Referendum on Complex enhancements declared unsuccessful
June 27, 2018
Castlegar, BC: The Regional Voting Officer of the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) has declared the Official Assent Voting Results from the June 23 referendum regarding the Castlegar & District Community Complex enhancements. The unofficial results issued on Saturday have been verified, and no changes were required. The referendum has been declared unsuccessful.
The referendum asked eligible electors to approve two bylaws—the first to establish a new recreation service to replace the two existing services and encompass the proposed facility enhancements, and the second to start the process to authorize the borrowing of $22,000,000 in building costs.
For the referendum to be successful, 50% + 1 of the voters who voted must approve the question; and this must be the case in each of the separate votes—City of Castlegar, Electoral Area I and Electoral Area J. The referendum was declared unsuccessful in Area I, so the referendum was unsuccessful overall and the project will not move forward.
The official results are as follows:
Bylaw No. 2597, 2598
| PARTICIPANTS | YES | NO |
SPOILED REJECTED |
TOTAL |
IN FAVOUR |
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS |
| City of Castlegar | 1367 | 1032 | 9 | 2408 | 57% | Successful |
| Electoral Area I | 200 | 498 | 2 | 700 | 28.6% | Unsuccessful |
| Electoral Area J | 492 | 377 | 2 | 871 | 56.6% | Successful |
OVERALL RESULTS: Unsuccessful
“This is not the result the Commission hoped for, but I would like to thank everybody who took the time to vote,” said Lawrence Chernoff, Chair of the Castlegar & District Recreation Commission. “Regardless whether you voted for or against the project, this is your community and your Complex—your participation in the process is essential. The Commission will be meeting soon to discuss what, if anything, happens next.”
The referendum was a key decision point in a lengthy public consultation process that began in 2014 with the Castlegar & District Recreation Master Plan. The Master Plan recommended that the RDCK and the Commission should proceed with enhancements and expansion at the Complex. Several subsequent public consultations occurred as part of the master planning process and afterwards to further define the potential enhancements, including public open houses, face-to-face meetings, and online mail surveys. The enhancements were developed into a package known then as “Option B.” The community was asked whether they would support the enhancements; 62% of respondents said yes. The RDCK Board resolved that the final decision would rest with the community and called the referendum for June 23.
“We have returned to the community throughout this process to obtain feedback and validate the overall direction, and we felt that there was support to keep moving forward. But these results tell us otherwise,” said Director Chernoff. “Regardless, the Commission will continue to strive to provide high-quality, cost-effective recreation facilities and programs for members of the communities we serve.”
Incorporated in 1965, the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) is a local government that serves 60,000 residents in 11 electoral areas and nine member municipalities. The RDCK provides more than 160 services, including community facilities, fire protection and emergency services, grants, planning and land use, regional parks, resource recovery and handling, transit, and much more. For more information about the RDCK, visit www.rdck.ca.
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For more information:
Joe Chirico, General Manager of Community Services
Regional District of Central Kootenay
Phone: (250) 352-8158
Email: jchirico@rdck.bc.ca
Media enquiries:
Maria Hypponen, Communications Coordinator
Regional District of Central Kootenay
Phone: (250) 352-1531
Email: mhypponen@rdck.bc.ca
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The content on this page was last updated June 27 2018 at 6:12 AM