An upcoming Regional District Of North Okanagan (RDNO) board meeting is set to discuss two key projects in the Vernon community.

O'Keefe Ranch and the Greater Vernon Cultural Centre (GVCC) will be a major topic of conversation at the Wednesday, Dec. 18 RDNO meeting.

O'Keefe Ranch

President of the O'Keefe Ranch Historical Society, Bruce Cummings, will be back at the RDNO meeting to review the Ranch's financials. 

At the Nov. 20 meeting, Cummings requested an operating grant, future financial support to March 31, 2027 and a letter of support from the board. However, the RDNO directors wanted additional information, "particularly financials," from the Society prior to making a decision. 

Board members will discuss the financial situation at the meeting and seek to approve or deny Cummings' request.

Cultural Centre

The GVCC has new dates for its design phase. 

According to an update by the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee, the GVCC's detailed design phase will be completed by the end of December 2024.

"The development of construction drawings is to begin in the new year," said the report. "Considerable efforts are being made to ensure a zero-carbon building while managing the extra costs within the current budget."

Notable design adjustments include changing an open-air courtyard to be enclosed with a skylight and making the building fully accessible, with three different lifts within the building. 

The target completion date for the GVCC is May 2, 2028, with detailed design and construction drawings to be completed by July 2, 2025. 

In September, the RDNO approved the borrowing of an additional $13 million to address the funding gap for the project. 

The project's initial cost was $40 million; however, "soft costs, escalation estimates and contingency appropriate for the current design stage" have ballooned the total costs to $46 million. 

In total, $41 million of the $46 million is borrowed funds. 

The additional $13 million would have been subject to a referendum if the long-term borrowing approach was approved, but the RDNO voters approved the borrowing through the short-term option. 

"The shorter the term, the higher the tax impact but the less interest paid," reads a staff report. "Accessing short-term funding options would reduce the uncertainty of project completion and ensure that the project proceeds as quickly as possible, mitigating the risk of additional cost escalation."

To cover the $41 million, taxes are expected to increase by $85 per year per household for eight years, beginning in 2025. 

More information on the GVCC can be found at .