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By Aaron Schulze

Social Issues

‘We can’t let it go on for another six months’: Kamloops council charts path to social issue solutions

Feb 25, 2021 | 10:22 AM

KAMLOOPS — Kamloops Councillor Dale Bass predicted an interesting stretch of weeks after a motion regarding social issues was narrowly defeated on the Feb. 9 meeting.

Two weeks later and a special council meeting is now set for Tuesday, March 2 with social issues – drug addiction, homeless, and mental health – being the only focus.

Bass and fellow councillor Bill Sarai each put forth their own respective notices of motion at the end of the Feb. 23 council meeting.

Bass’ includes directing city staff to create plans to use up to $500,000 of federal and provincial COVID-19 restart funding for prevention of street problems. It is divided into three parts:

1. Short-term to the end of April 2021 – 24/7 support for street-related issues, outreach and washroom options to the street-involved population, and security, clean-up and assistance to business and residents
2. Medium-term in the third quarter of 2021 – space and additional storage facilities with longer hours for street-involved individuals
3. Long-term in the first quarter of 2022 – temporary housing, supply of affordable market housing, direct researcher in residence to make recommendations on housing and lobby the B.C. government for funding and support

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Sarai’s notice of motion also included lobbying the provincial government and accessible public washrooms. Along with that, his included:

1. Daily, on-site nursing staff
2. 24/7 security services in the Kamloops Central Business Improvement area and Tranquille Market Business Corridor
3. Access to weekly mental health and/or addiction counseling services
4. Being in agreement with the provincial government to find wraparound support services

Mayor Ken Christian said it’s clear that council has an appetite to take a deep dive into social issues.

“It warrants a longer conversation and often that’s difficult at the end of a normal council meeting,” Christian said. “We’ll have a special council meeting to talk about [Bass and Sarai’s] two issues and perhaps any other ideas that councillors have. Our problems aren’t unique… but they’re problems we’re looking for support from the provincial government to solve.”

For residents who want to see an approved plan beyond the meeting — not another defeated motion — Christian said he hopes the notices get divided and discussed independently.

“They have a lot of moving parts,” Christian said. “There would be some people in favour of parts of both resolutions, and others may have some concerns. I think if you divide it up into its moving parts, it will have a better chance of success.”

Sarai was one of five councillors who voted no, defeating the motion on Feb. 9 brought forth by Councillors Bass, Sadie Hunter and Kathy Sinclair. He said he voted no because it was unknown where the funds would come from. He said his only ask financially is for the added security.

“I’m still under that mindset that we can’t take too much on as the City of Kamloops and put the burden on our taxpayers,” Sarai said. “If we start doing that, the provincial and federal governments are just going to back away and let us keep doing it. We’ll be burdened with those expenses for years to come. That’s not fair, that’s not on us. These issues are province-wide; the City of Kamloops didn’t create them.

“When we’re lacking wraparound services, that’s on the province, so they should be paying for it.”

Wraparound services include processes of working with children and youth with serious mental health challenges and their families. Sarai said programs like detox beds and sobering centres have been discussed between the province and City for years, but nothing moves.

“Those are the services we’re desperately asking for. Not only for the betterment of our community, but those individuals need those services to get better,” Sarai said. “We can’t police our way out of this. We’re not in the housing, nursing and outreach businesses, but we can be partners.

Regarding the division of his notice of motion, Sarai said the community cameras and 24/7 security aren’t related to what the B.C. ministries can do, and they’ll likely be severed from the rest of his motion.

While he hopes all his points get passed, Sarai is positive that something will be accomplished at the special council meeting.

“We can’t let it go on for another six months,” he said. “At the end of the day, even if we spend an hour or two discussing all the issues, I’d be happy about that. But I think deep down, we need to let [the provincial government] and the agencies in town know that this is a team effort that everybody has to come to the table and pull their weight. We can’t just be giving lip service… those days are over.”