Quotable quotes from a fiery Kamloops council meeting Tuesday

Councillor Dale Bass, on articulating a motion to review the terms of reference: “My impetus for the motion is to identify the deficiencies in terms of the (Community) Charter and its relationship to public members of the standing committees — not council members. We need some clarity on that because, for example, the (Kamloops council) code of conduct doesn’t apply to them. Confidentiality doesn’t apply to them. As you know, confidentiality, for elected officials, lasts their lifetime.”

Chief Administrative Officer David Trawin, on what a review of terms of reference might entail: “There are things in the terms of reference which state meeting dates. There may be something in which meeting times may be looked at in the terms of reference. There may be issues relating to the chair, based upon the concerns brought up by Councillor Bass, that need to be looked at.”

Councillor Stephen Karpuk, to Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson: “I’m curious, what is the actual rationale for making the changes to putting public members in a voting position? From my perspective, I’ve had no consultation as to why this is going forward. I have no issues with the people you have appointed. I’m just curious — why?”

Coun. Karpuk, after Mayor Hamer-Jackson provided an answer that did not address Karpuk’s initial question: “Hearing what you’ve just explained, you have not identified the rationale and the reason to have public members at this level of engagement in our city, in our standing committees. I need to understand, what was the rationale?”

Coun. Karpuk, after Mayor Hamer-Jackson again responded to Karpuk’s question: “I’m struggling, still, to understand, what was your reason to put public members… your campaign chair manager, a couple of [candidates] who you hung out with during the campaign quite frequently and who you campaigned alongside… what was your rationale for hand-picking them to put them to put them in positions of decision-making for our corporation and our city — as opposed to saying, ‘Let’s get you in an engagement group.'” [Ed. note: Hamer-Jackson later clarified that Deborah Newby was not his campaign chair, but a campaign volunteer.]

Mayor Hamer-Jackson, arguing that standing committees are not as powerful as some may believe: “All these committees that we’re talking about, you guys, at the end of the day, it’s got to go to mayor and council anyways. If you don’t like [the recommendations that come from the committees], you can do just what you’ve been doing. You can just vote them down.”

Mazzotta, clarifying that Bass’ motion would not alter the Community Charter: “No one in this room has the power to change the Community Charter. If a motion were to be table that were in violation of the Community Charter, I would be raising my hand and flagging that.”

Mayor Hamer-Jackson, in response: “Awesome.”

Mayor Hamer-Jackson, on his committee changes leaking to the media before any internal discussion took place: “Somebody could have emailed me and said, ‘Hey, I don’t think we should have this guy and maybe we should have this.’ And you know what, Councillor Karpuk, if you have people who are better who you feel will help our community, I will take your suggestions and I will take a really good look at it and speak to the people — you and I can speak to them — and maybe we’ll change the committee.”

Mayor Hamer-Jackson, after Councillor Katie Neustaeter asked what fair and equitable vetting process he employed before making his appointments: “I have no idea what you’re talking about or what process that you would put forward. If you have a process that you are knowledgeable about, maybe you could email it to me or explain it to me because I’m not sure exactly what process you’re looking for.”

Councillor Bill Sarai, arguing Hamer-Jackson disrupted committees too soon after they began their work: “We’ve had one or two meetings at the most on our committees that you made up. In those two meetings, we’ve got lots of stuff already on the go, subcommittees, we’re looking at food services in our parks, we’re looking at a lot of other things, and you’ve come out in the public saying we’re not getting enough done. You’re not seeing any results. With all due respect, mayor, you took four months to make the committees up, and you’re judging us… you gave us two months and one meeting each to give us a report card. I find that very unfair when we were the ones asking you in November to make the committees so we could get to work, and you’re already seeing that you’re not seeing the results you want to see.”

Mayor Hamer-Jackson, citing an instance when he felt Councillor Kelly Hall was not taking the role of committees seriously enough: “I said, ‘How are you making out with select committees?’ You told me, ‘I don’t think we’re going to need select committees.’ I said, ‘Councillor Hall, walk down the Tranquille corridor. Walk up by the bus depot, down Victoria Street into Valleyview. I believe that we need select committees.'”

Coun. Sarai, to Mayor Hamer-Jackson on backtracking on his appointments: “What you sent out last week, there was no avenue there for any input from councillors or staff to change anything. So let’s get something clear — very clear — you’re saying now that there are opportunities for engagement after we called you out on it.”

Coun. Sarai, on Mayor Hamer-Jackson’s focus on street and safety issues: “You just mentioned one committee, that, from the day you were elected, is the only focus we’ve heard from you. It’s not fair to our citizens or to our councillors or to our staff to have a magic wand [that will] fix everything on West Victoria Street and on Tranquille Road and at [the former] Greyhound site. There’s a lot more to our city, which is a $200-million business, and we need to get to it.”

Mayor Hamer-Jackson, arguing the committee appointments are not set in stone: “When you said that you think this is a done deal, it’s not. We can make changes along the way if things aren’t working.”

Coun. Karpuk, on trying to work with Mayor Hamer-Jackson: “We’ve been judged on a report card basis, in your words, as not doing our jobs, in some cases, well enough. Case in point, you remove three chairs. That’s not saying that you have good confidence in these people. And yet, today, you’re telling us that you do have confidence in these people. This is the chaotic thing that we spoke about last week that we are having difficulties dealing with.”

Mayor Hamer-Jackson, voting against Bass’ motion: “I’m opposed to changing the Community Charter.”

Mazzotta, in response: “Deputy Mayor Hall through to Mayor Hamer-Jackson, for clarity, Councillor Bass’ motion proposes no change to the Community Charter. No one in this room has the power to change the Community Charter.”

by CFJC Today

Quotable quotes from a fiery Kamloops council meeting Tuesday

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