(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

UPDATE 

Water rates

Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson suggested the city apply for grants and cross its fingers to avoid a 25 per cent water rate hike.

"Why don't we think positive?" he asked, pitching a rate hike much lower than the three options staff brought to the table.

Water rates have been nearly stagnant since 2014, but multi-million dollar costs that came up this left the city in a potential shortfall for some upcoming projects, like a $10 million repair to the water intake facility on Lorne Street.

Earlier this year, council voted to shutdown the Noble Creek irrigation system, costing more than $3 million to payout the farmers, along with a decision to reduce utility costs for developers.

Council asked staff to take another look at its five-year outlook for water rates. David Hallinan, the city's corporate services director, came back with three options.

The first, which was already approved, is the cheapest for residents in the long run, but includes a steeper 25% increase in 2024.

It's not clear where Hamer-Jackson came up with his suggestion, but he pitched 12% for two years and six for the following three, hinging on staff finding grant funding to subsidize the rest of what's needed.

No one agreed with the mayor.

Council ultimately voted to take out a loan, which will fund the upcoming $10 million intake repairs. 

That means residents will be on the hook for an 18% rate increase in 2024 — a $68.90 per year increase for the average home. It will then leave a rate hike of 15% for 2025 and 2026, 10% the next year and 5% in 2028.

That option passed with dissenting votes from Coun. Margot Middleton and Hamer-Jackson.

UPDATE 2:46 p.m.

Secret recordings

"This was all due to a conversation I didn't know my wife was recording at the time," Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson said.

He voiced his opposition to the proposed ban on secret recordings, citing criminal laws that allow for one party consent when recording conversations. Canada's criminal code does allow for conversations to be recorded, but staff said the policy has more to do with "trust" at work rather than criminality.

"We have a workplace built on trust. We don't expect the person we're speaking to would be recording without prior consent," human resources director Colleen Quigley responded.

Hamer-Jackson was the sole dissenting vote as the policy was adopted. 

Emergency management

Almost in unison, councillors voiced they're frustration with the province's upcoming changes to emergency management regulations.

Coun. Mike O'Reilly said the province is "downloading" responsibility to local governments with Bill 31, which is soon up for royal ascent.

The new legislation changes policies around states of emergencies and local responsibilities during emergencies. What constitutes an emergency is a wide array of incidents, but Kamloops will almost certainly be affected as it's hosted evacuees from wildfires and floods many times in recent years.

Although it's now reaching royal ascent, City emergency preparedness manager Will Beatty said the province is looking for input from local governments. Council resolved to send a letter to the province voicing their concerns.

Coun. Nancy Bepple did not vote as she was absent.

UPDATE 2:13 p.m.

Kamloops Heritage Railway

Kamloops' railway museum isn't expected to reopen until 2025.

The Kamloops Heritage Railway was shuttered earlier this year and general manager Ken Milloy said it's because of accessibility issues at its museum. 

Milloy said the museum expects to spend up to $15,000 on a design, but it's not clear how much the non-profit will need for the construction.

WildsafeBC

Olivia Lemke of WildsafeBC said bear reports shot up this year when compared to 2022.

This year residents reported 579 black bears in the city, up by 137 the year before. Lemke said it's not clear whether there were more bears in the city or simply more people reporting them.

The reports shot up earlier this year, too. In 2022, it was in September when bear activity picked up in the city before winter, but it started in August this year.

The city's compost program also expanded this year, prompting some concerns that bears would be attracted to those bins as the program was spread across the city. Lemke said there's been no difference this year so far, adding it's just a new bin added to city streets, but food waste was also there.

ORIGINAL STORY

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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