The City of Kelowna is reinstating some COVID-19-related changes to public hearings as health orders continue to bar in-person attendance to meetings.
Council approved the streamlining of its processes on Jan. 11, meaning the city will again waive public hearings for applications deemed adherent to the Official Community Plan and not expected to generate significant public feedback will forgo the usual public input stage. Those revisions will allow council to consider fewer items at currently digital-only public hearings.
Agricultural and heritage advisory committees will also be suspended until health orders are lifted, but the airport advisory committee and civic and community awards steering committee will be allowed to continue holding meetings remotely.
The city made similar procedural changes in March, before revising them over the summer.
Council expressed concerns about the suspension of the agricultural and heritage advisory committees, citing the importance of recommendations from those groups. At the request of council, city staff will bring another report to council in February after the current orders either expire or are extended.
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