Kamloops council (Image credit: CFJC Today/File photo).

By Aaron Schulze

Public Town Hall Meetings

Kamloops committee agrees on framework of council public town hall meetings

Aug 21, 2023 | 12:13 PM

KAMLOOPS — Public town halls within the City of Kamloops have come closer to fruition.

In a meeting Monday (Aug. 21) morning, the City’s community engagement select committee – chaired by Councillor Dale Bass and featuring Councillors Katie Neustaeter and Bill Sarai – voted to recommend a public town hall pilot project format for council to consider.

The project has six hybrid format meetings in six neighbourhoods:

• Core (22 per cent of population):

– Downtown (Kamloops Downtown Neighbourhood Association)

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– West End

– Mission Flats

– Sagebrush (Sagebrush Neighbourhood Association)

– North Kamloops (McDonald Park Neighbourhood Association, North Shore Central Community Association, Schubert Drive Neighbourhood Association)

• Southwest 1 (15 per cent of population):

– Pineview Valley (Pineview Valley Community Association)

– Aberdeen (Aberdeen Neighbourhood Association – Kamloops)

– Dufferin (Dufferin Neighbourhood Association)

– Iron Mask

– Knutsford

• Southwest 2 (14 per cent of population):

– Upper Sahali (Upper Sahali Community Communications)

– Lower Sahali (Lower Sahali Community Association)

– Southgate

– Thompson Rivers University

• Southeast (16 per cent of population):

– Juniper Ridge (Juniper Ridge Community Association)

– Barnhartvale (Barnhartvale Community Association)

– Campbell Creek

– Rose Hill (High Country Neighbourhood Society)

– Valleyview (Valleyview Community Chat)

– Dallas (Dallas Community Association)

• Northwest (20 per cent of population):

– Batchelor Heights (Batchelor Heights Community Association)

– Brock (Brocklehurst Community Association)

– Tranquille

• North (14 per cent of population):

– Westsyde (Westsyde Community Development Society)

– Noble Creek

– Rayleigh

– Heffley (Heffley Creek Community Recreation Association)

Following the six in-person meetings, a seventh meeting would be held virtually.

The town hall meetings would be held in a hybrid model with Kamloops council presenting its strategic plan, have tables set around strategic priorities where residents can provide council feedback, and then have an open mic session with a moderator.

City staff says the format allows residents multiple ways to participate, such as one-on-one or in a small or large group. Staff state that the format would allow a wide range of voices to be heard, create meaningful dialogue and create purposeful feedback that can inform future decision making.

If council passes the recommendation, the meetings will take place on a monthly basis starting in October. A meeting would not take place in December to accommodate the holiday season.

Kristen Rodrigue, the City’s acting communications manager, says the meetings would take place Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday and likely run for three hours.

Rodrigues adds because the public town hall is a pilot project, the City would evaluate how successful it is, then council would decide on how to move forward.

The next regular Kamloops council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 29.