The Thompson Nicola Regional District has brought in a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all 26 directors.

At Thursday meeting, the board voted 18-8 in favour of implementing the policy. It will now require all board members entering the TNRD workplace and attending board meetings in-person be fully vaccinated.

Anyone who isn’t vaccinated will have to go about their business virtually.

Area P (Rivers and Peaks) Director Mel Rothenburger told his colleagues that he wasn’t opposed to the mandate, though he also questioned its usefulness.

“Director [Santo] Talarico is attending by Zoom. Whenever Director [Denis] Walsh is an alternate, he attends by Zoom. So we’re doing what is requested by the motion through practice.”

“[The motion] really will change nothing as to current practice.”

Area A (Wells Gray Country) Director Carol Schaffer, who introduced the policy as a notice of motion last month, encouraged her colleagues though to bring in the mandate for themselves.

“I just feel that we should be showing leadership and we should do it, because right now the staff has put a hold on it for now, but it can change at anytime,” she said. “I also think that if we don’t do this, then people that aren’t vaccinated have every right to come to the board meeting.”

“In a six month period, I think it is a going to become a moot point, but at this point, I think we should still go forward with the mandate for the board to show leadership.”

TNRD spokesperson Colton Davies told NL News that the decision to walk back the vaccine mandate for employees, contractors and volunteers was finalized during the week of Jan. 24.

“The decision was made by senior management members and took a wide range of input into account,” he said, noting the TNRD’s employee vaccination rate is approximately 98 per cent.

“The TNRD will provide sufficient notice of any future changes. We strongly encourage all of our staff, contractors and volunteers to take the steps to be vaccinated, which is the strongest measure for preventing serious illness of COVID-19 and reducing transmission.”

Clinton Director Susan Swan questioned why board members need to be vaccinated to enter TNRD buildings while members of the public do not.

TNRD Corporate Officer Deanna Campbell said the TNRD cannot legally force people to be vaccinated.

“It is their right be able to access their elected officials and access a board or a council meeting,” Campbell said. “The guidance from the Ministry and from the Public Health Officer is that we cannot ask that the public when attending a public meeting be vaccinated.”

Talarico, who did not speak during the brief discussion on the motion, voted against it, along with Ashcroft Mayor Barbara Roden, Clearwater Mayor Merlin Blackwell, Sun Peaks Mayor Al Raine, Kamloops Councillor Mike O’Reilly, and TNRD directors Swan, and Steven Rice.