The City of Kamloops is making changes to its procurement policy to ensure it stays up to date and continues to support transparency, accountability, and good value for taxpayers.

At a recent Governance and Service Excellence Select Committee meeting, Manager of Procurement Services Dustin Rutsatz presented updates to Council Policy GGA-40, which guides how the City buys goods, services, and construction work.

The changes include:

• Regular reviews: The policy will now be reviewed every five years, or sooner if there’s a change in Council or regulations.

• Clearer language: Small wording changes were made to improve clarity without changing the policy’s meaning.

“These updates will help keep the policy current and aligned with best practices,” said Rutsatz.

Focus on Transparency and Fairness

The procurement process is governed by strict rules to make sure it’s fair and competitive. The City aims to get the best overall value while giving all vendors a fair chance to compete.

Director of Corporate Services David Hallinan said the policy changes are important for reducing legal risks and building public trust.

More Context in Reporting Requested

Councillor Katie Neustaeter asked if future reports on large contracts (over $500,000) could include more context, such as how much total work a company has done with the City.

“It’s hard to spot patterns or issues with just a list of numbers,” she said.

Staff agreed to explore ways to include that kind of information in future reports, though they noted it could be challenging to match data from different sources.

No Cost to the City

There are no financial costs tied to the policy changes. The updates now go to full Council for approval.