Pair of Bass motions approved

Two motions from Coun. Dale Bass have been approved, concerning affordable childcare and extreme heat emergencies.

The approved childcare motion will see the city call upon the province to increase funding for the hiring of early childhood educators, support existing $10/day daycares, increase the number of $10/day daycares, build new facilities, and further fund the combination of childcare centres in schools.

Bass’ second motion heard on Oct. 7 concerns extreme heat emergencies. The motion was approved but modified from its first reading. The result means the city will call for targeted financial relief for low-income, seniors, and medically vulnerable people paying utility bills during an extreme heat emergency, as well as establish protocols for supporting residents.

Utility rates going up

Rates for sewer, water and solid waste will increase beginning in 2026.

The rate increase includes a 10 per cent increase for water and solid waste and a three percent increase for sanitary sewer fees.

In 2025, the average household paid $1,249 for water, sewer and solid waste removal. Beginning in 2026, that same average household will pay $1,370 after the increase.

Mayor pushed on possible conflict

Arpa Investments’ application to build a trio of residential buildings on Ord Road has been approved, but again stirred up conflict of interest concerns for the mayor by council.

Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson is currently suing Arpa partner Joshua Knaak. That prompted Coun. Nancy Bepple and others to ask for clarity prior to voting on the matter.

Hamer-Jackson said he has a legal opinion indicating he does not have a conflict of interest over the matter, as he had previously declared, but the city’s corporate officer, Maria Mazzotta, suggested the mayor is taking a risk.

“You are taking a gamble if you stay in the room on this,” Mazzotta told the mayor, when asked by council to clarify his position.

“Whoever your lawyer is, is going up in court against Reece Harding. That’s their decision they’re making right now, if you stay in the room.”

Third party investigator Reece Harding found Hamer-Jackson to be in conflict on the matter back in August, when a code of conduct complaint against him was substantiated.

Hamer-Jackson’s 2024 lawsuit against Knaak concerns statements the mayor says are defamatory, that he “grabbed” or “touched” Knaak’s wife inappropriately. Knaak denied the statements were defamatory in his response. None of the claims have been heard in court.

Council gets into the weeds

City staff will prepare a report on weeds to council, following a call from Coun. Margot Middleton to address vegetation in the city and clarify who is responsible for removing it.

Middleton said the problem is apparent just from driving around and that the city’s current approach “is not working particularly well.”

Middleton hopes to see a “clear delineation” for how weeds are controlled by the city and residents, and where the responsibility for clean up lies.

The report will look at existing service levels and provide information about how, or if, enforcement could take place for non-compliant properties.

Mayor calls for audit of housing non-profits

Debate on Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson’s latest motion consumed about two hours of council’s time on Nov. 4, with an amended version of the motion ultimately approved by council, who urged the mayor to take a collaborative approach to the matter.

The motion was for council to call upon the province to conduct an “independent performance audit” of all taxpayer-funded BC Housing harm reduction/”drug housing” facilities in Kamloops.

Several councillors took exception to the mayor’s use of the term “drug housing,” calling the language derogatory. Council also took exception to the mayor including himself as the spokesperson to “personally advocate” for the issue. Both the language and that clause were excised from the motion before it was approved.

The mayor, meanwhile, refused arguments that the province would not consider a request containing such language. The mayor said he preferred his version of the motion.

Coun. Bill Sarai, who was generally supportive of most of the motion, urged Hamer-Jackson to “team up” with other municipalities through bodies like the Southern Interior Local Government Association or the Union of B.C. Municipalities.

“You would get more traction,” Sarai said.

“I got to tell you something. I want this to happen now. I don’t want to go to other communities,” the mayor responded.

Coun. Margot Middleton later questioned whether or not the mayor was attempting to use the motion to “go after” social agencies with the audit.

“It is perhaps a little bit unwritten in that you’re still looking for someone to be blame-worthy on the issues you’ve seen escalate through our community,” Middleton said.

Despite that, Middleton said she would support the amended motion, saying it “doesn’t hurt to ask.”

Later in the meeting, just prior to the mayor’s report and adjournment, the motion was revisited again, changing the target of the audit from social agencies to the programming they are mandated to provide.

“We don’t want to target them [social agencies], they’re just doing what they’re told,” Coun. Dale Bass said on the later changes.

Sarai helping pilots

Coun. Bill Sarai put forward a motion that will put the city’s weight behind boosting the number of pilots being trained in the province.

Sarai’s motion calls for new supports for flight training, including bursaries, incentives and recognition as eligible for student loans. It also calls upon the federal government and related agencies to support more pilot training. The motion was passed on Nov. 4.

Third quarter crime stats shared

Calls for service for police and community service officers are up over the same period last year for seven corridors being tracked by council’s safety and security committee.

Community Services Officers (CSOs) responded to 1,458 calls for service in the third quarter of 2025, up from 1,076 in the third quarter of 2024.

RCMP, meanwhile, saw a modest increase in calls to 1,816 from last year’s 1,747.

Kamloops RCMP Supt. Jeff Pelley shared statistics showing an increase of 83 percent in criminal code investigation calls along part of the Tranquille corridor and a 49 percent increase in calls along the Notre Dame corridor, but also a 27 percent reduction in the Victoria St. corridor.

Pelley said overall, offences remain stable, with a two percent increase in calls in the third quarter. He also noted an ongoing reduction in break-and-enters to businesses and thefts from motor vehicles reaching a four-year low.

Top offences include shoplifting/theft under $5,000 (24 percent), causing a disturbance (14 percent) and mischief/disturbing lawful enjoyment of property (12 percent).