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By James Peters

Build Kamloops

Alternative approval process details discussed at Build Kamloops committee meeting

Jul 22, 2024 | 11:42 AM

KAMLOOPS — Members of Kamloops council’s Build Kamloops select committee have heard details of an alternative approval process (AAP) for borrowing — the major hurdle the city must clear before the first phase of the plan is a go.

The AAP, also known as a counter-petition, will gauge public support for borrowing up to $275 million to build a performing arts centre and multiplex containing four ice sheets, among other projects.

At Monday morning’s (July 22) meeting, acting deputy corporate officer Denise Anderson told committee members only those against borrowing would need to return response forms to the city.

The forms will be available online or on paper, picked up in person at City Hall.

“The forms that are available online and that can be emailed will not be fillable forms. They won’t have a ‘submit’ button where people can just fill out (the form) and have it automatically emailed,” said Anderson. “It needs to be a hand-signed form and it needs to be received by the deadline. Postmarks are not accepted.”

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Submission options include by mail, hand-delivered or dropped in a dropbox at City Hall, or emailed.

Anderson said the city is still waiting for the province to give its authorization to the AAP. Timing of the authorization will influence the deadline for responses to be submitted.

“If we were to hear from the Inspector of Municipalities in time for next week’s council meeting, then the deadline to submit forms will be Sept. 6,” said Anderson. “If we do not hear from the Inspector of Municipalities by that time, it will go to the August 13 council meeting and the deadline for submission of forms will be Sept. 20.”

Only residents or non-residents who own property within Kamloops city limits will be allowed to submit response forms. Residents of communities such as Sun Rivers or Tobiano will not be allowed to respond unless they own property inside the city.

To come up with AAP details, the city looked at several other B.C. communities that have run AAPs in the past year, including two — Prince George and Kitimat-Stikine — in the midst of AAPs right now.

Councillor Mike O’Reilly, who chairs the Build Kamloops committee, noted the AAP has been used several times in the past decade here in Kamloops.

“Whether that was the replacement of the Overlanders Bridge deck, the wastewater treatment plant, the water treatment plant, the intersection at Third Avenue and Columbia Street, when that was upgraded so we could have two left-turn lanes — the same process was used.”