LETTER – Questions for council on seniors and ‘alternative approval’

At the most recent City council meeting, Tin Cup Kamloops representatives attempted to ask councillors some questions on the needs of seniors, and on the alternative approval process being used for the performing arts centre and ice rink projects. The questions were ruled out of order because the topics weren’t on the agenda of the meeting, so Diane Czyzewski said she would write a letter instead, which she has now done. The letter, which is published below, has been sent to individual members of council as well as Mayor and Council as a whole.

I had previously suggested the need for a seniors’ village, with a layout similar to that of Sun Rivers.

Seniors need a neighbourhood where they feel safe. (I offered to work with the City on planning it.)

They also need affordable places. According to the United Way B.C., our B.C. seniors are spending 78 per cent of their income on shelter alone.

So, seniors need affordable housing options that include apartments, townhouses, semi detached, and singled homes, as, at present, they have no options.

Seniors are one third of our population.

What is the City and our council currently doing about the seniors housing shortage?

What is presently being done to help our seniors, that are already struggling, keep from being added to our city’s homeless numbers?

How long are seniors waiting for low income or subsidized housing?

In the meantime — will homeless seniors be getting their own shelter? We’ve heard that, at present they are being placed in shelters with everyone else. This is unacceptable and must be addressed immediately.

What various services does the City offer our seniors?

Will the City be offering them free bus service, so they are able to go for medical appointments, or to buy groceries?

Is council aware that some seniors are struggling so much, they’re contemplating using MAID to end their suffering?

Who is in charge of seniors’ services for the city?

MEDICAL SERVICES — We had discussed the cancer centre at a prior council meeting. Since then, I found out about a small community of 2,657 people in Saskatchewan. That size, and they managed to attract 14 doctors!

What has our City and council been doing to attract doctors, including eye specialists, to our city?

AAP — I previously spoke of ‘WANTS’ and ‘NEEDS.’ While the AAP and arts centre were mentioned, so was the fact that many in our city cannot afford the increases in debt.

I suggested the community join forces, as they have in the past, for other projects, and fund raise, or have the facilities be ‘user pay.’

If you’ve seen various sites on Facebook, you’ve noticed how all of this has been affecting our citizens.

As long as we have no local newspapers, are no longer able to ‘share’ news articles on the internet, sites on Facebook have been removing voting information; and not everyone in our city has access to, or knowledge of, electronices. So, how do you guarantee that every Kamloops resident, that is eligible to vote, actually knows that the AAP is taking place, and know what it’s all about?

Have all seniors been informed? How are they expected to get the forms if they live in extended care centres?

What was the cost to taxpayers of the event that was hosted in the arts centre/ parking lot site?

How much is the cost of all the advertising for the arts centre and sportsplex?

Who decided who gets hired for the various contracts?

What are the criteria?

I look forward to your response to these very important questions.

Thank you.

DIANE CZYZEWSKI
Kamloops