Earlier this week - I noted the vigorous debate that Williams Lake Council had, with regard to the Woodland Dr Water situation which you can read here
Point of Information - Had WL Council gone along with Councillor Rathor's suggestion to have City Staff develop options to exclude Woodland Drive residents' from the requirements of City of WL Bylaw #2142 (Bulk Water Station Rate) prior to adoption of Bylaw #2142, one of the options could have been reimbursement from the City for payment of bulk water fees. This is something that the City of Quesnel Council will be looking into at its' Monday meeting which you can read their Staff report here
Meanwhile - this past Wednesday, I received phone calls from both WL City Councillor Surinderpal Rathor and Martin Sills on this subject. Councillor Rathor and I discussed this subject at length and agreed his solution on allowing 'free' access to the bulk water station is a simply a 'short-term' solution and the REAL solution is to borrow the money necessary to install water/sewer services for the 49 Woodland Drive residents' TODAY, subject to a full community vote, given the full cost of $3,522,157 or even a combination of long-term debt/local area tax. I do not believe a grant for this project is in the cards, at least in the short to medium term, given the current 'deficit-reduction' actions of both Victoria/Ottawa
Editor's Note - Given the City's debt level of $18 million - this was one of two projects I've previously indicated that simply must go forward and can no longer be subject to delays
Meanwhile - I've also heard from Martin Sills who was generous enough to let me know the current situation that he and his fellow residents' on Woodland Drive are currently experiencing. Based on what Mr. Sills told me - I'm absolutely convinced that the City can no longer wait for a grant for this project. The money must be borrowed for this project THIS YEAR and started/completed in 2012 so Woodland Drive residents' can have access to the same thing that their fellow City of Williams Lake residents' take for granted (myself included) - water & sewer. And I say this as a former 8 year member of the City's Advisory Planning Commission that looks at community planning issues including infrastructure issues...
Looking back does nobody any good. It is time to look forward and the future says that water/sewer services for the 49 residents (and hopefully more in the future for the Woodland Drive area) on Woodland Drive is the right thing to do. I'm prepared to pay my share to allow them to have access to water/sewer and I believe the majority in Williams Lake are also prepared to pay a dollar or two more to allow their fellow residents' on Woodland Dr to have the same access to water/sewer that everyone else in Williams Lake enjoys access to
SBF
4 comments:
Put it to a referendum and see what happens.
Thanks for your comment..
I agree - you can't borrow $3.5 million and not have a referendum.
A referendum to borrow $3.5 million for Woodland Drive Water/Sewer MUST happen and we'll all see what the community says
Steve
Does this legally have to go to a referendum? Shouldn't the city have an obligation legaally or at least morally to deliver this basic service to it's citizens? Is it really fair to let the majority of people who have water vote to see if a poor bunch who don't should also have it? I'd like to say of course everyone will have compassion and vote yes but I'm not too sure. I don't live on Woodland Drive but I find it astonishing that this is being debated. If the city waterline on my street broke, could the city just say sorry folks we spent all our money on a new arts center this year you'll just have to make due till we get a grant or the rest of the city approves us to borrow money to fix it. ???
In my opinion stop all expendetures like pool and underpass to river valley and get back to basics. Make the property owners on Woodland pay a fee such as they did with South Lakeside Drive but come on and get it done already!
Census stats that came out the other day showed WL gained less than 100 citizens in the last 5 years and yet from a previous post on this blog someone made mention of the city "only" adding 3 new positions at city hall in the last 4 years. Did the extra 100 people actually require the city to hire these new positions? Or is city hall not operating in the taxpayers interst or whithin it's means.
Ask some of the people on Woodland Drive who have no water if they think this was money well spent.
I never understood how Greece could be in the position its in but looking at how this small city spends it's tax dollars it no longer surprises me.
Anonymous #2:
Thank you for your comment
Technically no - Williams Lake Council may choose to submit the borrowing of $3.5 million to a full referendum or they may choose to submit this to "counter-petition" where unless 10% of the voters' or 747 people submit forms opposing the borrowing, Council can proceed to borrow the money
My sense is (and Anonymous #1 said this as well) that for $3.5 million dollars of borrowing - counter-petition would likely be a "turn-off" for the public and Council would at least be politically pressured into a full referendum. The cost of a full referendum (if held in 2012) would be more expensive than counter-petition, given no election until 2014 and the fact there were some who said the $6.5 million Fire Hall should have been referendum in 2008 instead of counter-petition, but you do raise a good point
As for the pool - you can expect the Cariboo Regional District to propose a pool revitalization project to the people of Williams Lake and certain portions of CRD Areas D, E,F (those who pay into Central Cariboo Recreation) of between $9-$15 million (if the politicians agree to move it forward over the next few years to the residents' for approval)
Steve
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