The following is provided as Notice of Motion and may be scheduled for Council consideration at a future regular Council meeting:
WHEREAS the McDougall Creek Wildfire is no longer considered a “wildfire of note” and is moving in to a period of recovery;
AND WHEREAS, Council recognizes the hard work of the many emergency personnel and volunteers that fought this wildfire and provided emergency services to those in need;
AND WHEREAS, the emergency personnel, volunteers, and local residents were impacted by this wildfire. The public has something to say and they deserve a time to share their stories in an open, transparent forum. Sharing of these stories is part of the healing process;
AND WHEREAS, during the McDougall Creek Wildfire there were many challenges involving Emergency Support Services, especially in West Kelowna. Emergency Support Services were coordinated through the Regional District of Central Okanagan as a local authority based Provincial emergency response program;
AND WHEREAS, there is opportunity to learn from the responses to the McDougall Creek Wildfire and how to improve the Regional District of Central Okanagan Emergency Plan, a living document that was last revised in 2020;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council direct the Mayor to write the Regional District of Central Okanagan requesting an Independent Public Hearing Process regarding the McDougall Creek Wildfire with a focus on Emergency Support Services and the effectiveness of the Regional District of Central Okanagan Emergency Plan.