Bylaw calls for service
A year-end bylaw follow-up was issued to council, after questions regarding the year-end report published on Monday, Feb. 10.
Darren Lees, the city's manager of protective services, provided statistics on the volume and locations of incidents in the downtown core or Business Improvement Area (BIA).
Of the 2,874 calls for service in 2024, 895 took place in the BIA, 439 (49 per cent) of which came from the unhoused population.
Clean team
A clean team, aimed to help clear up parts of the downtown core during the warmer months, was passed at council.
Two workers, with a truck, trailer and pressure washer will be focused on garbage/litter, graffiti, pressure washing, cleaning of bus stops, landscape maintenance, repair and quick response to complaints. The cost will not exceed $88,000 per year.
The clean team will be a pilot project, for the first two years.
"We would like this team to be responsive to the entire community," said Peter Weeber, Vernon CAO. "To service the entire community, doubling the size of this team would be recommended."
Vernon real estate update
A summary of recent real estate development in the city was provided to council by John Perrott, the manager of economic development and partnerships.
The total amount of real estate transactions in the city is down significantly. At 1,047 in 2024, the number dwarfs the five-year average of 1,500.
"We saw a softening, and it is well below the five-year average," said Perrott. "We are quite optimistic heading into the summer season, however."
Despite the low number, the residential 'fair market' value of $681,582.16 for an average home was higher than the five-year average of just under $650,000.
Population
Vernon and the North Okanagan are close to reaching landmark population numbers.
In an update to council regarding development, the population of Vernon is now inching close to 50,000, at 49,167. The North Okanagan is at 99,800.
"We are about to cross an interesting milestone," said Perrott. "In 2025, we should be qualifying as a census-designated metropolitan area, which will unlock a lot more information and data for us."
Vernon's growth rate is at 2.4 per cent, higher than the 1.1 per cent increase in the North Okanagan.
"This divergence speaks to the development activity in the region," added Perrott, who explained that the majority of new housing development is taking place within the Vernon area.
