City of Kamloops Annual Report 2010

Good Governmentimproving ourorganization andcitizens’ quality of lifeEmergency responseexercises prepare city staffAs an integral partner in facilitating safetymeasures during an emergency situation,the City focused efforts in 2010 on practicingemergency operation proceduresacross various municipal departments.Because of the number of forest fires inthe region in the past few years, the Citytook advantage of funding through theJoint Emergency Preparedness Programto ramp up training protocol and procedures,and to update equipment. Duringa true emergency, various first-respondersand provincial organizations such as theBC Fire Service have an immediate role toplay in an incident itself, while the City’sEmergency Management Program focuseson what comes next. Several departmentsparticipated in a Kamloops Fire and Rescueday-long fire simulation exercise in Erin Valleylast spring, to practice management ofevacuations, communications, and supportservices. This preparation proved valuablewhen an interface wildfire broke out in anearby area a few weeks later.Uji delegation enjoys 20thcelebration with sister cityKamloops has enjoyed more than twodecades of sharing in the benefits ofsocial, cultural and education opportunitieswith its sister city, Uji, Japan. To markthe 20th anniversary, the City hosted agroup of 24 Uji representatives who weretreated to a multi-day cultural celebration.The delegation, including Mayor IsamuKubota, two city councillors and 18 citizens,were involved in a formal presentation atCity Hall, then took part in a tour of theMcQueen Lake Environmental EducationCentre, Tournament Capital Centre, TRUHorticulture Gardens and the SecwepemcMuseum. The group also traveled to SunPeaks and were able to enjoy Canada Daycelebrations at Riverside Park as well as thegrand opening of the Kamloops Children’sMuseum on July 1.Online business licenseprocess increases efficiencyA City move to implement online creditcard payment options for business licensepurchases and renewals has taken whatwas once a multi-day process and boiledit down to minutes. Since November,businesses can purchase or renew licensesthrough the “MyCity” online portal and havetheir payments processed right away. Futureplans for further streamlined improvementsinclude an online business licenseapplication form that can be filled in andsent with the credit card payment.City honours dedicated citizensWhat does it mean to make a positivedifference in our community? For fivespecial people who were honoured atthe Distinguished Service and Freemanof the City Awards in 2010, it coversa scope of kindness and good deeds,from haunted-house fundraising forthe food bank to volunteering timefor hospital and healthy-communityevents to involvement in local serviceclubs, furthering cultural initiatives andsupporting sport and recreation at alllevels. Sue Adams, Jan Cook, Elizabeth(Liz) Lyne and Izzy McQueen were 2010’sDistinguished Service recipients, whilelongtime Kamloops resident and localbusinessman Ron Maguire received theFreeman of the City Award, the highestaward the municipality can bestowon a Kamloops resident. Criteria forDistinguished Service Awards includevolunteer service that contributes tothe well-being of Kamloops citizensand to the growth and developmentof the community, while the Freedomof the City is a designation awardedinfrequently and only with theunanimous support of the Mayor andCouncil Members.City of Kamloops Annual Report 2010 19