ROTHENBURGER: Kamloops City Council finds a new way to stifle the public

But, according to CAO David Trawin, some complaints are “frivolous, vexatious, not made in good faith,” and so on.

Complaints, he says, require considerable time and cost to deal with. Part of his answer is for certain complaints to be referred to council to decide whether they’re legit and should be investigated, or be “summarily dismissed.”

But there’s more. Not only will the vetting of complaints by council be an option, but they will only be considered if they come from members of council itself, or staff.

Certainly, some complaints from the public would be little more than gripes against council but, surely, they can easily be distinguished from those that are legitimately based on breaches of the Code of Conduct, which is pretty specific.

Several councillors insisted the public can still complain directly to councillors but that’s hardly an independent process, and carries no sanctions. And going through the B.C. Ombudsperson isn’t a good alternative.

Since the new Code was adopted in May, six complaints have been received. Seems Trawin was awfully fast asking for the Code to be changed.

Naturally, though, the Team of Eight jumped in to give the changes three readings. According to Coun. Kelly Hall, Trawin’s request is “a small amendment.”

No, it’s not small. It’s serious. Democracy is complicated, and it can be expensive. But it’s worth doing right.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.

by Mel Rothenburger

ROTHENBURGER: Kamloops City Council finds a new way to stifle the public

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