If you’ve attended City Council meetings via Zoom, you’re probably accustomed to seeing CAO Byron McCorkell to the far left. In January however, there seems to be a subtle attempt to exclude him from the video feed.
January 14, 2025
For the regular council meeting January 14, 2025, around the 12:30, 13:30, and 14:45 minute marks in the video, you can see that the camera is getting shifted to the right. I expect visibility to the CAO, so I called the city and requested that they adjust the camera view to properly include the CAO. I was told they’d pass on my request.
On January 27th, 2025, I emailed communications@kamloops.ca with a request:
Going forward, can you please ensure the camera used for Zoom is properly focused on the CAO/CO as well as the council.
As the CAO is the most expensive person in the room, it is extremely important that we have full visibility of him, as well as council.
January 28, 2025
For the regular council meeting January 28, 2025, around the 4 minute mark in the video, you’ll notice that the camera is gradually shifted to the right. Rather than seeing the CAO, who is the highest paid individual in the room, you get to see a camera guy to the far right. I was as unpleased with this decision as the camera guy appears to be.
Of course I called the city again. During the meeting, I received a reply to my emailed request from Kristen Rodrigue, the Communications Manager:
The purpose of the virtual feed is to allow residents to view and participate in the Council meeting and the camera is positioned accordingly. That said, we recognize that the current setup is not ideal and we are considering various options to give virtual participants a more immersive experience.
My reply:
This has changed in the last couple meetings. Is this due to the city being embarrassed by the sleepy CAO?
January 30, 2025
For the Livability and Sustainability Select Committee meeting January 30, 2025, it seems like the city has stepped up its game.
Sleepy CAO?
It may be a coincidence, but this camera shifting seems to have started with the meetings following my emailed complaint to the city in regards to the CAO’s behaviour during Foundry Kamloops presentation in December 2024.
Now, I don’t know what your thoughts on this are, but I sure know mine. If this is a public meeting, I expect to have more visibility, not less. Not only is public input being reduced, now public visibility is as well.
My guess is that the city is likely to spin this as a workplace safety issue. Maybe CAO McCorkell is feeling bullied or harassed again. I sure hope not, as that wasn’t my intent. I simply expect that the man gives these meetings the attention they deserve, and shows an appropriate amount of respect to the citizens who present and speak to council.
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