Apex Property Owners Association

The APOA has recently received notice from Director Bill Schwartz that the Solid Waste Transfer Station initiative has been completed.  This is the conclusion of a significant effort to implement a solid waste management system for Apex. The outcome is that no transfer station will be forthcoming.  Director Schwartz’s letter can be viewed here.

BACKGROUND

The review of solid waste disposal options for Apex began with an RDOS ruling that waste received at the Campbell Mountain facility must satisfy landfill use criteria, which includes formal recycling.  Apex did not meet this requirement.  RDOS initiated a “conceptual solid waste management system” study which noted:

• there is no overall solid waste collection system for the community
• problems with use of the Apex compactor bin including ad hoc loading and unauthorized use by non-payers
• some strata condos have formalized collection while  others have owners/renters fending for themselves
• unorganized collection for residential homes including those with several rental rooms, and
• the small size of the Apex resort community.

The study looked at options for commercial establishments and strata condos. It also looked at residential service options including collection, community bins and a transfer station.  The transfer station was seen to be important for non-strata residential garbage disposal.  Conceptual designs and cost estimates were developed.  This was followed by a review of siting options by a consulting engineer.

RDOS established an Apex Residential Solid Waste Advisory Committee and participants included Steve LaPrairie, Ron Mason, Rob McIntosh and Denis O’Gorman (replacing Joe Dhara).  On-site meetings were held and siting options were also reviewed by the Ministry of Transportation and Highways because of road safety issues.  Revised cost estimates were then prepared by RDOS.

Concerns were expressed about service costs and Director Schwarz indicated that these should generally not exceed those levied elsewhere in the RDOS.

PRESENT SITUATION

As a result of reviewing revised costs based on alternative configurations Director Schwarz concluded that estimated cost levies remain too high and that he would recommend that this project proposal be discontinued.  His explanatory letter is posted on the APOA website.

A fundamental factor remains the present size of the community.  In the interim, the technical memo by RDOS provides useful thought on improving commercial and strata waste disposal.  The problems of unauthorized use of commercial bins and worse yet, illicit roadside disposal remain to be solved.

Ideas anyone?

The contact is Beth Cavers, RDOS solid Waste Management Coordinator (490-4121).

Denis O’Gorman

The New APOA Website

We have a new and improved APOA website! Same address, but with a new look and capabilities. The goals of investing a little more time and money in the website are many:

• Simplify the membership process by allowing members to purchase their membership online.
• Improve the ability of the APOA to communicate with its members through the APOA online newsletter and links to relevant articles and websites.
• Provide an archive of APOA information such as board meeting minutes, newsletters, etc.
• Provide an online calendar of events.
• Simplify the management of the website so that more people can be involved in contributing and maintaining its content.
• Create a forum for discussion among APOA members. Topics like the volunteer fire department generated much debate but consensus building was difficult partly due to a lack of venue for discussion and information exchange.

Over the coming months the board hopes the new website will become the focal point for APOA related information and discussion. It is the most timely and cost effective way for a small group like the APOA to communicate with each other. This is especially true in a resort community where getting everyone together for a face-to-face discussion is so difficult.

If you haven’t yet joined the APOA it is easier than ever. We use PayPal, the same online payment service used by EBay, so you can be assured it is both safe and secure.

Of course e-mail continues to be an important method of sending timely APOA information to our members. If you have already joined but not provided the APOA with your email address, please consider doing so. Simply send an e-mail to apexpoa@yahoo.ca. The APOA only sends out e-mail only when needed (we hate spam as much as you do), we never reveal your address to others, and it helps keep our membership fees low since each letter we send by traditional mail is expensive in postage, stationery, and volunteer time.

We hope you enjoy the new website.

Wildfire Protection at Apex

Many of you will recall the presentation at our March 2007 AGM by Richard Swanson, the consulting forester hired by the Regional District (RDOS) to prepare an overview assessment of community fire risk. Given the expected impact of the mountain pine beetle on surrounding forests, this assessment is most timely.

