Kamloops standing committees main focus of special council meeting following mayor and council’s rift

Mar 21, 2023 | 6:39 AM

KAMLOOPS — Following a shuffle of Kamloops’ standing committees by the mayor, a public rebuke by council, and an emailed retort by the mayor, a special council meeting will be held at Kamloops City Hall Tuesday (March 21) morning to flesh out the issues.

On the agenda is a statement from Maria Mazzotta – the City of Kamloops’ corporate officer – on “solicitor-client privilege,” and discussion on council committee terms of reference. The committees are: Civic Operations, Community and Protective Services, Community Relations and Reconciliation, Development and Sustainability, and Finance.

David Trawin, the City of Kamloops’ CAO, told CFJC Today on Friday that Hamer-Jackson is within his power as mayor to make the committee changes, but council does have the ability to alter the committee terms of reference if they please.

(Image credit: City of Kamloops).

The meeting stems from Thursday when Kamloops Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson made changes to Kamloops’ committees, saying he hasn’t seen enough change in the community since taking office to warrant the status quo. Changes included removing Coun. Kelly Hall from Community and Protective Services, Coun. Mike O’Reilly as chair of Development and Sustainability, and Coun. Bill Sarai as chair of Community Relations and Reconciliation.

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The following day, all eight councillors responded to Hamer-Jackson’s changes in a public statement at Kamloops City Hall. Council disagreed with Hamer-Jackson’s reasoning behind the committee changes and objected the process.

In an email to CFJC Today, Hamer-Jackson responded by saying the committee changes were on a proposed list emailed to council and senior city staff and remain a work in progress. He says the email was released to the public without his consent.

The special council meeting is open to the public and scheduled for 11 a.m. in the Council Chambers at Kamloops City Hall on 7 Victoria St. W.

by Aaron Schulze

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Kamloops standing committees main focus of special council meeting following mayor and council’s rift

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