The only thing worse than having as many contentious issues as Revelstoke, is not having any difficult issues at all. No issues would mean we’re dead in the water — no growth, no change, no improvements. Many of the Old Guard would have it stay that way even though they have arrived at that time of life when they are living in Mexico six months of the year or moving to Salmon Arm. So shut up you old farts. Quit wringing your hands and bitching about all our new problems. The past is gone. “There’s no future in nostalgia” or as Yogi Berra also said, as he was bemoaning change, “the future ain’t what it used to be.” Deal with it.
What issues? Let’s start with vacation rentals.
The problem starts with the way our Mayor and Council considers them. Our bylaws say we have regulations that state you must have a license to operate a legal vacation rental but so few are licensed. When asked why not, the answer is always the same. We don’t actively enforce bylaws. They are complaint-driven like all our other bylaws. No complaint? No action.
That’s just not good enough. I am more than little pissed about paying the same taxes as my neighbour who is running an unlicensed vacation rental but paying the same levy I do. We are all subsidizing Mr. Illegal.
How dare Council slough this issue off as if it were such a minor bother. This is a festering challenge. It is unfair to most taxpayers and it is being swept under the carpet. This is much bigger than a barking dog complaint and deserves greater attention.
Why don’t more residents complain? Could it be they encounter a stonewall attitude when they inquire?
And, what about one of our Councillors making a good chunk of his living from managing properties of some of those illegal rentals? On two occasions I submitted this question to the Mayor’s Report on our local commercial radio station. I also asked the Mayor if, at least, isn’t that very bad form?
On both occasions the answer is, that Councillor Duke recuses (stupid bureaucratic word) himself from any debate on this issue when Council is sitting but what about all the other areas that could have some effect on those rentals like, taxation, zoning, variance, bylaws et cetera? Another case of bad optics, or more?
Other issues: the dreaded traffic circle. Hey! Just what we need is more direction from pundits who know nothing about traffic flow!
We did just get a good dose of common sense from the consulting firm that said our mayor’s idea of putting a stop light on a stretch of road that desperately needs traffic flow is, ah, not a good idea.
MacKenzie Station in Arrow Heights: would you want a high-density development with lots of vacation rentals right next to you? This one would take a series of articles, and already has, to cover this one.
How ’bout the arena roof… what the hell. Erect a whole new building. Damn the torpedoes and full steam ahead. Ah! Were it just that simple.
Bid Eddy water system upgrade: let’s git’er done but three years to compete? Yikes!
This is just a few, for now.
Issues mean progress so get over trying to keep yesteryear. If you want a slower surrounding move to Malakwa.
Yours in social sarcasm,
Ms. Anne Throap
PS.
Pet peeve of the month: people who complain about buying another, newer fire truck. Get over this one also. Old safety equipment is just not safe, period.