Swanson’s preliminary report is now done and Mark Woods, the RDOS Emergency Services Coordinator is having the report for Apex and other communities posted on the RDOS website (http://rdos.bc.ca) under the Emergency/Protective Services department. Three documents pertinent to Apex will be available:

• The Fire Hazard Assessment report.
• An interface fire hazard map.
• The fire assessment form which describes risk conditions and fire suppression capabilities.

Some of the points made in Swanson’s report are that:

• The Fire Weather Danger Rating has a long history of Danger Class 3 and above (High).
• Most of the area has moderate to high fuel loads.
• The topography of some of the interface area is usually steep, making fire suppression difficult.

Swanson concludes, “The Apex Resort area has a high hazard rating for the areas that have a forest interface … residential and commercial (uses) in the Apex village have a lower rating due to the distance from the fire interface, the lack of trees, fire hydrants and the amount of roads and parking areas”

The report recommends:

• The community should have its own volunteer fire hall.
• Removal of overhanging branches and clean up of fuels is required on an ongoing basis.
• A fuel modification area should be established around all residences in the Apex resort area.
• A fuel break should be established to protect the community from a wildfire moving through the Apex area. Consultation with the Ministry of Forests would be necessary to ensure it is established with the proper location and dimensions.

The report notes, “It is important that lot owners … make a joint commitment to minimize the risk by following fire smart practices … lead and organize themselves for fire protection and emergency strategies … meet with the Protection Branch of Ministry of Forests to go over fire safe practices”.

In terms of next steps the RDOS indicates this overview assessment needs to be translated into an operational plan for reducing hazards. Mark Woods has indicated there is a good potential to secure funding for this next stage of work. This would potentially include accessing the services of Protection Branch personnel in the months following the peak fire season.

To follow up, your APOA board will be seeking a meeting with RDOS Area Director Bill Schwarz and key RDOS staff (possibly jointly with Ministry of Forestry) to discuss steps in a feasible action plan.

Given Swanson’s reference to the community organizing itself for fire protection and emergency strategies, the Volunteer Fire Brigade column, below, deserves your attention.

As a sobering final note, I recently received the price of renewed fire insurance for our property. The increase over last year is staggering! Clearly there are some challenges
ahead.

An update on the wildfire protection initiative will follow in our next edition of the newsletter.

A brief post-script: the RDOS emphasized the desirability of home addresses being visible from the street to assist emergency personnel. Yours truly is delinquent in this matter
and will have to get our house numbers up!

Enjoy your summer!

Denis O’Gorman

Volunteer Fire Brigade

The Fire Protection Service Referendum held on March 31, 2007 asked Apex property owners whether they were prepared to accept higher property taxes in order to fund a volunteer fire department. As you probably know by now, the referendum was defeated: 101 No, 86 Yes. It seems the cost of a taxation funded fire department was too high for the majority of residents. So now what?

There are still things our community can and should do to protect ourselves against fires and other emergencies. It will take a long time for help to arrive from Penticton or Keremeos; we should be able to do more than just stand around until help arrives. The APOA is continuing with the first step, which is to encourage volunteers who are willing to respond in case of an emergency. Then some basic information gathering and documentation is needed (e.g. the location of existing fire fighting equipment), followed by the drafting of an emergency response plan. We also need to establish a call-out tree so volunteers can be notified quickly.

We’ll address the simple things first. Where are the fire hydrants? How do we keep them working? Are there hoses available and accessible? Who can be trained to use them?

The group can be organized as a volunteer fire brigade, which would be an independent not-for-profit society funded through donations, fund-raising, and perhaps government grants. The regional district (RDOS) can help plan and organize fire fighter training for the volunteers, and liability insurance is available for fire brigade members. Equipment will likely be the biggest challenge, so we’ll need to determine what equipment will make the biggest first-responder impact and find a way to purchase it. Hopefully the citizens of Apex will respond positively to the inevitable fund-raising required to purchase the training and equipment needed to protect our community.

