In an effort to combat potential flooding, the City of West Kelowna is seeking funding from the province.
Mayor and council voted in their March 9 regular council meeting to seek $150,000 from the Province of British Columbia’s Community Emergency Preparedness Fund, which they would use to create a new flood risk assessment plan for areas that have flooded in the past.
These include McDougall, Powers and Smith Creek.
In addition to creating a flood risk plan, they hope to identify ways they can further prevent flooding in the future, on top of what’s already been done.
Elsewhere in the Okanagan, others have taken steps to address flood management concerns.
Earlier in March, the Okanagan Basin Water Board penned a letter to the provincial government raising concerns about how the province manages Okanagan Lake levels.
“We’re very concerned about the current lake level management and the risks of extreme flooding in the future,” explained OBWB executive director Anna Warwick Sears.
“This is a serious problem we are facing. This is not hype.”
READ MORE: Okanagan facing extreme flooding risk
Also at their meeting March 9, West Kelowna council announced that the initiative to build a new City Hall and Library is advancing.
The transition from concept to preliminary design is underway, they explained, adding that they have also started the process to select a contractor for a new Skateboard Park.
However, they stated no impacts to the existing skateboard park will occur until a new park is operational.
Public consultation on the new park is set to begin in the spring.
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Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: phil.mclachlan@kelownacapnews.com
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