Anderson, Olesen announce plans if elected Vernon mayor

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Anderson has several “measurable goals” he wishes to implement over the first 100 days if elected.

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• Crime Reduction – expand private security and anti-tag team; work with RCMP to target both large and small crimes; encourage citizen participation; advocate for the end of “catch-and-release;” and advocate for enhanced addictions and mental health treatments.
• Attainable Housing – hold Council-led round tables and act towards “breaking the approval bottleneck” to build more homes.
• Smart City Strategy – continue the development of a Smart City Strategy in urban Vernon
• Climate Action Plan – hire a manager to implement cost-effective portions of the plan
• Healthcare – investigate and develop a plan on how to attract doctors to Vernon and encourage the province to assist with office overhead costs for family doctors
• Community Engagement from the Mayor’s Office – engage directly with the public to discuss Council decisions and expand public engagement
• Regional Management – Engage with the B.C. Urban Mayor’s Caucus to find shared needs, in regional cities first then communities across B.C., and then have an amplified collective voice to drive engagement
• Improve Civic Pride – Clean up Vernon, expand the anti-tag-team efforts and grant-secured cleanup crews, enforce littering bylaw, consult with police, and use the mayor position to encourage civic pride and volunteering
• Hire a New Chief Administrative Officer – Find a “dynamic, experienced CAO string enough to instill a service-oriented culture among the staff” to replace Will Pearce, who is set to retire in early 2023

Erik Olesen, meanwhile, has several plans specific to housing in Vernon.

In his release to Vernon Matters, Olesen, a residential coordinator who also ran for mayor in 2018, said he will begin work on addressing housing on a local level immediately if elected, adding he “understands that for business to attract the talent they need to be competitive and grow and for the families of our community to thrive, Vernon needs to urgently increase the overall housing stock with a focus on affordable units.”

Olesen said he plans to work with key stakeholders such as businesses, developers and non-profits to develop a strategy that addresses the low vacancy rate.

He outlined several key points to what he believes needs to be done to address the housing shortage in Vernon.

• Pursue densification in key areas of the city that are close to services
• Ensure a strategy is in place to address growing housing needs for seniors
• Streamline the permitting process to fast-track rezoning and development of rental properties, especially for affordable rental units
• Create a long-term strategy with targets to meet the unique needs of Indigenous Peoples
• Require bi-annual reports to ensure transparency
• Focus on non-profit and co-op housing by waving development cost charges, contributing land and delegating approvals consisted with the Official Community Plan
• Lobby senior levels of government to provide funding needed to address the housing crisis

“Housing is an issue that affects every aspect of life in our community,” said Olesen in his release.

“From affordability for families to the future success of our local businesses, the need for affordable housing touches all of us. I am committed to cutting the red tape of municipal government to ensure we can meet the housing needs of our community now and in the future.”

In a follow up release, Olesen also said he would work to strengthen the relationship bwteen the City of Vernon, the Okanagan Indian Band, and all Indigenous Peoples.

He stated that, if elected, he would put forward a motion to:

• Create a permanent seat for one Indigenous person on every City Council Committee
• Authorize the City to seek educational resources and implement training for all Vernon staff on indigenous cultural relations
• Work with stakeholders,including OKIB and non-profits, to address concerns relating to Indigenous people suffering from homelessness and addictions

Vernon Matters has requested a statement of goals from Victor Cumming, but as of time of publication, Cumming had not responded.

Vernon residents will go to the polls Saturday to elect a mayor, councillors, school trustees and the referendum on the borrowing of up to $121-million for the Active Living Centre.

The polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Vernon Recreation Centre’s auditorium, Fulton Secondary School’s gymnasium, and Vernon Secondary School’s common area.