In the meantime, we are all reminded to make a point of inspecting our property regularly and reducing the risk of fire spreading to and from the adjacent buildings and forest. Often it is the little things that make a big difference at the early stages of an emergency. Is your yard clear of dry wood and underbrush? Is there a street address clearly visible at the front of your property? If a passer-by notices your cabin is on fire  will the call to 911 sound something like this? “Help! There’s a fire up at Apex! It’s the greenish-yellow cabin, third from
the left on the first street on the right after the T-junction. You know … the cabin with the tree that blew over last winter!”

Apex Resort and the APOA are committed to help improve the emergency response capability at Apex Mountain, but volunteers are essential. If you are a permanent or frequent
resident of Apex and are willing to get involved in a volunteer fire brigade please contact Steve LaPrairie at steve@apexresort.com, or call 250-292-8536.

Jeff Brown

Summer Social

Sunday September 2, 1PM – 4PM

Plan to be on the mountain on the afternoon of Sunday September 2. Yes, it’s the annual APOA fall social, and this year we are teaming up with the Gunbarrel for a special treat, literally. The Gunbarrel has a new chef, Dave, and he has invited APOA members to taste-test his new menu. Dave is providing APOA members free appetizer-sized portions of what he calls his “new healthier menu”, and we will be voting on our most and least favourite dishes. So this isn’t just an opportunity to sample free food, we will be impacting the winter season’s menu at the Gunbarrel. And you thought the APOA didn’t have influence!

The Gunbarrel will also be providing us their famous “Burger and a Beer” (or wine or pop) for $10, so don’t worry, no one will go away hungry.

If last year’s fall social is any indicator they’ll be a big turn out so we want to ensure Dave prepares enough goodies! Please let us know you are coming by send an e-mail to apexpoa@yahoo.ca. And don’t forget, if you haven’t already done so please purchase your APOA membership either at the fall social or online at www.apexpropertyowners.com.

September 2 is the last day of summer operations for Apex so be sure to bring your mountain bike.

See you at the social!

An open letter to Apex property owners

APOA MEMBERSHIP

The APOA Board is writing to encourage your membership in the Apex Property Owners Association, which represents the property interests of its members.  APOA was established as a society in 1995 to represent the interests of member property owners at Apex.  Although the specific topics and issues change from time to time, that fundamental purpose remains unchanged.

Heavy rainfall precluded attendance for many mountain property owners at our March 24, 2007 annual general meeting. Issues of importance to us all were brought forward, including community wildfire protection initiatives. We also heard that escalating insurance costs for property owners in unprotected areas such as Apex is becoming a growing concern. The APOA has heard these concerns and continues its efforts to address them.

APOA remains a focal point for discussions with Apex Mountain Resort, the Regional District, Provincial Ministries and resource development companies on a range of topics. These include resort master planning, community planning, fire protection including wildfire protection, solid waste, road maintenance, resource harvesting impacts and so on.  When any of these organizations seek input from the community, they look to the APOA as a contact.  For that reason alone, having a viable society in place is important.

Even as a volunteer organization, APOA has expenses.  For example as a registered society we must carry liability insurance, and it takes over 40 annual memberships to cover that expense alone each year.  A portion of membership fees is used to support necessary web-hosting.  As well there are AGM facility rentals, postal box rental and various routine costs which your membership fee supports.

In return for your fees, volunteer APOA board members endeavour to serve as the “voice” of member property owners throughout the year. We therefore hope you will renew your membership or join for the first time.

We also ask you to encourage your neighbours to join.  Privacy laws preclude us from obtaining existing lists of property owners. Therefore one-on-one contact assistance remains an essential way of linking up.

APOA membership has never been easier.  With our recent upgrades to the website it is now possible for you to:

• Register at www.apexpropertyowner.com/join.html. You will automatically be added to the APOA newsletter mailing list.
• Pay your membership fee online via credit card, or
• Mail your cheque to  APOA at  PO Box 20116, Penticton, BC V2A 8K3.

Thanks for your consideration of this membership appeal, and hope to see you at the fall social on September 2.

Sincerely yours,

Denis O’Gorman

Past President, APOA

Sept. 3/06 is the date for this years social which will be held at the first pond by the snwoflake loop. It is from noon-4pm. There will be free hotdogs for the kids and either steak or chicken for $8. Salads and other assorted items accompany the main. We need exact numbers and need you to RSVP no later than Aug. 31st. CAll Cindi Lou at 250-292-8353. There will be a frisbee golf course set up for your enjoyment, thanks Barry.

