Council sworn in, November 1 2022 (Image credit: Adam Donnelly/CFJC Today file photo).

By Michael Reeve

COUNCIL ANNIVERSARY

Safer streets the main focus of Kamloops council one year in

Nov 1, 2023 | 5:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — It’s now been exactly one year since the current Kamloops mayor and council were sworn in following the October 2022 election. In the year that has followed, city hall has been cloaked in a cloud of discourse that includes an ongoing legal battle between the mayor and a councillor. Despite all that, the nine-member team believes they have been able to work together for the betterment of Kamloops.

“I didn’t think that politics was that deep in the community and I just ran to get a safer community and accountability and that kind of thing. That was kind of shocking that kind of thing was taking place but I think we need to keep pushing forward and getting through that kind of stuff,” Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson told CFJC Today Wednesday (Nov. 1).

While the mayor stressed pushing through, Councillor Margot Middleton stated she wants to see governance improve at city hall.

“On governance, we are still struggling there,” said Middleton. “And I still struggle a little bit with some of the — not so much the processes outside meetings, but within city hall. I would really like to work hard to see if we can’t get ourselves to a really good functioning council and working well with staff.”

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The biggest issue facing Kamloops, like many cities, is community safety, highlighted by both the mayor and Councillor Bill Sarai.

“Those concerns are getting louder and I understand that. I think that is one of the things we need to focus on and get more input from the provincial and federal governments to help not only us but other communities. It has to be something that works everywhere. It can’t be a one-stop Band-aid solution,” said Sarai.

Over the past 12 months, council was able to complete its strategic plan, a guiding document to help form its four-year term. With that in place, a number of goals have been set out for Year Two in office.

“Financing and funds and so forth in place for a couple of projects and, if not a shovel in the ground, a shovel very close to being in the ground on a couple of significant facilities for Kamloops,” said Middleton, speaking about the Build Kamloops plan.

“We haven’t built infrastructure, arts-wise, culture-wise, recreation-wise for over 20 years. I think our city has grown but our infrastructure hasn’t and I think it’s time we stepped up and answered the need for our residents,” added Sarai.

Hamer-Jackson stressed that every motion he has made has been to improve the city of Kamloops and make it a safer city. He just feels he hasn’t been able to lock down support from the rest of council.

“I just hope I can get four councillors on my side. Four councillors. Because everything that I have done has not been to hurt the community, it has been to help the community,” said Hamer-Jackson.