At least three of the regionB次元官网网址檚 mayors are questioning the continual increases in public money going to the Capital Regional District for the future wastewater treatment facility.
B次元官网网址淚t is my opinion that until a firm plan is in place the money is better kept in our tax payersB次元官网网址� pockets rather than sitting idle in the CRDB次元官网网址檚 bank account,B次元官网网址� said Mayor Stew Young in a recent letter to the CRD, requesting the annual requisition increases be put on hold.
B次元官网网址淏efore they do any tax requisitions,B次元官网网址� Young told the Gazette this week, B次元官网网址渢he public needs to be part of the process.B次元官网网址� Whether the public actually attends the open houses and roundtable discussions or not is inconsequential, he said, but the CRD has a responsibility to finish the public process and choose a site for a treatment plant before asking for money for the project.
B次元官网网址淢y belief is that the government should never take money out of the pockets of the people unless itB次元官网网址檚 for a service youB次元官网网址檙e actually performing,B次元官网网址� he said.
Young is also frustrated at the process. People are asking him what itB次元官网网址檚 costing them, he said, adding he can only tell them he doesnB次元官网网址檛 know, but theyB次元官网网址檙e paying for it right now.
Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins is also concerned.
B次元官网网址淚 believe we should be collecting to be prepared,B次元官网网址� she said, B次元官网网址渂ut we shouldnB次元官网网址檛 be over-collecting.B次元官网网址�
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps worries that the public is being asked for so much in advance of a project with so many facets yet to be worked out but recognizes that the financial burden being drawn out over a longer period has its benefits, as well.
B次元官网网址淭he concerning piece is that we are collecting money for a project that we donB次元官网网址檛 know exactly what it is yet, (but) over-collecting in one year means that when push comes to shove and shovels go into the ground, the costs wonB次元官网网址檛 be as sudden to our taxpayers.B次元官网网址�
Young agrees the huge cost of the project is one that needs to be borne by the public eventually, but disagrees this is the best way to do it.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 kinda like saying that everyone is stupid and weB次元官网网址檙e going to have to help them pay their bill,B次元官网网址� Young said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e smart. We understand that if thereB次元官网网址檚 a bill coming, weB次元官网网址檙e going to need to manage that. The problem right now is that we donB次元官网网址檛 know what that bill is going to be.B次元官网网址�
The public is instead being asked to pay into a hypothetical project, he added.
B次元官网网址淚 believe in transition funding when itB次元官网网址檚 accurate, when itB次元官网网址檚 for a full-blown plan thatB次元官网网址檚 been approved by the politicians and the public,B次元官网网址� he said. He sees no value to taxpayers to give $40 million per year to the CRD to have sitting in its bank account, when people could be using their share of the tax hit to pay their mortgage or cover other expenses.
Oak Bay Mayor Nils Jensen, CRD board chair, said nothing can be done to alter the 2015 requisition, as it has already been passed by the board and integrated into the budget, but that considerations may be made going forward. The first opportunity to consider reworking the requisition and levy funding model would be for the 2016 budget.
B次元官网网址淭he philosophy of the board has been to gradually ease into it so there wouldnB次元官网网址檛 be a huge bill to pay down the line,B次元官网网址� Jensen said.
By August of this year, he added, the board will have raised approximately $30 million from these requisitions. The Craigflower Pump Station in View Royal B次元官网网址� a facility he called B次元官网网址渋ntegral to the infrastructureB次元官网网址� of what will become wastewater treatment for the region B次元官网网址� cost $25 million alone to build, B次元官网网址渟o I think the decision from the board to start collecting this money was a prudent one, when you look at the wider context.B次元官网网址�
The letter from the City of Langford and the mayorsB次元官网网址� concerns will be addressed, Jensen said, at the meeting of the CRD board of directors on May 13.
Potential sites for treatment facility narrowed down
The Westside Solutions technical committee has narrowed the list of potential sites for a wastewater treatment facility on the West Shore.
The 20 sites deemed B次元官网网址渢echnically feasible,B次元官网网址� by the committee will not be identified to the public at this time, according to a release by the organization, because B次元官网网址渟everal of them are privately owned.B次元官网网址� The release also stated the locations were selected B次元官网网址渂ased on their size and proximity to existing trunk lines, potential outfalls, neighbourhoods and existing developments that could take advantage of resource recovery opportunities.B次元官网网址�
Esquimalt mayor and Westside Solutions co-chair Barbara Desjardins says the narrowing of the possible site list, B次元官网网址渋s a positive step forward, but we have more work to do yet.B次元官网网址� Part of that work is another round of public engagement sessions. The next of those takes place Saturday (May 9) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Colwood City Hall.
That meeting will focus on resource recovery, while a May 13 meeting at the Songhees Wellness Centre will focus on cost and level of treatment.
mdavies@goldstreamgazette.com
