Thompson-Nicola Regional District board directors will now have to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to appear in person at board meetings.
The board has voted 18-8 in favour of implementing the policy, which was introduced via a notice of motion Jan. 20 by Area A (Wells Gray Country) director Carol Schaffer.
The motion, which passed at the Feb. 3 public meeting, now requires board members entering the TNRD workplace and attending TNRD board meetings in person be fully vaccinated. Those who are not fully vaccinated may still participate in meetings by video.
Cache Creek Mayor Santo Talarico, who told KTW in October that he was not vaccinated against COVID-19, has been a vocal opponent of vaccine mandates for regional politicians, but made no comments during debate on the motion.
Area P (Rivers and Peaks) director Mel Rothenburger said he wasn’t opposed to the mandate, but questioned how useful it was as the board already practices having unvaccinated directors attend meetings via Zoom.
Schaffer said she felt the motion shows leadership, noting a vaccine mandate for TNRD staff is currently “on hold” and that without it, unvaccinated directors could still attend meetings.
“There’s nothing stopping them, it’s just a practice,” Schaffer said.
Clinton director Susan Swan questioned why board members should be obligated to be vaccinated when members of he public do not have to be vaccinated to enter TNRD buildings.
TNRD corporate officer Deanna Campbell answered, saying the guidance from the public health officer is that the regional district cannot force the public to be vaccinated.
“It’s their right be able to access their public officials and access a board or a council meeting,” Campbell said.
Supporting the vaccination motion were Kamloops directors Dale Bass, Arjun Singh, Ken Christian, Dieter Dudy and Kathy Sinclair, Barriere Mayor Ward Stamer, Merritt Mayor Linda Brown, Logan Lake Mayor Robin Smith, as well as directors Schaffer, Rothenburger, Bill Kershaw (Lower North Thompson), David Laird (Beautiful Nicola Valley-North), Herb Graham (Beautiful Nicola Valley-South), Jan Polderman (Lytton), Ken Gillis (Grasslands), Ronaye Elliott (Copper Desert Country), Sally Watson (Bonaparte Plateau) and Stephen Quinn (Thompson Headwaters).
Opposed to the vaccination motion were Talarico, Ashcroft Mayor Barbara Roden, Clearwater Mayor Merlin Blackwell, Sun Peaks Mayor Al Raine and directors Swan, Steven Rice (Blue Sky Country) and Mike O’Reilly (Kamloops).
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