MAYOR AND COUNCIL
Much of the news around mayor and council in the past month has taken place at the courthouse, rather than city hall.
O’REILLY RESPONDS
A B.C. Supreme Court petition to disqualify Coun. Mike O’Reilly from his office will be heard in March. A group of 10 petitioners is alleging that O’Reilly is in a conflict of interest as the CEO of Comet Industries, which is developing a plot of land approximately four kilometres from the site of a new arena multiplex in Dufferin.
In a court-filed response from O’Reilly, the councillor said he didn’t stand to gain financially from the development, and that the petitioners have not shown any evidence of that. The claim will be heard on March 10.
MAYOR DEFERS SUIT HE STARTED
Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson was scheduled to represent himself in court in late January as part of his defamation suit against Coun. Katie Neustaeter, but the mayor filed an application to adjourn the case due to lack of funds and preparation. The mayor parted ways with a second lawyer on the case in December and has represented himself since, but now plans to once again hire a lawyer.
The case concerns a statement read out by Neustaeter at a city hall media event in 2023, in which the councillor read a group statement that called out the mayor’s “violations of personal and professional boundaries.” Hamer-Jackson claims the statement was false and defamatory and maliciously unspecific.
Future court dates remain unclear.
MAYOR’S TROUBLE MAY PROMPT CHANGE
Minister of Municipal Affairs Ravi Kahlon visited Kamloops in mid-January, bringing news that the province is considering new legislation affecting local governments.
Speaking with Castanet Kamloops, Kahlon pointed to Kamloops as a prime example where mayor and council are not co-operating.
Changes would likely revolve around municipalities’ codes of conduct, which may become mandated by the provincial government, rather than set locally. The removal or disqualification of those elected, however, is not being considered.
ARENA PLAN A GO
While the process is ultimately held up in court over a lawsuit concerning the city’s use of the alternate approval process, council has approved a design plan to build a four-rink arena multiplex in Dufferin. The city plans to borrow up to $135 million for the project.
POLICE MATTERS
While council considers approving a bylaw that would allow it to borrow up to $150 million for a new RCMP detachment, the decision has been made to defer the annual hiring of five officers in order to bring down the expected property tax rate increase.
At a committee of the whole meeting on Jan. 21, council opted to hire members later in 2025 than usual, which it determined would bring the property tax rate increase down to 7.49 percent.
PUBLIC INQUIRIES PAUSED
A two-month pause on public inquiries has been put in place by council, with plans to make changes to the process. A motion by Coun. Margot Middleton asked staff to bring recommendations on how inquiries should be handled in the future.
APARTMENTS APPROVED
A 128-unit rental building on Notre Dame Drive has been approved by council. The six-storey building will rise at 925 Notre Dame Dr. next to Petland. A&T Project Developments plans to demolish the building currently at that address.
Meanwhile, another A&T development was also approved by council in late January, but vociferous opposition to the project may put its future in peril.
While the new 120-unit build in the 2000-block of Glenwood Drive has been approved by council, neighbourhood organizers plan to mount a legal defense against it. A GoFundMe launched by Valleyview resident Craig Jefferson has raised $1,200 to date in order to fund a lawsuit against the city.