"Grandfathering" ... Only When It Suits RDNO

The RDNO picks and chooses where--and to what--they apply the common term "grandfathering".
It's actually more accurate to state that they shy away from even using the term.
More importantly, when to comply.

Wiki describes the grandfathering clause as:  "a provision in which an old rule continues to apply to some existing situations while a new rule will apply to all future cases."

That's easy enough to understand.

Yet when applied to how the North Okanagan Regional District views "firm rules regarding gravel pits in rural areas", they pick and choose whether they will or won't comply with the principle. 

According to the Morning Star today, "the regional district...has adopted a soil removal and deposit bylaw for BX-Swan Lake ("B" area) and BX-Silver Star ("C" area)...it doesn't prohibit but it regulates soil removal and deposits." 

But "the bylaw doesn't apply to existing operations," the article concludes, "and the impact of gravel pits--particularly with noise, dust and hours of operation," is mute.

In a maneuvre now increasingly common at the Regional District, existing (grandfathered) operations are ignored when it comes to the water category "Commercial Non-Potable Irrigation".  Seems it doesn't suit Greater Vernon Water at the Regional District to comply with their own bylaw's rules.

The six businesses that use large quantities of (supposedly non-potable--but unchlorinated isn't available) water are Atlantis Waterslides, Art Knapp's Nursery, Swan Lake Nursery, Hillview Golf, and Highlands Golf, as well as Tekmar Industries on Silver Star Road.

(Coldstream Corner article here).

By 2019--with the total elimination of the grandfathered category of Commercial Non-Potable Irrigation--we six businesses will not receive non-potable irrigation water (as we had been promised 10 to 15 years ago).  More importantly, we won't receive the rate of that category.

In an-about face that threatens the viability of the six businesses (one has already closed...Art Knapp Nursery, and Hillview Golf is apparently drilling a well), bureaucrats at Greater Vernon Water have coerced the Advisory Committee and Board members that we remaining businesses will be subject to a phase-in period and then lumped into the catch-all category of Non-Domestic and Mixed Use by 2019.  (see item 6. i page 14 of 48 here.)

Draft 2015 Water Rates/Bylaw are here...

"The only constant among bureaucrats is change," sighs Kia.