Parkade foes expect to count more than 7.500 names this week

Dale Bass - Kamloops This Week Published: October 01, 2011 7:00 PM 
When the numbers are added up on Tuesday, Oct. 4, it's likely the counter-petition being organized to oppose the city's decision to borrow money to build a parkade in the Lorne Street parking lot adjacent to Riverside Park will be well above its goal of 7,500 names.  Bob Gamble of Friends of Riverside Park, which has been circulating the petition, said dozens of sheets with names were handed over to the group at the Kamloops Farmers' Market on Saturday, Oct. 1. Just days before, Gamble said the group had collected signatures from at least 10 per cent of Kamloops voters (6,533), the threshold needed for the alternative-approval process counter-petition to be successful and force city council to either rescind the borrowing bylaw or hold a referendum.  The 7,500 figure was set to ensure there are still enough names on the documents, should any be ruled invalid by the city when it reviews the petition later this month.  The signatures collected by Friends of Riverside Park do not include any signatures collected at city hall.  On Aug. 30, council gave final approval to a bylaw to borrow $8 million to build the two-level, 350-stall structure at  the site of  the ground-level parking lot in the park just south of Heritage House.  Deadline for signing the petition is Oct. 11.  If the counter-petition is successful, and if council decides to  go to referendum, the cost would be approximately $90,000. A referendum cannot be held in conjunction with the Nov. 19 civic election as the Aug. 31 deadline to add such measures to the ballot has passed.