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KAMLOOPS THIS WEEK THURSDAY
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DECEMBER 24, 2015 | Volume 28 No. 154
$600,000 to engage public ANDREA KLASSEN
STAFF REPORTER
andrea@kamloopsthisweek.com
November’s budget meetings may have attracted only a handful of Kamloopsians, but city staff say the number of residents they have reached this year — and the number of dollars spent to do so — are up. Public-engagement activities cost the city more than $600,000 in 2015, according to a report to city council. In 2014, the city spent about $150,000. Both figures include staff time spent on outreach projects. Businesses and client services manager Tammy Robertson said two projects accounted for more than half the costs: The months-long rehabilitation of Overlanders Bridge and the performing-arts centre referendum, the $160,000 budget of which is considered public consultation. Overlanders outreach, which included multiple webcams, weekly online reports to the public and a trio of open houses, cost another $150,000. Robertson said more than 20,000 participants took part in outreach activities in 2015. That number does not include the 22,294 votes in the Nov. 14 arts-centre referendum or 12,000 school children who received presentations from the city on sustainability. By comparison, the city counted 4,699 participants in 2014. The number of public-engagement activities was also up, to 307 in 2015 from 186 in 2014. Robertson said open houses at which the city was able to add a “fun factor,” such as food demonstrations linked to this year’s urban-agricultural consultations, were more popular with the public. While budget meetings didn’t have that same draw, Robertson said she has spoken with colleagues in other cities across the country who report they also can’t seem to get the public out to their meetings. “That is the anomaly for most communicators in government,” she said, adding the city is looking for ways to make budget meetings more appealing in 2016. “And to ask those folks who aren’t coming out, who don’t feel engaged, what would it take?”
’Tis the season . . . Welcome to the first of two Christmas-themed editions of Kamloops This Week. As is our annual tradition, we have reserved these two editions — today’s paper and the Dec. 25 publication — to feature Christmas stories and Christmas drawings from our loyal readers. The above work of art is courtesy of eight-year-old Kate Reid. More drawings and the always-entertaining Christmas stories can be found amid the regular news and sports in today’s newspaper and in the Dec. 25 publication of KTW. We hope you enjoy the creations of your fellow readers.
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