EDITORIAL – Is this the year for a marquee Kamloops sign and other budget goodies?
(Image: City of Kamloops website)
An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.
WHAT DO YOU THINK of a big marquee style sign in Riverside Park somewhere near Sandman Centre?
Or how about better benches and planters in the North Shore shopping area?
No? How about speeding up work on cycling infrastructure?
Those are just a few of the proposals from within the community for additions to the City’s budget. Council sat down yesterday to hear details of the annual “supplementary” spending list in advance of the final budget being developed over the next few weeks.
A public information session is set for tonight at the McArthur Island Sports and Events Centre.
Councillors were surprisingly laid back about the idea of a marquee sign similar to what a few other cities have. If it gets a green light, it won’t actually get any lights due to its expected cost of $150,000, which is interesting since we usually associate marquee signs with lights.
It’s also interesting given the expected increase to this year’s budget, even though Tourism Kamloops and Communities in Bloom would share the cost.
Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops, alternate TNRD director and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
What do I think? Boo Hiss, terrible idea. There are signs at all entrances to the City saying “entering the City of Kamloops”. I’m 100% certain all folks driving here know where they are and do not need an expensive sign desecrating Riverside Park to tell them what they already know!! Is this $150,000 part of the budget which is already high enough to force a 5% tax hike this year? Everyone please attend the City’s Budget Presentation tonight (Feb 15) @ NK Sports Centre Lounge – McArthur Island. Make your opinion known!
I say lets dismiss the idea of a huge marquee sign, aka eye sore, lets not put more sleeping benches on the the North Shore and planters are nice but the gardeners will tell you they will get destroyed quickly as has happened in the past. How about fixing the streets and make walking in some areas safer? People don’t spend a lot of time sitting on benches on the North shore because sometimes the view is not so pretty especially along Tranquille road.
Maybe tidy up Fortune drive as it is the main artery from the airport. And what happened to the long touted beautification of Tranquille Rd from the airport?
Oh good gawd , all we need is another large sign on a concrete slab in Riverside Park. If you find yourself at Riverside Park surely you don’t need to be told you’re in Kamloops or at Riverside Park. How about leaving the park alone and let it be a park not an advertising corridor. Good gawd can’t we find a better use for $150 000?
Take a walk anywhere downtown and tell me with honesty if a $ 150,000 sign would do anything to spruce it up. To the managers and council I just like to say…get real!