City of Kamloops to ask provincial permission to hold four more AAPs

Councillor Katie Neustaeter spoke against the plan, saying she doesn’t believe the public has had enough input on the plan for a five-storey police building and parking facility.

“I recognize [AAP] has happened on the staff side for many years. I recognize there have been conversations with councils previous… but the walking out period so that the community is with us when we take $150 million and spend it on their behalf — I think we have neglected to bring the community along with us on that journey,” said Neustaeter.

Councillor Kelly Hall joined Neustaeter as one of three opposing voices to the move, saying the future of policing is too uncertain to lock in to a specific plan.

“When I look at the other projects we’re talking about, they’re infrastructure projects that are different than a police building,” said Hall. “Is that viable for an AAP for the community?”

But Councillor Mike O’Reilly said that uncertainty doesn’t change the needs right now.

“I don’t disagree with Councillor Hall that maybe we go to a municipal police force at some point, or a provincial — who knows?” said O’Reilly. “What we do know is the facility is inadequate and it’s half the size of what we need. If this council doesn’t want to go to referendum, we’re going to lose a whole other year which will, ultimately, add significant cost to the building.”

The three other AAP applications approved included the purchase of property to expand the city’s civic operations footprint on McMaster Way ($16.75 million), upgrades to the Kamloops Centre for Water Quality ($11.75 million) and the third phase of the Tranquille sewer main replacement ($9 million).

If the city doesn’t move forward on a new police headquarters, council was repeatedly reminded the city’s RCMP contract allows the national force to demand an adequate facility. The current building opened in 1990 and was designed for 85 occupants. At present, it is home to 150 RCMP officers and employees.

In addition, Interior Health could require the upgrades to the water treatment plant.

That conundrum had Councillor Dale Bass asking why it was necessary to even go to the public for assent.

“Does not all of this point to a flaw in the way we have to move forward with things we are legally required to do but we still have to go through this process — and even then, we’re still legally required to do?” asked Bass.

The AAP has generated controversy among city hall watchdogs. Last month, Kamloops Citizens United articulated concerns around potential policy changes. In 2024, KCU member Kathrine Wunderlich petitioned the BC Supreme Court to overturn the results of an AAP surrounding borrowing for the first phase of the Build Kamloops program. The lawsuit was tossed out in February.

Corporate Services Director David Hallinan defended the AAP as one of two processes available for municipalities to gain public assent for major borrowing, along with the more costly referendum option.

“The AAP is not a nefarious thing that the City of Kamloops created to be able to bypass public approval,” said Hallinan. “Sixty-four years ago, the government at that time created this and they have not created a revised process other than the alternative approval or the referendum process.”

City staff, meantime, are preparing a report on the cost of mailing out notifications of future AAPs to local residents.

by James Peters

City of Kamloops to ask provincial permission to hold four more AAPs

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