Randy Millis

Council · Kelowna

North End 15 yrs

About

Randy Millis is a multimedia journalist, advocate and longtime Kelowna resident with experience in radio, IT, small business, and community and shelter support. He brings lived experience of disability and housing instability.

Policy commitments

Buildings

We all want healthy, affordable, and comfortable homes. These policies will help to lower energy bills, cut pollution, and improve indoor air quality.

~ Support electrification of new buildings. Neutral

~ Incentivize electric heat pumps and air filtration systems. Neutral

~ Incentivize renewable energy, battery storage, and smart-grid technologies in new and existing buildings to improve energy security. Neutral

~ Scale up energy retrofits for existing homes, businesses, and public buildings. Neutral

~ Implement a 'right to cool' bylaw to protect tenants during extreme heat events. Neutral

Climate Justice

Our community is already experiencing the harmful impacts of climate change caused by fossil fuel pollution, and taxpayers are on the hook to upgrade and repair critical infrastructure.

~ Endorse the fossil fuel treaty and commit to phase out fossil fuels. Neutral

~ Enact a moratorium on AI data centres to protect our energy and water resources. Neutral

~ Pursue available legal options to recover a fair share of the climate costs facing our community from fossil fuel companies and other big polluters. Neutral

~ Collaborate with Indigenous peoples as partners in the stewardship of the land, air, and water, and work towards reconciliation. Neutral

Ecosystems

The air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat all rely on healthy ecosystems. Nature can also help protect our community from extreme weather by controlling floods, protecting shorelines, and cooling neighbourhoods. Access to nature improves the health and well-being of residents, and supports biodiversity.

~ Protect and restore ecosystems, which are essential to human survival, health, and economic well-being. Neutral

~ Expand and protect tree canopy, parks, and green infrastructure to cool neighbourhoods, clean air, and manage stormwater. Neutral

~ Prioritize native tree planting in all areas, especially those with low tree cover, higher population densities, and more vulnerable residents. Neutral

~ Create connected urban greenways for people and wildlife. Neutral

Land Use

We envision vibrant, walkable communities that protect nature and improve food security.

~ Build affordable homes near jobs, schools, shops, and transit. Neutral

~ Upgrade critical infrastructure for heat, fire, flood, and storm resilience. Neutral

~ Increase food security by supporting local agriculture and community gardens. Neutral

Transport

Connecting neighbourhoods through public transit and active transportation networks will cut pollution, improve public health, and make our communities more affordable (and fun!).

~ Deliver reliable, frequent, affordable local transit. Neutral

~ Advocate to improve regional public transit between communities. Neutral

~ Build bike and roll networks that are safe for everyone. Neutral

~ Expand EV charging infrastructure. Neutral

Watersheds

Climate change, increasing populations, and overconsumption threaten our water security. Healthy watersheds and forests are critical to support clean drinking water, stormwater management, climate resilience, and biodiversity for future generations.

~ Implement water conservation plans and educate the public to conserve drinking water. Neutral

~ Protect and restore watersheds as vital municipal infrastructure. Neutral

~ Develop and implement a water security plan. Neutral

Zero Waste

Zero waste policies reduce pollution, keep waste out of landfills, build resilient local economies, and safeguard public health by shifting society away from a disposable culture toward a sustainable circular economy.

~ Implement zero waste bylaws to divert organic waste and recyclables from disposal. Neutral

~ Support the development of a circular economy to eliminate waste and improve resilience. Neutral

~ Implement bylaws to eliminate waste from new buildings, renovation, and demolition projects and to use existing buildings as efficiently as possible. Neutral

✓ Supportive

~ Neutral

× Opposed

– No response

Climate action

How have you contributed to climate action in your community through advocacy, past work, advisory committees, volunteer work, and/or reducing your personal carbon footprint?

My climate action has mostly been practical rather than through formal advocacy or advisory committees. I have recycled where programs were available in the places I lived and tried to reduce my transportation footprint where practical and affordable.

I use public transit and, when I have owned vehicles, I have tried to plan trips efficiently, keep vehicles properly maintained, and choose the most fuel-efficient option I could reasonably afford that still met my transportation needs.

