Williams Lake city council passed a resolution aimed at addressing safety concerns at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex (CMRC).
The lengthy resolution includes declaring and communicating with the public the CMRC is not a warming shelter, and will also make official some work the staff had already set in motion by requesting RCMP increase patrols of the CMRC, having bylaw officers attend more regularly and beginning the process of hiring a security contractor.
The resolution was brought forward as a late addition to the agenda by Coun. Scott Nelson and came after two reportedly challenging weekends at the complex for both staff and visitors.
“We have a very very serious problem," said Nelson, declaring the situation as it is puts teenagers and children at risk.
Gary Muraca, chief administrative officer for the city, said he was fielding calls while off at home on the weekends, referencing reports of people using drugs in the washrooms, pool users who were unruly and were so under the influence of drugs they were seen licking tiles near the hot tub and needles and other drug paraphernalia being found in and around the complex.
"This has been escalating for the last couple weekends," said Muraca, noting additional measures are important to help ensure the safety of staff and users of the facility.
Coun. Michael Moses and Coun. Sheila Boehm both supported the motion, after Moses asked clarification questions regarding the intent of the proposed resolution.
Moses referenced last week's discussions around a lack of public washrooms in the adjacent Boitanio Park and the city's direction for people to use the washrooms at CMRC during the winter, and was satisfied when Muraca said people can still use the washrooms as they are intended. Mark Savard of the Cariboo Disc Golf Club asked the city to provide washrooms for people to prevent them leaving human waste and toilet paper in the park.
With only four members of council present at the meeting, Coun. Flaspohler was the only councillor to vote against the resolution, noting she supported the intent to increase enforcement of people causing issues and saw the work was already underway to address safety and security but had concerns around the wording.
"I cannot make a policy statement that eliminates the complex as a warming centre. Those are two different things," she said. "If in the future it is -35 and someone was found frozen to death outside or near that facility and they never used it because of that policy statement, I couldn't live with that."
She also wanted more information on the hours of the other warming shelters Nelson referred to in his statement, which vulnerable people would be redirected to.
Nelson defended the resolution, even if much of the content of it was already taking place, calling it a "bold statement."
“I think we’re trying to make a statement to the community that we’re hearing their concerns,” he said.
Muraca said the costs to the city are not yet known but are already adding up through the additional bylaw staff time, RCMP time taking them away from addressing other criminal behaviour, but will become more apparent once the city hires additional security.
After the meeting, Nelson said he will leave it to staff to work out the details of how to enforce the resolution and not target vulnerable persons unfairly.
The resolution in full provided by Nelson was: "Effective immediately, the warming centre located at the Cariboo Memorial Complex be cancelled immediately; and further council request staff to hire additional security to assist in safety and to assist in communicating this is no longer a warming centre; and further the RCMP and the various organizations and agencies be informed that this location is closed as a warming centre effective immediately and request an increase of RCMP patrols at the complex; and further we thank the Salvation Army, Canadian Mental Health Association, Norther Shuswap Tribal Council, Interior Health, All Nations Healing Centre for continuing with their warming locations."
Coun. Jazmyn Lyons, Coun. Angie Delainey and Mayor Surinderpal Rathor were not at the meeting.
