Jumbo appointed council won't have seat at RDEK

Bonnie Bryan
Cranbrook Townsman & Kimberley Daily Bulletin
September 8, 2009

The Regional District of East Kootenay voted unanimously Friday that the council appointed in the resort municipality of the Jumbo Valley will not be granted at ist board table.

Gerry Taft, Director of the District of Invermere, brought the motion forward.

"The basic concept is that if there was a resort municipality established in the Jumbo Valley, it would in the initial stages be an appointed council, and it's suggested by the information from the province that it would be appointed by the Minister of Community and Rural Development on recommendation of the resort developers," he said. "With that in mind, in those initial stages, there are no people living in the Jumbo Valley, there would be no land actually sub-divided, any houses built on it. There is some question even if an when Jumbo was built and developed, whether any of the people who purchase property in the area would  actually reside there on a full time basis, be BC residents, and be eligible to vote or run in an election.

"I don't feel an appointed council that only represents the developer and the provincial government should have a seat at this table. They're not representing anyone, they aren't accountable to any citizens or residents in the valley."

Taft also said it wouldn't matter if those appointed were local people.

"It doesn't matter because it's an appointed council whose only obligation is to represent the provincial government's interest and the developer's interests whether they are from Invermere or whether they are from Victoria, or some other country makes no difference whatsoever because their only mandate is to follow the master plan," he said. "To suggest that local people being on the appointed council makes this a local decision is completely false and inaccurate."

Director Jim Ogilvie said the resolution was consistent with what has happened in the past with other towns, like Elkford.

Taft said if and when there is enough of a population in Jumbo to elect a Director or a Council, they will be welcome at the RDEK board table.

"Then I would have absolutely no problem with them having a seat at this board table," he said. "It's very important to me people at the board table are elected, whether they are elected as part of a town council and appointed to the board or elected as rural directors."

Also during the RDEK's Friday meeting, Douglas Anakin was a delegation to the board and presented 32 pages of signatures on a concerned citizens' petition. The petition asked that no action be taken regarding the RDEK decision to ask the provincial government to make the land proposed for the Jumbo Glacier a mountain resort municipality. Also, that RDEK directors review, reconsider and rescind the motion regarding the proposed change in zoning decision.

"I think the delegations brought some very valid points. The reality is that the RDEK at the last meeting voted to ask the province to create a resort municipality but that's going to take some time. From what I've heard the province doesn't actually have all the legislation in place to implement that so for the next several years Jumbo is technically in for the RDEK to decide," Taft said. "I think it's very important for the directors to keep an open mind, listen to all the information and consider the views of residents in the Columbia Valley."