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Kamloops  

Hamer-Jackson delayed signing Campbell Avenue sale bylaw over discomfort with deal

Mayor refused to sign bylaw

Kamloops Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson delayed signing a bylaw related to the sale of a Campbell Avenue property to BC Housing — which was approved months ago by a council vote — because he said he wasn’t comfortable with the deal.

The situation was brought up during Tuesday’s city council meeting and sparked a heated discussion between Hamer-Jackson and several councillors, prompting Coun. Bill Sarai to leave the room briefly after a particularly terse exchange.

“We voted for something that you are supposed to carry out, and you didn't for personal reasons — makes us really look bad,” Sarai told Hamer-Jackson.

“BC Housing doesn't care about your personal opinion. They care about our integrity. We made a deal. It's a real estate deal. And you need to sign those papers.”

The 346 Campbell Ave. lot was purchased by the City of Kamloops, along with an adjacent property at 377 Tranquille Rd., for more than $7 million in 2021.

The city intended for the Tranquille Road site to be sold for market redevelopment and it earmarked the Campbell Avenue lot for social housing.

BC Housing has purchased Campbell Avenue for $3.7 million, and is planning to construct an 80-unit apartment building for low income families and seniors, which will be operated by ASK Wellness.

The bylaw in question authorized the City of Kamloops to enter into a housing agreement with BC Housing, and stipulated the units will be only used for affordable rental housing.

During the councillor’s reports section of Tuesday’s meeting, Coun. Dale Bass brought up the bylaw, which was adopted by council on March 14 and needed to be signed in the next week.

She asked the mayor, who is responsible for this task, why he hadn’t added his signature to the documents in question, noting under the Community Charter, the mayor must carry out the will of council.

Hamer-Jackson said he was concerned the city wouldn’t be making back the money it spent on the properties, especially as the former Duchess Hotel building on Tranquille Road is being demolished before it will be put up for sale.

He also said he was concerned ASK Wellness would eventually receive the Campbell Avenue lot as an asset.

(Hamer-Jackson was involved with a legal back-and-forth involving ASK Wellness and its CEO last fall, during which the agency suggested past comments he made about the non-profit have been defamatory.)

“I just feel that there's some way that the citizens of Kamloops, the City of Kamloops can have that as an asset," the mayor told Castanet Kamloops after the marathon council meeting.

"Because it's supposed to be seniors housing, that sort of thing — so why couldn't we have it as an asset but just hire a property manager?"

During the meeting, Sarai said he wanted to clear up information around the sale, adding he believed Hamer-Jackson was incorrect in saying the city was losing money on the properties.

“We sold the back piece of property [for] $4 million. We've got the front piece that's still valid and it's going to be worth a lot of money. The back piece is going to be seniors housing, single family and senior housing — something we desperately need. It is not on us who's going to run it,” Sarai said.

“What we need is senior and low income housing. And for you to sit here and say you checked into something you're not comfortable with, that is on you, Mr. Mayor. That is not on us.”

Hamer-Jackson asked staff if he could have the deputy mayor — a post currently held by Coun. Stephen Karpuk — sign the documents instead, and Corporate Officer Maria Mazzotta confirmed he could.

Coun. Katie Neustaeter said she was “tremendously uncomfortable” with that move.

“What we're learning is you're here, you're present, you have the documents in hand, you know that there's a financial risk to the city if you don't sign them,” she said.

“If we lose this sale it puts us in a horrifying position, let alone compromising our relationship with critical partners, which include in our community and outside of our community and the reputation that that holds.

“I think it needs to be addressed that executing the will of council is not whether you feel like it or agree with it — that is the job.”

Mazzotta told Hamer-Jackson that it is legally permissible for him to delegate the job of signing the bylaw, but clarified his signature isn’t an endorsement of the bylaw — it is simply an element of his job.

“Your opposition to this is clearly documented,” she said.

“OK, then I’ll sign it,” Hamer-Jackson replied.

Hamer-Jackson told Castanet Kamloops after the meeting he had already signed the papers and handed them over to the city’s legislative services division.

During the meeting, Coun. Stephen Karpuk noted he had to sign two other bylaws in place of the mayor, including documents pertaining to the recently adopted city tax rate and city council's new code of conduct.

Hamer-Jackson told council and staff he hadn’t been given the opportunity to sign those two bylaws, saying the documents usually come to him but hadn’t in this case.

Trawin said he would speak with staff to clarify what happened.



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