I have not been in a financial position to purchase a new highly fuel-efficient, hybrid or electric vehicle. I think that is also an important perspective in climate policy: people have different incomes, housing situations, transportation needs and abilities. Effective climate action needs to be practical and accessible so people can participate without being priced out.

Questions for Kelowna

Would you accelerate Kelowna's adoption of the Zero Carbon Step Code, and what other measures would you support to improve building efficiency and resilience to extreme heat?

I would consider accelerating Kelowna’s adoption of the Zero Carbon Step Code, but I would want to review the City’s industry-readiness work, provincial direction, costs and potential effects on housing affordability before committing to a specific timeline or emission level.

I support improving building efficiency and resilience to extreme heat, particularly where measures can reduce long-term energy costs and protect vulnerable residents. I would consider practical measures such as better insulation and building envelopes, passive cooling and shade, heat pumps and other efficient cooling systems, while examining available provincial, utility and other funding so municipal policy does not unnecessarily add to housing costs.

My approach would be to set measurable goals, determine what falls within municipal authority, evaluate costs and benefits, and then monitor whether the measures are actually improving efficiency, affordability and heat resilience.

What policies would you support to protect mature trees, expand Kelowna's tree canopy, and increase shade on both public and private land?

What would you fund or change over the next four years to improve public transit, walking and cycling, and reduce transportation emissions?

I would prioritize transportation options that people can realistically use. That means more reliable and frequent transit, better evening and weekend service where demand supports it, accessible bus stops and connections, and continued improvements to handyDART and other accessible transportation.

Walking and rolling infrastructure should be safe and connected. I would prioritize filling gaps in sidewalks, curb cuts, crossings and cycling/rolling networks rather than building isolated pieces that do not connect people to where they need to go. Accessibility needs to work for people using wheelchairs, mobility devices, strollers and other forms of active transportation.

I would use ridership, reliability, accessibility and actual use of infrastructure to measure results. Reducing transportation emissions works best when lower-emission choices are also affordable, convenient and practical. I would also continue working with BC Transit and regional partners because Council does not control every part of the transit system on its own.

Would you support expediting composting programs and invest in the required facilities in Kelowna? If so, what would you do to make it happen sooner?

I support diverting food waste from the landfill and would support revisiting an expanded composting program, but I would not commit to expediting a specific program without reviewing the costs, infrastructure requirements and lessons from the previous regional proposal.

The earlier curbside proposal raised legitimate concerns about cost and the exclusion of multifamily housing. Any renewed program should examine how renters, apartment and condo residents, businesses and single-family households can participate rather than creating a system that excludes a significant part of the community.

Because solid-waste management is regional, I would work with the Regional District and neighbouring municipalities to examine the most cost-effective options, available infrastructure and outside funding. If the evidence shows that an expanded organics program can provide meaningful landfill diversion at a reasonable cost, I would support moving it forward with measurable diversion targets and public reporting.

What two climate actions would you champion during your term, and what measurable progress should Kelowna residents expect within four years?

Climate action matters, particularly where it also improves affordability, resilience and quality of life. Two areas I would prioritize are improving practical alternatives to driving—especially reliable, accessible public transit—and strengthening Kelowna’s resilience to extreme heat, wildfire, flooding and other climate-related risks.

I also want to explain my Neutral responses elsewhere in this questionnaire. Neutral does not necessarily mean I oppose the objective. Several statements ask candidates to commit to implementing policies without enough information about the specific proposal, cost, funding source, consequences or, in some cases, which level of government has authority.

I don’t think responsible government means making a commitment first and examining the details afterward. As a councillor, I would determine what Kelowna can actually do, examine the evidence, costs, alternatives and impacts on affordability, and then make a decision.

Residents should expect measurable progress and public reporting on the actions Council adopts. If something isn’t producing the intended results, Council should be willing to change course.

Compiled & presented by

Vote4Tomorrow is an independent voter guide to evaluate where local candidates stand on climate and environmental policies that will affect our future.

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