ROTHENBURGER – City’s nuisance properties bylaw is proving its worth
(Image: Mel Rothenburger)
IT’S A BIT RICH, to say the least, that the Kamloops Accommodation Association is grouching about the City’s crackdown on nuisance motels on Columbia Street West.
That particular area has been the subject of neighbourhood concerns centering on activity coming out of the motels. Parents of nearby Beattie elementary school kids, worried about public safety, have called for action to curb the crime that has been the cause of school lockdowns on a couple of occasions.
Some incidents have been violent, and drug activity has also been an issue. School District 73 took measures to improve security around the school, and the City’s nuisance designation of the hotels is another step.
Nine motels were deemed a nuisance due to “criminal activity” and “nuisance bylaws issues.”
Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.
Considering the impact upon the neighbourhood and school, something had to be done. There is a tipping point. As long as the safety and well being of the general public is under contract basis through payment of municipal taxes, we have to try a few different things to see what works best.