municipal politics
Parking rates not going up just yet
PUBLIC TO GET BREAK AFTER YEAR OF HICCUPS KAMLOOPS - A planned rate increase for downtown parking has been delayed a year because parking kiosks installed over summer failed on several occasions in the months that followed. Delays getting the kiosks installed and fully operational, followed by problems with the sequencing and screens, as well...
City asks permission to use land for waterpark, event centre
KAMLOOPS - The weather is cold outside but the city is looking ahead to warmer weather as staff continue to plan for the future of the Tournament Capital Ranch property — a future that could include a water park, exhibition centre, nature trail and picnic area in addition to agricultural uses. The nature trail and...
City spent nearly $1,300 for each person who attended budget meetings
THE HIGH COST OF TRYING TO INCREASE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT KAMLOOPS - The City spent nearly $60,000 trying to get citizens involved in budget discussions this year and only got 44 people to public meetings—or roughly $1,300 per person— and most councillors said that was too much. “$57,000 for 44 people to come to a budget...
Candidates have up to seven days to remove signs
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The elections are over but there are still some of those brightly-coloured election signs lying around. They should all be gone soon though, candidates are required to remove them by this weekend. The Ministry of Transportation has the strictest regulations, requiring signs to be removed the next working day after the general voting...
Candidates have up to seven days to remove signs
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The elections are over but there are still some of those brightly-coloured election signs lying around. They should all be gone soon though, candidates are required to remove them by this weekend. The Ministry of Transportation has the strictest regulations, requiring signs to be removed the next working day after the general voting...
STAHN: Why is voter turnout so low?
In Kamloops we saw voter turnout for the 2014 civic election hit just above the provincial average once again, this time with 33 per cent of voters taking to the polls. This was barely a 3.3 per cent increase over the 2011 civic election, which was a small increase over the 2008 election when we...
STAHN: Understanding what candidates really stand for
It can be hard to watch a new candidate stand up to speak about their vision for our city and why they think they are the best person for the job.
Gender neutral bathroom backed up a year
STAFF TO ASSESS NON-BUTT FREEZING OPTIONS KAMLOOPS - Staff looked at creating a family washroom at Riverside Park this year, but the project has faced a series of roadblocks, including the issue of a stainless steel seat not being ideal for Kamloops in January, and now the hope is to incorporate the new washroom into...
Budget meeting turnouts low
KAMLOOPS - Only about 40 people attended the two early budget meetings this week, quite a bit lower than last year. This year the city added an additional option to interact with staff during the meetings, online conferencing program TeamSpeak, but even with that and Twitter, Tammy Robertson says participation was still lower this year....
Multi-family developments on rise in Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - Requests to build more than 90 housing units were before council this week as developers look to move forward on projects around the city. Projects for the industrial area of McGill Road, on Tranquille Road in Brocklehurst, downtown Battle Street and Qu’Appelle Boulevard in Juniper Ridge were all up for discussion Tuesday. Council...
Budget meetings start now in Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - Last year the city decided to begin hosting budget meetings earlier than normal to help engage residents and separate the core budget from the additional requests. This year they are beginning even earlier — this week, in fact. City service levels will be up for discussion at two different sessions on Wednesday, Oct....
STAHN: Making Ajax an election issue
Ajax will be an issue in this local election campaign whether city council candidates want it to be or not, and whether the city really has any say or not. Enough members of the voting public are asking about it and even those candidates who are not willing to take a stance are making it...
Political cyber sabotage in Kelowna mayoral election campaign
KELOWNA – The RCMP are investigating after someone hacked former Kelowna mayor Sharon Shepherd’s old Twitter account. It appears someone used the Twitter account to attack the mayoral candidate’s reputation in an effort to discredit her. “Those who know me soon realized my previous accounts had been take over without my knowledge or permission, for...
ELECTION 2014: Who’s officially in the race to city hall so far
KAMLOOPS - With one week down and one more to go for candidates to file nomination papers we have already seen more than a dozen people officially throw their hats in the ring for a spot on city council. Three of the candidates are ones who had not previously declared their intent to run and...
STAHN: Who’s backing our candidates?
In this day and age, doesn't it seem wrong that we won't know who gave money to political candidates until the election is over? A couple of council candidates have already turned to online fundraising, and these platforms require at least some transparency, but the rest of the candidates are set to keep their backers...