeting to give council a chance to get input from locals to make sure the system works for everyone.
It is still to be decided if the proposed regulation would apply only to the downtown area or along the entire Hwy 3 corridor.
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The city has issued a notice informing residents that dog control is now in place for the Greenwood area.
According to the notice they officially started Sept. 12 and can be reached at 250-443-1851. The animal control office is located in Grand Forks, but Gary Maletta and Nikki Best are the officers for this area.
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Organizers of the Greenwood bluegrass festival had been scheduled as a delegation to the Sept. 9 meeting of Greenwood council but had to cancel and sent a letter apologizing and stating a desire to reschedule.
Administrator Robin Dalziel said bluegrass directors Roland Berg and Don Huggett had mentioned only one concern - that the committee developing the multi-use facility at the ballpark will remember they would like to use the venue on Aug. 20 next year.
Dalziel said he’s heard concerns from some residents that many of the bluegrass RVs had come to the Greenwood ballpark arrived in town on Sunday or Monday and the festival doesn’t start until the following Friday.
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Nelson Quimette has resigned from the Board of Variance. His letter said that council had allowed exceptions to the zoning bylaw against the wishes of the board.
Council however felt that they had been following the legislation, as it exists which states that the Board of Variance meets only in cases where compliance with the zoning bylaw would result in a hardship on the property owner.
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Councillor Noll, who sits as the Regional District representative for the City, reported on changes to the recycling services that will be coming to the West Boundary in the next few years.
The communities on the east end of the regional district have turned over their recycling collection to private sector with programs being funded through producer stewardship programs.
The Boundary however has a contract with Kettle Valley Waste, which will continue until 2017. Noll said he believes that new provincial requirements will result in large corporate haulers coming in to handle the recycling in the future.
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Noll also reported he has contacted the Penticton Metal Detectors Club about coming to Founder’s Day next year.
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Council voted not to advertise in the Kettle Valley Express next year citing the high cost. It would have cost up to $2,800 to place a full-page ad.
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Final reading was given to Bylaw 876, which sets fees and charges for various services performed by the City – everything from buying a lapel pin or getting a photocopy to having your water and sewer hooked up.
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Hoping to encourage dog owners to license their animals in a timely manner council gave three readings to Bylaw 878. The bylaw sets dog license fees at $15 for spayed and neutered dogs and $25 for unsprayed or unneutered dogs if purchased by the end of January each year.
Licenses purchased after Feb. 1 will cost $30 and $40 depending on if the animal has been spayed/neutered or not.