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jen fretz
Kamloops explores options to deal with biosolids
KAMLOOPS – All sewage treatment centres produce biosolids. The question for the City of Kamloops is what to do with them. The city’s new sewage treatment centre opened March 2015 and not only does it processes its biosolids differently than before, but it also produces more. Public works director Jen Fretz says the city is...
Why Kamloopsians will be paying more for their recycling
KAMLOOPS – The cost of processing the material collected in the Kamloops recycling program is going up and that cost is being passed onto homeowners in the city. Residents will be paying roughly $17 more per year in recycling fees in the New Year. The city is citing the recently renewed recycling contract with Emterra...
Cost of recycling may increase as Kamloops looks to renew contract
KAMLOOPS – Emterra Environmental may be awarded the City of Kamloops’ recycling contract even after this summer’s labour dispute and a new bid almost double the cost of the previous one. A report by city staff will be coming to council tomorrow, Dec. 1, recommends Emterra get the contract. The current contract with the city...
Kamloops utility rates could increase in 2016
KAMLOOPS – Residents of Kamloops may see a difference in their utility bills come the New Year. Kamloops city councillors will consider proposed new utility rates for 2016 next week during the regular council meeting, Dec. 1. Water, sewage, garbage and recycling have all increased over the past five years at an average of roughly...
Kamloops may see new company sorting recyclables in 2016
KAMLOOPS - Recyclables collected by the City of Kamloops, both at depots and curbside, could be sorted by a new company come the new year. “We have already gone out to (request for proposals) to renew the contract essentially. To look for processors who can do the same work starting Jan. 1,” Public Works Director...
Kamloops saves money on 2015 capital projects
KAMLOOPS - Not all projects come in over budget, at least not this past year in Kamloops. The City of Kamloops has spent roughly $33 million on either new, expansion or maintenance infrastructure projects this year. Out of the 38 projects undertaken in 2015, the city has come in six per cent under budget. The...
Cavers comments inappropriate, but fellow Kamloops councillors hope he learns from his mistake
**LANGUAGE ADVISORY** KAMLOOPS - Using several expletives in emails to staff and council has put Coun. Donovan Cavers in hot water, and some fellow councillors are calling the incident an isolated incident while others say he was 'immature and reckless.' Documents obtained by Radio NL during a freedom of information request show Cavers using inappropriate...
Cavers blames fellow Kamloops councillors for tipping off media to his cussing email
KAMLOOPS - Coun. Donovan Cavers will not apologize for who he is or how he conducts himself as a politician; even if it doesn’t make him any friends. The councillor, not a stranger to controversy or the odd temper tantrum in council chambers, is most recently in hot water for an email he sent to city...
Emotions run high during Ajax Mine meeting, but outbursts kept at bay
KAMLOOPS - The packed conference room at the Coast Hotel played host to one of the more civil meetings held in regards to the proposed Ajax Mine. About 500 people packed the City of Kamloops town hall meeting Monday, Sept. 28, and while there were no protestrs and no placards this time around a large...
City of Kamloops staff hope public will respect intention of Ajax meeting tonight
KAMLOOPS - The City of Kamloops already has a 20-page list of questions for consultants to look at while reviewing the Ajax Mine environmental application but staff still wants to hear from the public on any items they may have missed. KGHM submitted the environmental application for the proposed Ajax Mine earlier this month and...
KGHM to officially pick up $300,000 tab for city review of Ajax Mine
KAMLOOPS - The company behind the proposed Ajax Mine has officially agreed to fund the city's independent review of the mine. In an informal meeting with Mayor Peter Milobar members of KGHM verbally agreed to to fund the entire $300,000 cost of the review and the city later sent a written request formally asking for...
Water restrictions end for Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - Annual water restrictions end today, Aug. 31, but Kamloops residents are still being asked to voluntarily restrict their water use. The mandated water restrictions run from May 1 through Aug. 31 every year and while the city recently asked residents to reduce their water use, Mike Firlotte, the city’s utility services manager, says the...
No fines for Kamloops residents who throw out recyclables
KAMLOOPS – Residents who are unable, or unwilling, to store their recyclables will not be fined by the city for tossing them in the trash. While not encouraging this, the city will not be taking measures to fine offenders. Public Works Director Jen Fretz says the city’s position continues to be for residents to store...
General Grants feeling the fall out from Emterra strike
KAMLOOPS – The recycling is piling up in Kamloops as the Emterra Environmental strike enters its fifth week. While people have been asked to store what they can, the balconies and garages of residents are no competition for the influx General Grants in Sahali is currently seeing. “I had 26 pallets, and they left four...
UPDATE: Overlanders Bridge project forces Summit ramp closure
KAMLOOPS – If summer construction hasn’t affected your commute yet, then get prepared for the next three weeks. The the south exit ramp to Summit Drive will be closed as of Monday, July 27 until approximately mid-August. This is the newest phase of construction on the bridge project, which began April 20. It was originally...
Sewage dumped in river puts city officials in hot water
KAMLOOPS – Not only was there a sewage spill last year, but the city did…
City floats idea of more traffic cameras as bridge set to go down to two lanes
KAMLOOPS – The traffic cameras monitoring congestion during the construction on Overlanders Bridge have been so popular the city is considering adding more. Construction began on the bridge earlier this month and the city ensured the webcams were up and running before construction started to help monitor traffic. Public Works Director Jen Fretz says so...
Fast melt following massive snow a concern
KAMLOOPS - The next challenge the city could face following this week's snow storm is coping with rapid melting as temperatures rise. It has been more than 87 years since Kamloops has seen two-day snowfall amounts nearing the 40 centimetre mark and the storm had city crews scrambling to keep up earlier this week. The...
Tranquille business owners concerned about bridge repairs
NECESSARY REPAIRS COULD CLOSE MORE BUSINESSES KAMLOOPS - Concerns about traffic flow, loss of business and costs were all aired at an open house discussing the Overlanders Bridge construction project Thursday night but most everyone at the meeting agreed it is a project that needs to be done. Steven Puhallo of the North Shore Business...
Preview of Overlanders Bridge project plans
SET FOR SPRING CONSTRUCTION KAMLOOPS - Resurfacing of the Overlanders Bridge was originally set to take place in 2014 but when it was realized the sidewalk needed work too the project was put off a year. Now the city is ready to move ahead and will be hosting an open house to share the design...
Heavy snow falls on Kamloops, rain on way
TRAFFIC STRUGGLING ON STEEP ROADS KAMLOOPS - Heavy snow has caused traffic backups this morning in Kamloops but no major problems, according to the city, RCMP and the school district. A light rain began at the airport around 5 p.m. Tuesday, with light snow falling in the valley much of the night. At higher elevations,...
Trails at Peterson Creek closed due to flooding
KAMLOOPS – The Billy Miner Trail at Peterson Creek Park has been closed since last week when a flash-flood damaged walkways. The City is now working to repair the trails and assess the level of damage. Hikers are asked to respect signs and temporary re-routing to existing trails. The access road beside Escape Trail is...
Downtown intersection set to reopen
KAMLOOPS - After a year delay and several months of construction the work connecting access to Riverside Park and the downtown core is nearly complete. Last summer a the city backed off the project because the cost was higher than anticipated and money wasn't available in the capital plan budget to cover it. When it finally resumed,...
Garbage fees going up
KAMLOOPS - If you bring a load of garbage to the landfill you will be looking at higher fees but it should have little impact on the average homeowner who has garbage picked up curb side. Public Works Director Jen Fretz said the hope is increased fees will help divert waste, but it is also...