EDITORIAL – Pettiness continues around the City council horseshoe

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.

THE PETTINESS around the Kamloops City council horseshoe knows, it seems, no bounds. When the council meets today (March 4, 2025) for its regular meeting, Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson’s report will be the last thing on the agenda before adjournment.

That’s because, during adoption of the minutes at the last meeting, Coun. Katie Neustaeter moved that the mayor’s report be moved to the bottom of meeting agendas for the next 607 days.

If you’re handy with a calculator, you’ll have figured out that 607 days is roughly the amount of time until the next civic election in October 2026.

The motion was seconded and Neustaeter provided no explanation for her motion. Neither were there any questions or debate from the other councillors. Hamer-Jackson asked, “Has it been discussed with council prior to this meeting?”

There was no answer. He asked twice more. Neustaeter finally replied that part of councillors’ job is “to communicate amongst each other” and to “build agreement.” Which was no answer at all.

“So the answer is yes,” said Hamer-Jackson.

The mayor was likely making the point that if councils get together in any form, over dinner, in an online chat or otherwise, and there’s a quorum present, such a gathering constitutes an official meeting and requires that minutes be kept.

This rule is to avoid council members skirting the restrictions around in-camera meetings by getting together unofficially for beers or wherever in order to avoid discussing something in public like they’re supposed to.

So what’s the point of moving the mayor’s report down the agenda? Hamer-Jackson has been a thorn in the side of councillors with his mayor’s reports, trying to use them to publicly litigate his various grievances over investigations that have been done into his conduct. To a point, it’s OK to do that if it relates to council business but he does overdo it, and it bugs the hell out of councillors.

Since anyone can remember, the mayor’s report has been in the middle of the agenda, between notices of motion and public inquiries, and just ahead of councillors’ reports. Today, Hamer-Jackson’s report follows those of councillors, just before adjournment. Being relegated to a spot below the rest of council adds insult to injury.

This will make it much easier for councillors and staff to walk out if they don’t like what he’s saying, without interrupting the meeting. I’m sure councillors, if they were to explain themselves (but they won’t, preferring to remain silent), would say it’s for procedural efficiency, but it sure looks like just another shot at the mayor.

Speaking of Neustaeter, a column she wrote for Castanet is going over like crap cakes with a lot of folks on social media. The column, headlined “New facilities will help make Kamloops a can’t-miss destination” is a defence of the alternative approval process used to get borrowing authority for a new performing arts centre and ice rink.

It begins by describing a trip the councillor and her “banker husband” took to Kelowna for a concert. The point was that Kelowna gets entertainment events Kamloops doesn’t because Kelowna has better facilities.

But her references to those who opposed either the arts centre or ice rink, or the approval process, are what has raised hackles. She write about a conversation with “someone who has vocally opposed any healthy growth in Kamloops,” and about “negative voices” and people who are “angry with life and visionless for our city.”

Such tone-deaf comments are exactly what I was writing about a week or so ago in regard to Coun. Kelly Hall’s remarks after the City’s use of the AAP was validated in court. Councillors really must stop the put-downs of anyone who disagrees with how they’re doing things.

After all, they represent all city residents, whatever their viewpoints.

Mel Rothenburger is a former regular contributor to CFJC-TV and CBC radio, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Webster Foundation Commentator of the Year finalist. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor.  He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.