New voters society wants transparency at city hall

Jeremy Deutsch - Kamloops This Week Published: April 15, 2011 3:00 PM
They came demanding more transparency from city hall — and the lightning rod for their passion is the proposed parkade in Riverside Park.  A crowd of about 70 residents attended the inaugural meeting of the Kamloops Voters Society at Interior Savings Centre on Thursday night (April 14).  It was a fitting location, given it is only a few metres from the biggest issue discussed at the meeting — the proposed parkade.  A number of people in attendance spoke out against the project and the way in which the city has handled the process.  Derek Cook, a founding director of the Kamloops Voters Society and a professor at Thompson Rivers University, said there is a perceived lack of transparency at city hall and that administration is not consulting with residents.  He said the parkade is a significant issue for which the society wants to provide people with a forum to express their views and share information.  "That's what democracy is about, allowing people to express their opinion," Cook said, warning that council shouldn't be quick to dismiss different points of view.  Residents attending the meeting said they were also concerned with the speed of the parkade-approval process, with some suggesting the outcome of the project is a forgone conclusion.  However, Kamloops Coun. Jim Harker, who was also in attendance, countered the parkade is not a done deal, adding he still hasn't made up his mind on the issue.  Harker said the society can write a letter to council. asking that a decision on the parkade be delayed. Council has May 3 as the date for the vote on the parkade proposal. By the end of the meeting, about 20 people signed up to become members of the society.  The society considers itself a non-partisan group interested in promoting civic engagement and awareness about issues in the city.  Other directors of the Kamloops Voters Society include city residents Chris Ortner, Bob Gamble, Francis Dwyer and Diane James.
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Also read  Public to get say on parkade in the park