SEARCH FOR NEW DRUG POLICY GURU FALLS IN CITY'S LAP

The City of Kelowna will create and maintain a drug policy coordinator
on behalf of the entire region.

The drug policy coordinator--the first recommendation from the Central
Okanagan Four Pillar Coalition--was originally slated for the Central
Okanagan Regional District.

But the CORD board directors agreed Monday that Kelowna can adapt
better to the new function.

CORD already expects to get a $35,000 grant for the position, which
can be handed over to the city as well.

But not everyone is so sure. Westside director Len Novakowski sought
assurances that this needed position would not be overly
Kelowna-centric.

"I have no objections to the City of Kelowna taking the lead but drug
and alcohol problems are proportional and we have the same problems on
the Westside," he said. "I just want to make sure we don't lose the
regional aspect of this thing."

New Peachland mayor Graham Reid said he was concerned increased
efforts in Kelowna will mean more problems at home. "We found when
there was increased enforcement in Kelowna they appeared in Peachland
and caused us some difficulties," he said.

But all agreed Kelowna has more opportunities for funding and also
carries the lion's share of the burden in its downtown core. Hiring a
drug policy coordinator--or Kelowna Agreement coordinator, as the city
calls it--is considered an important first step in launching the four
pillars coalition goals.

They recommended that the position be maintained for a minimum of 10
years and would be the back-bone of the program, providing stability,
coordination communication and accountability for how the prevention,
enforcement, harm reduction and treatment pillars would function.