Kamloops RCMP detachment

(GLYNN BROTHEN / iNFOnews.ca)

Kamloops is going to ask voters for their approval to take out another multi-million dollar loan. This time it's for a $150 million RCMP detachment.

When the vote will happen isn't known, but the city now has a three-month deadline to do so after approving plans for the new detachment on Feb. 11.

Concerned about the $150 million price tag, some councillors asked about whether there was anything that could be removed from the plan, namely councillor Katie Neustaeter who brought up the Build Kamloops loans also poised to burden taxpayers.

"I would love to put you guys in a Cadillac, that would be fantastic, but I am more inclined to a minivan. That's generally what Kamloops prefers," Neustaeter said.

City staff said it was designed to meet the needs set out by BC RCMP headquarters, indicating there was little, if any, room to carve out costs from the plan.

The current Battle Street station opened in 1990 with just a ten-year lifespan. Councillor Kelly Hall said that was "short-sighted" decision and lacked "vision."

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It leaves the detachment now operating at double its capacity, even after a North Shore satellite station was added nine years ago.

Whether taxpayers will be asked for their opinion through referendum or Alternative Approval Process hasn't been decided yet, but there is now a three-month deadline to get voter approval.

There was no mention by council of the ongoing court challenge that aims to overturn a previous Alternative Approval for $275 million in loans last fall or whether council may have second thoughts about going that route.

All but Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson voted to go ahead with the new police station.

Hamer-Jackson said he wouldn't support it without some guarantee the federal or provincial government would pick up part of the tab. Just like the $275 million Build Kamloops loans approved in the fall, that and taking issue with the planned locations are the same protests he made.

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While the rest of council approved the new police station, they too want to persuade the province or the federal government to contribute funds too alleviate pressure on local taxpayers.

There is a chance some portion of that bill would be picked up by another level of government or RCMP, but the city doesn't have that yet confirmed.

It's also not clear, if another government helps with the cost, how much will still be covered by local taxpayers.

According to City plans, the new building will go up on the same downtown property the current detachment sites on. Construction will displace the police vehicle fleet to street parking. The current station will be replaced with one with a parkade once the entire detachment transitions over.

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The entire project is poised to be completed by 2030, with the new detachment transition taking place a year earlier.

It's the third concept city staff put together in recent years and the longest lasting of those three options, projected to last for 30 years of growth.

"It seems to me the disruption is going to be great," Hamer-Jackson said, suggesting the new building should be on another property.

CAO Byron McCorkell said council only gave staff direction to use the same city-owned property currently used, so it should have been discussed a year-and-a-half ago.

Hamer-Jackson pointed to provincial lands on 6 Avenue and Columbia Street or River Street near the Yacht Club at possible locations for the new detachment, but those suggestions weren't entertained by council or staff.

While city council recently started exploring ways to renegotiate RCMP costs with higher levels of government, it's only the operations cost that is shared.

A new police station, however, isn't part of the cost-sharing deal. Instead, that cost falls entirely on municipal taxpayers and, if they don't meet the need, a new detachment could be imposed on Kamloops and the bill still falls on the city.

Kamloops RCMP Supt. Jeff Pelley said the city is a "long way" from the province forcing a new station to be built, but it is still being considered since its a contractual obligation and 25 years overdue.

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