Hope to see you there!

It has come to my attention that our e-mail address is incorrect on the contact list. ( Thanks Paul ) This is also the case in the latest APOA Newsletter. It is stated as apexpoa@yahoo.com when it is actually apexpoa@yahoo.ca. Sorry for any inconvenience! We do want to hear from you. Especially if it is to say you are coming to the APOA Summer Social on Sept.3/06 12-4pm at the first pond by Snowflake Loop. So far, the feedback I have had has all been positive. Once again, sorry for the mistake.

Cindi Lou

COMMITTEE: ENVIRONMENT AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

DATE: June 2006

PROJECT: Okanagan Vista Trails Protection

UPDATE:
Toni Clark and Denis O’Gorman met with Cam Leadbeater and Pat Farkas from Weyerhaeuser Forestlands Dept. on May 23 to discuss the proposed Apex Round Table.
The Round Table was proposed in the LRMP to do more refined planning and enhanced trail management in the Apex “polygon” to address recreational conflicts.
In our conversation the following points were made:
1. Weyerhaeuser sees (correctly) the Round Table as a “Government job” i.e. the province must lead it.
2. The Round Table is to provide details and not to “re-jig” the LRMP.
3. There are revenue impacts if harvesting does not proceed.
4. The biggest issue in the area s the changing landscape due to insect attack. The lodgepole pine tracts are susceptible to Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB) and Fir Bark Beetle (in the upper Shatford Drainage).
5. The concerns are with salvage logging and with forest fire risk due to larger fuel loads (from dead trees).
6. The major effort is towards developing/harvesting susceptible stands. All pine stands in the area (including those in and around Okanagan Vista are susceptible). Full MPB attack is expected by 2014.
7. Harvesting is using a “large block” strategy. Operating areas are based on susceptibility. Forest retention targets are being sought in stand types less susceptible to attack.
8. Notwithstanding the above, no harvest strategies/methods the company indicates harvesting can be adapted in areas (such as Okanagan Vista) where other “values,” such as recreation, exist.

NEXT STEPS:
Cam and Pat suggested APOA speak to the Forest Service regarding “community awareness”. Apparently they are talking to “upland communities” regarding the fuel loading issue. Logging susceptible forests is one strategy to reduce risks. this needs coordinated F.S., company and First Nations approach. (Note Weyerhaeuser is not logging in PIB area.) Contact is Richard Topczer, Timber Tenure Forester in Vernon (558.1733).
After additional discussion with BCFS, this additional dimension should be discussed directly with MLA Bill Barisoff. APOA Board will review this proposed approach.

Prepared by Denis O’Gorman

Last winter we included a member survey with one of our mailouts. We had 29 returns from approximately 150 sent out. That is almost 20%. That is considered a favorable return rate for a mailout survey. I will give an overview of what the numbers represent.

The respondants were all satisfied with the Mission Statement. There were no changes suggested.

When asked to indicate their preferences of Board Activities and Committees, there was a general consensus to maintain or increase current activities. The priorities were for communications, community planning and management, and RDOS Liaison.

The priority topics which were chosen for the APOA to represent you on were, Resort Master Plan and Official Community Plan, Fire Protection, Environment, Trails, and Resort and Village Management.

Other topics which were brought forth include, ski-in/ski-out access, extending ski season to mid-April, Hill upgrades, especially the Triple Chair, Beetle impact, paving the Circle and posting addresses for Emergency Services.

People were asked to identify their level of satisfaction on Village Management, Ski Hill Operations, Resort/Community Planning, Utilites Services, RDOS Services and Management of Surrounding Environment. The level of satisfaction was generally Average. Resort/Community Planning was singled out as Poor. Management of surrounding environment was also of concern.

The general expectation is that APOA will actively advocate with the Resort, the RDOS and the Province.

Thank you to all of you who took the time to complete your survey. It helps us to know what is important to the membership of the APOA. It also helps to validate that we are focusing on the right issues.

Cindi Lou Baker