The new Kamloops city council was officially sworn in on Nov. 2, including five new faces who will sit around the horseshoe. But at the last meeting of the previous term, four outgoing councillors took time to reflect.
Couns. Nancy Bepple, Dale Bass, Bill Sarai, and Stephen Karpuk were not re-elected in the Oct. 17 municipal election.
Former mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson, also not re-elected, did not attend council’s final meeting. The former mayor had indicated ahead of time that he would not be in attendance following a heart attack in October.
Coun. Stephen Karpuk, who was deputy mayor at Tuesday’s meeting, pointed to several matters he hopes the next council will tackle, including continued advocacy for a Red Bridge replacement, continued collaboration with Tk̓emlúps Te Secwépemc, more FireSmart work, and a new meeting space for council.
Karpuk also called to maintain Kamloops’ involvement with the Southern Interior Local Government Association (SILGA) and Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).
“I know my colleagues who are going forward will do that with the help of staff, I just think that bar can be raised so much higher to get more for this deserving community,” he said.
Sarai reflected on his start as a councillor and the stewardship of former mayor Ken Christian, who helped steer the city through the COVID-19 pandemic.
The two-term councillor said he hopes council will support further development of airport lands, saying there is “a lot of potential out there,” and calling for transit all the way to the terminal.
Like Karpuk, Sarai also called for continued involvement with SILGA, for which he previously served as vice-president and president.
“Please get on that board. I think the Interior — as you can see with our newly elected premier, we’re going to have some power now,” he said.
Bass said a recent drive through the city prompted her to reflect and be proud of the work council accomplished, pointing to new housing developments like Gill Estates Apartments, City Gardens and the old Tournament Inn site, as well as the Kamloops Centre for the Arts and Curling and Racquet Sports Complex.
“For all those people that said we did nothing over the past term, that’s a hell of a lot of stuff that happened, that we approved,” she said. “Keep doing it.”
Bepple opened her comments by saying that local government is “long game.”
“When we achieve something, it’s because council, staff, community and business are all working together,” she said.
Bepple also pointed to the importance of being persistent in local government. She said she raised the issue of a long-sought sobering centre on a previous council term, which was picked up by Coun. Bass in the two more recent council terms.
“Now, somebody else on council has to carry that weight forward,” she said.
Bepple acknowledged the major projects accomplished by council, like the senior’s centre and KCA, but said advocacy work with individuals, like securing HandyDART service or ensuring disabled parking spots get cleared of snow, has felt just as important.
“That gets me through these council meetings,” she said.
As an outgoing councillor, Karpuk concluded the meeting by thanking city staff and fellow councillors, lastly acknowledging new mayor O’Reilly.
“Trust this guy. I think he has the open mind and collaboration with those of my peers that are going to stick with you this next term, he’s going to be a great mayor.”