File photo (Image credit: CFJC Today).

By Aaron Schulze

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: It was a good day around the City council table for a change

Mar 13, 2024 | 5:55 AM

IT WAS A GOOD DAY at Kamloops City council yesterday. It’s hard to know where to begin but let’s start with the plan for a cleanup of beaches.

It’s a great idea, one that will generate some new pride in River City. Similar to the Adopt-A-Road program, the Clean-The-Beach program will result in a cleanup of the river shore.

The difference is that the beach program will be only one day per year due to a variety of reasons. Those include ecological safety, unstable river banks, water safety and social issues including encampments and drug paraphernalia.

Councillors weren’t entirely happy that the cleanup will take place on only one day but that might change in future. Ways can be found to manage the limitations expressed by staff so that members of the public can feel safe in participating.

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The April 21 date is appropriate, close to Earth Day, and river levels are still low. A kick-off event at Riverside Park will include cleanup instructions, educational tables and event attractions.

It will be a way of taking back our beaches, which have been terribly abused in recent years due to the aforementioned social issues and general lack of care.

There was other good news yesterday as well. The summer patio program is back, albeit in altered form. Residents will once again be able to enjoy a meal or a cup of coffee outside in shopping areas.

And the bicycle valet program also got the green light. That will provide cyclists with an assurance of security in parking their bikes so they can shop or meet without worrying about the rampant theft.

None of these things are major expense items; they’re just initiatives that allow people to enjoy their community.

And, to cap it all off, Coun. Bill Sarai apologized for his really dumb proposal to disqualify non-profit agencies from grant funding if they criticize council.

We need more days like that around the horseshoe.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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