iN COUNCIL: Kamloops to decide on secret recordings policy, water rate hike today

Kamloops city council is preparing for another round as the clock counts down until its Tuesday afternoon meeting.

We will be updating this post throughout the meeting with the latest.

SECRET RECORDINGS

The nine are preparing to vote on a policy that would prohibit the mayor and councillors from secretly recording conversations with staff members, among the several items on its agenda for Nov. 21.

That new policy follows revelations that Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson had done just that earlier this year, when his wife recording a phone call with they city's top employee, David Trawin. It was when he tried to have a resident read a transcript of that conversation aloud in an open council meeting that he revealed he had the recording.

In response, council spurred an investigation into Hamer-Jackson's phone recording, seeking any others he might have in his possession, and also looked to staff to write a new policy that would prohibit anyone from doing so again.

WATER

Council is also set to finally determine just how much more city residents are going to spend on their water.

Council previously approved a 25 per cent hike in water rates for 2024, which amounts to an average $95 per household over the year. It would then go up by 15 per cent in 2025 and another five for the next three years.

Staff were tasked to look at options for a more gradual rate increases, which could include going into debt to make up for upcoming construction costs or a deferral of a water main project in Westsyde.

Although those options mean a smoother increase up front, they cost more in the long run, according to a staff report.

LEFTOVERS

Council will also hear from three non-profits, coming up first this afternoon. Kamloops Heritage Railway Society will first tell the city about its future plans as it tries to address permitting issues at its current location.

The next is WildSafeBC, briefing council on a summary of its 2023 season, then the Unique Get Together Society inviting council to its Black History Month gala in February.

Council will also vote on a cannabis licence application. It was already approved last year, but the business has to reapply as it's moving to a different storefront at 320 Victoria Street. Mayor and council will also vote on whether to give a dog kennel business approval on Lac le Jeune Road.

Last item on the agenda, before heading off to public hearings, is the Kamloops Airport's plans to repair a taxilane. The airport will apply for a grant to fund the work, but it's looking to the city for support. No other details about the work needed on the taxilane were provided.

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