Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Adam Donnelly

NEW CITY COUNCILLORS

Incoming Kamloops councillor Hall has high hopes for housing and recreation

Oct 20, 2022 | 4:42 PM

KAMLOOPS — With just three incumbents returning to Kamloops city council, there will be five brand new councillors around the table at city hall come November 1.

Kelly Hall is one of those new faces. He’s worked on the business side of media for more than 30 years, and according to Hall, his focus on council will be to help businesses become strong and resilient over the next four years.

“I think you have to lean on the experience you have in city hall,” Hall explains. “We’ve got some great people working inside city hall that have tremendous experience. If there are questions and there are opportunities to have conversations with these individuals, I’ll be first in line.”

Kelly Hall is no stranger to politics. For over thirty years, he’s worked in the media. He started in sales with Kamloops This Week, eventually taking on the role of publisher of the paper from 1998 until 2017. For the last five, he’s been with Stingray Radio as the general sales manager. He feels a thriving business community is the first step in solving the city’s safety issues.

One Man's Opinion

COLLINS: Are the B.C. Conservatives digging their own graves?

3h ago

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: Culturally appropriate food goes beyond the ingredients on a plate

Dec 14, 2024

Two and Out

PETERS: Whether building up or tearing down, Kamloops is what you make it

Dec 13, 2024

“With business growth and development within our community, everything will take care of itself,” Hall tells CFJC Today. “Once we have a very robust and vibrant business community, it allows us to work on some of these social programs we desperately need.”

Affordable housing was another important platform piece for many council candidates. Hall says he wants to understand some of the barriers to development which exist and possibly streamline some of those processes.

“I’d like to get in and talk to some of the people in city planning and see what are some of the challenges,” Hall explains. “We talked about pre-approved plans, about zoning changes made easier. We talked about the opportunities for increased densification. We need to look at the employment challenges I’m hearing about in planning and address those so we can start seeing some of the development that’s needed here in Kamloops to make it more affordable.”

Like his new colleagues around the council table, Hall sees a need for improved arts and recreation facilities. He’d like to see a collaborative approach to how we fund those large capital projects.

“We desperately need the two ice rinks we’ve talked about during the campaign. We desperately need a new swimming pool and a new performing arts centre. I think we’ve got to collaborate with the people and the business community, as well as other partners. Explore opportunities for funding.”