S.E.N.S. Events (February)

  1. Free Seed Share and Garden Talk: March 26, at Vernon library‘s meeting room. Seed and plant sharing, 7 – 7:30 pm. SENS  AGM (Annual General Meeting) 7:30 – 7: 35, then Janice Hodge of Green Acres Permaculture will speak on  the importance of  birds and bees as pollinators. Bring seeds/plants, pens and envelopes.

  2. Give Back to Your Community! Interested in working on a short term project as a team? Please contact Julia at jblissau@telus.net …. set up a clothing repair/swap afternoon…or a ’Bring and Sew’ afternoon to make simple gift or shopping bags, or create art? What’s your idea? Let us know! We can help with plans.

  3. Enjoy writing? Passionate about the environment and climate issues?. If you’re interested in sharing news, stories and updates with our community, please reach out to amylaycocksens@gmail.com  for details on becoming the SENS newsletter editor!

Call to Action

  1. A New Year’s Resolution better late than never. Four ways you can support your well-being while also helping biodiversity thrive. For the list of positive changes, read the article by Project Drawdown.

  2. Sprawl Costs ALL Taxpayers…580 Commonage Hillside Sprawl Development proposal will be back to Vernon Council for a decision on February 23 at City Council chambers (3400 34th Street). Kerkhoff Develop-Build will ask for an amendment to our new OCP – The Official Community Plan  - OUR community - developed plan, to make money, with a proposal that is BAD for all of us long into the future. Prince George City Council is already struggling to manage the extra costs of all their numerous sprawls. https://youtu.be/VIRGI5FLZps?si=cRehsmZzwagTC26A

     Those with money can manage Kerkhoff Development’s “attainable” housing. However, many citizens here are now struggling to make ends meet and thus need ‘affordable’ through something like ‘rent to buy ‘ or coop housing or even family apartments, as is common in Europe. That’s not what Kerkhoff is offering.

     Kerkhoff promises ownership. But, his costs chart showing prices per month for small 1, 2, and 3 bedroom units indicates they are leases. An “owner” would never own their own home. They’d pay about  $500 monthly lease fees ‘forever.’ After just 1 year of ‘ownership’, that $6,000 +, paid out for the lease would most likely not stay in the community for use locally. With home purchase close to town centre instead, that owner would have had more money available for food, bills, and emergencies (appliance replacement? Job loss?) and that money would be circulating locally.

     There’s no guarantee that Kerkhoff will build all the units he promises. Our City planner stated at a previous Council meeting that there are over 7000 units in hillside developments allowed many years ago (Rise, Foothills, Turtle Mountain, Outback)  that will most likely never be built,

     Those 7000 + unbuilt units have caused our taxes, over the past decades, to be higher because those unbuilt units never paid taxes, but services in the area (roads, sewer/water pipes, police/fire protection) still had to be maintained, paid for in taxes by residents living elsewhere in Vernon.  Assume a bare minimum of $2000 in taxes per unit…and the City has lost out on over $14 million yearly, which could have benefitted all citizens in many ways.What might ‘580’ cause for taxes?

    It seems that several Council members may go against our community generated OCP and vote for the Kerkhoff proposal.   Put February 23 on your calendars and please attend to show what you want for all our futures. Sprawl costs us all!  Past 580 Commonage information at: https://nonc.ca/advocacy 

     

Other Quality Information

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