Ahead of the Oct. 15 municipal election, CFJC Today asked candidates for Kamloops City Council to complete a questionnaire, offering voters the chance to evaluate their candidacies.
QUESTIONNAIRE:
Describe yourself, your occupation and your historical connection to the Kamloops area.
I am proud to raise my four-year-old son in Kamloops. This is the city that I have called home for 35 years, and the city in which I married my beautiful wife. Over the last 10 years, I have been the president or a board member of multiple non-profit organizations including: the Big Little Science Center (board member), Downtown BIA (president), Kamloops MS Society (president), BC MS Society (chair government relations), Rotaract (president). I am the president and CEO of Comet Industries and am the owner of my consulting firm, O’Reilly Management Services. I am an avid outdoors enthusiast and I’m never happier than when I’m outside, on the trails and in the mountains.
What differentiates you from the other candidates?
I strive to bring a balanced approach to all aspects of my life, including to the role of city councillor. Being the president of multiple non-profit organizations throughout Kamloops over the last 10 years I have learned the skill of listening to everyone around the table and talking issues through until we are able to get to a consensus or a compromise. I do not steer away from difficult issues. My style is to confront the issue head-on by arming myself with as much information as possible and listening to the public in order to inform how I vote. Throughout my business life, I have had the pleasure of working with and learning from more than 500 staff members. Learning how to work with so many different people has allowed me the opportunity to learn how to work with a variety of different personalities. Lastly, I am the only sitting councillor that has a toddler and am the only voice around the council table that can bring the perspective of a young parent and some of the challenges that we face raising our children in Kamloops.
What do you think is the best way to resolve disagreements or conflicts with your peers, those in a different department or those in a different jurisdiction?
Disagreements and conflicts happen all the time, but it is how you deal with them that makes the difference. They must be dealt with head on and right away, so that a small problem does not grow into something larger. When possible, I believe that face-to-face meetings work best and rarely do text messages or emails work. In the end, it is always the goal to come to an agreement but respectfully disagreeing is sometimes inevitable.
What do you think is the biggest issue facing the City of Kamloops and how would use your elected position to address it?
Community and neighbourhood safety is the biggest issue facing Kamloops at this time. While the City of Kamloops does not own or operate any homeless shelters or social housing projects, we must work with other levels of government to get homeless people off our streets and into supportive environments. Working with the province and accepting everything that the province wants to do, wherever or however they want to do it, are two different things. We need to work with the province to create a buffer zone between residential neighbourhoods and shelters, increase mental health supports, create a complex care center in Kamloops and have involuntary treatment for multiple overdose patients. Lastly, we must increase the number of RCMP and Community Safety Officers (CSOs) on our streets to allow for timely and efficient responses when someone calls 9-1-1 or CSOs for help.
How do you plan to involve Kamloops residents in your decision-making?
I believe our communications team does a great job when conducting surveys and engagement in the community.
That being said, surveys do not reach all of our residents and it is important to have “boots on the ground.” I am always talking to and engaging with residents at local coffee shops, public events, and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. All of these engagements help guide and shape my decision-making.
What does a sustainable future for Kamloops and area look like to you and what does it need from mayor and council?
To me, a sustainable Kamloops is one where all of our residents can thrive and prosper. I believe we must continue to grow our city by focusing equally on recreation facilities, housing, affordability, safety and having a strong economy. If we leave any one of these key areas behind we will fall behind as a city
