It looks like Kamloops Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson has a new office, but it’s not at city hall.
The mayor said he intends to meet with members of the public at the auto dealership he owns, TRU Market Auto. But he said he has no intention of doing city business or storing city documents inside the building, 260 West Victoria St.
Coun. Dale Bass, deputy mayor for the month of November, told Castanet Kamloops the mayor has been informed he is not allowed to conduct city business or retain city documents at TRU Market Auto.
Bass said anyone who wants a meeting with the mayor will be booked by the executive assistant for his new office at city hall because that is the location he should be doing official city business.
She said safety and liability complications arise if the mayor is meeting people on city business in an office that does not belong to the city.
“Who’s liable?” Bass said. “Is he acting as mayor because he’s holding a meeting there as mayor? The risk factor alone there is so convoluted.”
As a hypothetical example, Bass said it’s unclear who would be liable in the event someone meeting with the mayor had their vehicle damaged at TRU Auto Market, noting the mayor has complained in the past about vandalism and other nuisance behaviour around his property.
‘This is a free country’
“it’s not dangerous for you to meet the mayor at his business,” Hamer-Jackson told Castanet Kamloops.
As an auto dealer, he said he is not permitted to conduct any other business out of his office on West Victoria Street. He said the Vehicle Sales Authority of BC could take his license if he did.
“So no, I will not be doing business other than car business, [but] I will be talking to people,” he said. “I’ll be discussing people’s concerns.”
He said he intends to meet with people in his vehicle, at their homes, at their businesses, coffee shops and at 260 Victoria Street West.
“I will meet them wherever they want to meet,” Hamer-Jackson said.
“This is a free country. I can meet them wherever I want.”
The mayor said he would “100 per cent” not take city documents to his business on West Victoria Street.
“I’m not taking documents down there,” Hamer-Jackson said.
He said he typically signs off on documentation at city hall.
“I don’t know where I’m going to get them now, because I’m locked out,” he said.
Mayor refuses to move
Council ordered the mayor move out of his official, main floor office to a new space set up in an unused boardroom in the basement of city hall.
The decision was made to separate Hamer-Jackson from staff after what council says have been substantiated staff bullying complaints against him — including four WorkSafe BC grievances.
Hamer-Jackson was also ordered to move his personal effects out of the office by Oct. 22, but to date has not. He said he is also refusing to move to the new space the city has set up for him, citing that the space is not handicap accessible nor did he did want additional monies spent on such an endeavour.
Bass has said the money has already been spent and the renovations were minor. She’s also said the mayor can meet people who have mobility issues in a main floor council office.
While Hamer-Jackson’s movements in city hall have been restricted, the city’s interim chief administrative officer Byron McCorkell told Castanet Kamloops he still has access to council chambers, the main lobby, his new office and a meeting room at city hall.
McCorkell said this week that key fob access to doors leading to the mayor’s old office has been changed, leaving Hamer-Jackson locked out.
McCorkell said if the mayor has personal effects to remove from the office he has to make arrangements to move them.
Bass said the mayor is technically allowed to access the locked first-floor office, but only with a council escort — something he has so far refused to do. She said the escort requirement is “due to four WorkSafe BC investigations.”
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