The City of Kamloops says allegations on social media that claim the settlement with CUPE Local 900 over the creation of the CSO program will cost between $3-million and $5-million are false.

“I am aware of some of the conversation on the street by those that know more than everybody else, that this was going to cost $3 or $5 million, and I can say categorically that this was a fraction of that,” Deputy CAO Byron McCorkell said, on NL Newsday.

McCorkell – who led the restructuring as Community and Protective Services Director before being promoted last October – told Radio NL that he is not able to disclose the exact amount, because of a non-disclosure agreement with the union.

“It took a couple of days and we worked through all the issues. The resolution is a common sense one, its a cost effective once,” McCorkell said.

“It’s basically one that we are able to accommodate within our current labour management issues as far as our budget and we have contingencies in our budget around labour issues.”

McCorkell said “there is no need to ask City Council for more money” because there are reserve funds and contingencies in place, meant for labour issues that might arise.

“We have contingencies built into our operations through reserves and risk accounts and so this was treated through that process and we have it accommodated,” McCorkell said. “There should be no need to go ask for any more money because it was handled in our risk file.”

Speaking to Radio NL in November last year, David Hallinan, the City’s Corporate Services Director, said part of the budgeting strategy is that to “make certain” that the City has an “adequate” level of reserves set aside.

“Once all that work is completed and we have an amount, we’ll take a look at whether or not that properly fits into a reserve,” Hallinan said, when asked about the settlement with CUPE. “We do have a risk reserve which is designed to help mitigate against one time claims costs or one time issues such as these.”

“I don’t think its something we’ll have to bring into the budget and impact the ratepayers going forward.”

CUPE Local 900 President Ken Davis told Radio NL that he thinks his members will be “happy” with the agreement, though he too declined to provide specifics, citing confidentiality rules.

“The whole thing is essentially worked out,” Davis told Radio NL. “What I can tell you is that through mediation, the parties – so us and the employer – have come to a resolve on all outstanding matters, so everything that was covered under the arbitration. As far as we’re concerned here, we’re looking to put this behind us.”

“I can’t speak to the numbers. I wish I could, but I can’t,” Davis added, when asked about the cost implications.

The union filed for arbitration in 2020 following the restructuring of the former Kamloops bylaws department, a move that affected 32 employees – the majority of whom either found new jobs elsewhere with the City, left with severance pay, or chose to retire.

Last August, arbitrator Andrew Sims ruled that while the City had the right to restructure its bylaws department, it violated its collective agreement with the union, by including probation in new job descriptions, by altering shift work, and by bringing in a new physical fitness test.

In his ruling – which was upheld by the BC Labour Relations Board following an appeal by the City – Sims also dismissed CUPE’s claim that it had a contractual right to resist the creation of a new position and to arbitrate the issue if there was an impasse.

CSO program to forge ahead

McCorkell says its unfortunate that the restructuring was not “perfect”, noting it was done to allow officers to better respond to issues like crime and social disorder.

But with the four-year long labour dispute over, he says the CSO program can now move forward under the leadership of Fire Chief Ken Uzeloc, who is also serving as Protective Services Director.

“The whole CSO program has taken a bad rap because of this cloud in some of the conversations on the street,” McCorkell said. “What we were trying to do is take a position of a bylaw officer and give them the ability to provide services for the concerns that the community currently has.”

McCorkell says the “number one” issue the City hears about is concerns with people who are on unhoused and on the streets, “and the concerns that those situations raise.”

“That is not a bylaw issue,” McCorkell said. “Bylaws pertain to property and folks on the street are not property.”

“As well provincial legislation has changed things. Loitering is not illegal, panhandling is not illegal, open use of drugs is not illegal, overnighting in a park in not illegal. There is no enforcement role there but what there is need for is a community educator. Someone to come in and support and provide assistance to businesses and residents as well as the folks on the street.”

McCorkell said the CSO program was designed to create an officer who is capable of providing that outreach and support to people on the street, as well as enforcement, where needed. It was well received by former Kamloops RCMP Superintendent, Syd Lecky, prior to his departure in late 2022.

McCorkell says the City will continue to push for more supports as part of the plan to get Peace Officer status for CSO officers, a move that Kamloops RCMP Superintendent Jeff Pelley is on board with.

“It is working extremely well, McCorkell said of the program, noting the CSO department is getting upwards of 24,000 calls for service a year, three-times the roughly 7,000 calls that were going to the former bylaw department six years ago.

“Our folks are out there doing their jobs as best they can in very difficult circumstances. We’re very proud of them all.”