Committee of the Whole Meeting–May 13, 2025

City Hall front exterior

Transit Fare Review

Nii Noi Akuetteh, the City's Transportation Engineer, provided the Committee of the Whole with a summary of four fare structure options outlined in the Transit Fare Review Study, which sought to enhance cost-recovery in the Kamloops Transit System while ensuring alignment with BC Transit’s recommended fare guidelines.  

  • Option 1 offers a minimal fare increase, maintaining affordability for most users. It generates approximately $240,000 in revenue, which may not sufficiently address rising operational costs or inflation. The ridership impact is low, with a potential 5% decrease.
  • Option 2 generates higher revenue, approximately $360,000, enhancing financial flexibility for transit improvements and expansions. However, the higher fare increase may reduce ridership by 7%, which is a moderate and manageable impact.
  • Option 3 aligns fare increases with peer systems, ensuring financial sustainability and alignment with industry standards. It generates approximately $730,000 in revenue, enhancing the transit system's financial health for improvements and expansions. However, the steep increase may require support measures for riders, as it is projected to result in a 13% decline in ridership, equating to a loss of approximately 550,000 rides.  
  • Option 4 schedules fare increases every two years, in a tiered fashion, until 2029, offering predictability and minimizing sudden impacts on riders. This approach ensures a steady revenue stream, aligns with budget cycles, and requires long-term planning and communication. Coordination with interest holders will be essential for the smooth implementation and careful management to address cumulative ridership impacts. 

The Committee of the Whole recommend that Council approve Option 4 and authorize staff to work with BC Transit to implement the approved transit fare structure for September 2025. This recommendation will come forward at a future regular Council meeting for further discussion and decision.

Emergency Management and Seasonal Preparedness Update

Ty Helgason, the City's Emergency Preparedness Manager, and Greg Wightman, the City's Utility and Environmental Services Divisional Manager, provided the Committee of the Whole with an update on emergency management and seasonal preparedness.

In 2024, Kamloops made substantial strides in emergency preparedness, with a focus on resilience, education, and collaboration. Key initiatives included hiring a FireSmart Liaison, launching an Extreme Heat Response Plan, and activating both heat and cold weather response protocols. While public swimming proved a popular cooling method during heat events, centralized cooling centres saw low usage. The City’s Drought Response Plan, adopted in early 2024, introduced year-round water use restrictions and gained recognition province wide. Emergency Support Services volunteers contributed over 8,600 hours, supporting wildfire evacuees and Level 1 incidents. A new Community Fuels Management Incentive program was launched in April 2025.

In the year ahead, Kamloops will continue to enhance its emergency management strategies, aligning with updates in provincial legislation and integrating Indigenous knowledge into planning efforts. A Recovery Committee is being created to initiate post-disaster recovery planning during emergency responses. Seasonal preparedness teams remain active, monitoring snowpack and climate data to respond to threats from flooding, drought, and wildfire. The City is piloting a targeted Heat Response Pass for vulnerable populations and will no longer open large-scale cooling centres due to cost and inefficiency. New evacuation route tours and mapping efforts are underway, with a focus on community education and preparedness. The Emergency Operations Centre now operates with a rotating director model and mentorship program to build capacity and ensure rapid activation. Coordination and communication protocols between Council, the Emergency Operations Centre, and the public have been clarified to support effective, timely responses during emergencies.

Proposed Fees and Charges Bylaw

Denise Anderson, the City's Deputy Corporate Officer, provided the Committee of the Whole with the City’s proposed new Fees and Charges Bylaw.

The City collects fees for various services, including film permits, development applications, and entrance to City facilities. Currently, these fees are listed in many different bylaws. When staff looked into how other municipalities establish their fees, they discovered that most have a single comprehensive fees and charges bylaw, making it easier for the public and City staff to find and understand the fees. With senior management’s support, staff created the City’s own Fees and Charges Bylaw.

As part of this work, staff reviewed the City’s fees and compared them with those in other communities. They found that fees from 19 separate bylaws and three Council policies could be moved into this new bylaw. At Council's direction, two bylaws could be repealed completely because their only purpose was to list fees, and two Council policies could be rescinded.