RUTLAND RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION
Peter Pagliocchini May 17, 2018
President
Dear Rutland Residents (A call to join our Rutland Resident’s Association)
My name is Peter Pagliocchini and I am the President of the Rutland Residents Association.
The 59th annual Rutland May Days are this weekend and I hope that many of you will be partaking of the fun and family oriented festivities.
The Rutland May Days in its current format began in May of 1959. It continues to this day richer and more vital than ever. The tried and true format of pancake breakfasts put on by the Knights of Columbus, a multi float parade, midway, merchants and artisans selling their wares, beer gardens and live entertainment continues to be the main formula for its success.
The growth of the Rutland May Days is closely paralleled with the strong urban growth and development in our very own Rutland community. However, as we know, growth is not always benevolent, there are times that its impact on sectors of our community are not deemed beneficial and can cause angst and controversy.
The Rutland Residents Association was chartered in 1994 and one of its prime objective was to provide information to Rutland residents regarding development projects and infrastructure constructs that were being proposed by City Council. Some of which proved to be of great concern to affected sectors of our community. Members of our executive have brought these concerns directly to city planners and to the attention of various mayors and council members over the past 24 years. This main objective continues to this day.
Presently, we are strongly lobbying the City of Kelowna to expedite the completion date for the Rutland Centennial Park. As an association we feel that a revitalised Centennial Park will be a centre piece for our community and a recreational and social gathering point. We feel that continuing to postpone final phase completion date is totally unacceptable.
It should be noted that there are over 110 projects slated for this year in our Rutland community. Many projects have already been ratified by Council, but a portion remain open for public debate and general scrutiny by residents in the vicinity of these proposed project areas. Our association has and will continue to provide both a voice and fact gathering forum for our residents. Once gathered, this info will be brought directly to the Mayor and Council.
Historically, the RRA has been the driving force for the Lions Park located in our centre core. Our association, working in concert with Kelowna City Council along with business donor groups brought the Park into fruition.
In 2014, the RRA hosted an ‘All Candidates Forum’ just prior to the November municipal election. The forum was extremely well attended by those running for School Board as well as Council and Mayoral candidates. On October 2, 2018, we will once again host an ‘All Candidates Forum’ and give residents a chance to meet and question those running in the upcoming election.
I am extending an invitation to attend our meetings on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm at the Rutland Centennial Hall. We welcome your input and strongly urge you to become a member of our Association and give effective voice to present and future projects in our community.
For further questions, please email me at info@rutandresidentsassociation.ca
Sincerely
Pagliocchini (President of the Rutland Residents Association)