QUAIL RIDGE RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION
MINUTES OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
TUESSDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2023
Call Meeting to Order
Laura Peacock, President, called the meeting to order at 7:12 pm. Quorum (21) was established with 61 eligible voting members in attendance. In total, there were 114 people at the event.
Laura thanked our long-standing local sponsors, the Four Points Sheraton, for donating the venue and being such a fantastic community partner. Laura also thanked other community sponsors such as Nesters (who donated food for the last Fire Smart BBQ), Second City Signs (who put together the small signs that were used around the community) and Fortune Creek (who donated the speakers’ gifts for this evening).
Laura thanked Larry Watkinson, Kelowna’s new Deputy Fire Chief, for all of the efforts of the firefighters, fire crews, as well as the first responders and RCMP who all worked to keep our community safe during the recent evacuation.
Finally, Laura thanked the members of QRRA for their continuing support.
1.0 Approval of Agenda
No changes were made to the agenda that was circulated prior to the meeting.
Motion: To approve the Agenda of the Quail Ridge Residents' Association AGM, dated Monday, September 12, 2023, as circulated. Seconded. Carried.
2. AGM Business
2.1 Minutes of AGM dated October 6, 2022
Motion: To approve the Minutes of the Quail Ridge Residents' Association dated Thursday, October 6, 2022 as circulated. Seconded. Carried.
2.2 Financial Statements
The Final September 30, 2022 Financial Statements as presented were accepted as the financial position as of September 30, 2022.
Motion: To approve the Treasurer’s Final Financial Statements as prepared by David Naples with total funds as of Sept 30, 2022 equaling $16,311.19 as circulated. Seconded. Carried.
The Interim September 1, 2023 Financial Statements as presented were accepted as the financial position as of September 1, 2023.
Motion: To approve the Treasurer’s Interim Financial Statements as prepared by David Naples with total funds as of Sept 1, 2023 equaling $758.25 in cash and $15,000 in GICs as circulated. Seconded. Carried.
Laura noted that with the investment of the contingency funds of $15,000 in GICs, the association is now earning interest income. As well, Laura thanked Tanya Sletten from the City of Kelowna’s Strong Neighbourhoods program, for her help to have the City of Kelowna assume the costs, starting in 2023/24, associated with the collection from the various stone aggregate garbage bins throughout the community.
2.3 Slate of Directors for 2023/2024
Laura Peacock thanked everyone who volunteered this year for the 2023/24 QRRA Board.
Seven QRRA members (Arlene Marshinew, David Naples, Laura Peacock, Alan Sherbinin, Gordon Walter, Ralph Wegner, Jackie Venter) had agreed to be Directors for 2023-2024 prior to the meeting. Two additional QRRA members (Bruce Warren, Laura Vigar) volunteered during the meeting.
Motion: To approve the Slate of Nine (9) Directors as presented. Seconded. Carried.
3.0 Open Session
Glen Maddess, Chair of the Quail Ridge FireSmart Committee, answered some questions raised about the Quail Ridge FireSmart program. Laura asked that anyone interested in volunteering for the FireSmart program could provide their contact information on the signup sheet during the break. Eleven (11) people volunteered to join the FireSmart team.
4.0 Motion to Adjourn the AGM
Motion: To Adjourn the AGM. Seconded. Carried.
Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 7:35 pm.
5.0 Community Presentations
The community presentations started at 7:40 pm
5.1 Fire Prevention
Larry Watkinson, the new Deputy Fire Chief of the Kelowna Fire Department spoke about FireSmart and fire prevention.
1. Structure Protection
2. Fuel Mitigation, wildfire protection
3. Burning and smoke tolerance
4. Q&A
FireSmart is about:
- Preparing and protecting your property
- Prevent sparks from igniting cedar hedges, cedar shake roof, bark mulch (highly combustible)
- Changing to non-combustible plants and outdoor furnishings on and around your home
- Fire Dept will do FireSmart home assessment if requested
- Encouraging behavioral change, accepting there are other, safer options for privacy and landscaping than cedar hedge and bark mulch
Australia has a program whereby homes get marked with a red rock or green rock. Red rock is for homeowners have done nothing to mitigate FireSmart options, while green rock is for homeowners who have made efforts to FireSmart home and property. Green rock homes, who have made efforts to do fire mitigation for their home and property, get priority during wildfire to save homes.
Structure protection:
When fires are so advanced that it can be dangerous for firefighting personnel to enter area, special atomizing sprinklers are set up to help protect home until safe for personnel to re-enter area. City of Kelowna is buying its own trailer for sprinkler system instead of relying on the Province’s trailer.
Tara Bergeson is the Forester with City of Kelowna Urban Forest Dept.
LARGE, MATURE, HEALTHY PINES ARE NOT A CONCERN DURING WILDFIRE.
The MOST important opportunity to save your home during a wildfire is doing fire mitigation in the 1-10 metres around your home. If there are pine trees too close to your home, trimming base of tree of branches up 2 metres, as well as picking up the debris (pine needles, removing bark mulch), helps.
Q&A
- Fire Dept is working to meet with the Okanagan Golf Course to discuss FireSmart.
-Concern was expressed about the Mission Hill property (across from the 3-waystop on Quail Ridge Boulevard, up from Pier Mac Way) and the Bennett property (at the north end of Quail Ridge Boulevard where it meets Dry Valley Road / Quail Crescent). During the discussion, Deputy Fire Chief Watkinson reaffirmed that while trimming up the pine trees in these areas helps, what makes the biggest difference in protecting your home is YOUR fire mitigation efforts around your own home.
- It was brought to Deputy Fire Chief Watkinson’s attention that there were dead trees and accumulated fire debris that was left by a developer in the area. Deputy Fire Chief Watkinson stated that he would investigate this.
- Body of water (i.e. Okanagan Lake) does not prevent fire from spreading this side of lake as was proven this past August. Fire on this side of lake was started by embers flying through the air from the MacDougall Creek fire.
- Sprinklers will help in the event of evacuation to save your home if done properly. A
company called WASP sprinklers are similar to what the fire dept uses. They atomize water to create a bubble. These can be purchased by homeowners.
- In our situation, we went from almost no notice to a full tactical Evacuation Order. Giving people notice is not always possible as fire can travel at speeds of 1km per second
- Fire retardant is a natural combination of clay, fertilizer and water so it is safe for the
environment.
- Screens to cover eaves are encouraged as fire mitigation as it keeps dead leaves captured there (that are highly combustible) from being ignited by a spark.
5.2 Transportation Planning in Quail Ridge Area
Chad Williams & Gordon Foy from the City of Kelowna’s Transportation & Engineering department spoke on transportation planning in the Quail Ridge Area. The power point presentation is available on the website (qrra.org).
Chad stressed that it was important for everyone to answer surveys when studies are being done. This helps Ministries, the City and politicians to make decisions. If no input is done when surveys go out, it is too late after the decisions have been made to make changes. The surveys are when you have your opportunity to have a say.
Note: Hwy 97 onto Airport Way falls under Ministry of Transportation (provincial) and is out of City of Kelowna’s jurisdiction. Any issues with Hwy 97 lights, roads etc., please report to the Ministry of Transportation.
The community presentations concluded at 9:13 pm.
