Image Credit: Mel Rothenburger

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: City’s action in pointing finger at heritage society is shameful

Nov 27, 2019 | 4:32 AM

KAMLOOPS — THE ST. ANDREW’S ON THE SQUARE mess reached a new low point Tuesday with a lengthy news release from the City attempting to point the finger at the Kamloops Heritage Society.

The City’s statement is, no doubt, borne out of frustration, but such a tactic is, to my knowledge, unprecedented.

Two society members appeared at yesterday’s council meeting to ask why the City didn’t work with the society to update its management contract instead of abruptly terminating it.

The exchange got a little testy — that will happen when volunteers feel they’ve been treated unfairly.

And what did the City do? It issued a statement — which now seems to be gone from the City’s website — suggesting the society had been uncooperative in providing City Hall with the information it needs to take over the operation, including a list of building contents so the City can buy them.

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The arrogance of it is shocking. Why would the society want to provide the City with the means to accomplish the demise of the society’s contract?

While listing complaints about the way the society has handled itself since the City informed the group in August of its intention not to renew its lease, it did not answer the society’s contention that the City was unresponsive in upholding its end of maintenance.

Instead, it continued to assert there was some sort of implied agreement between the society and the City for the takeover, when no such agreement has been produced. It further insisted the society is incapable of maintaining the building, a position the society has repeatedly refuted.

What the City has done borders on bullying. For that, the staff who initiated it, and the council that enabled it, should be ashamed.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and newspaper editor. He writes five commentaries a week for CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.