With Greater VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 new $775 million sewage plant officially coming online last month, Tofino now carries the unfortunate distinction of being the only community on Vancouver Island to discharge raw sewage into the ocean.
Tofino hopes that can change soon.
The West Coast resort destination plans to break ground on a wastewater treatment plant this fall, though what the facility will look like and how much it will cost are still being flushed out.
Both Tofino and Victoria were given a deadline of Dec. 31, 2020, to treat their sewage. TofinoB次元官网网址檚 CAO Bob MacPherson said the arrival of VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 facility doesnB次元官网网址檛 make TofinoB次元官网网址檚 pursuit any more urgent.
B次元官网网址淭his is urgent regardless of whatB次元官网网址檚 happening down-Island. This is a priority for council to get done in a responsible way and thatB次元官网网址檚 what weB次元官网网址檙e working toward,B次元官网网址� MacPherson told the Westerly B次元官网网址. B次元官网网址淥ne positive thing about Victoria being up and operating now is some of the expertise that was committed to making the Victoria project happen may have a little bit of time available to work with Tofino and help us find a way through this project.B次元官网网址�
Tofino seemed to have a solid path towards starting construction back in 2019 when it received $40 million in funding from the provincial and federal governments. The districtB次元官网网址檚 consultants had estimated that the facility Tofino had mapped out would cost $54 million and the townB次元官网网址檚 municipal council approved borrowing the remaining $14 million to cover the cost.
That cost estimate proved woefully inaccurate however as the two bids the district received to build the project came in over $84 million, forcing Tofino back to the drawing board to see if more funding could be found, or a cheaper facility could be built.
MacPherson said the district brought in a procurement advisor who specializes in challenging capital projects and has expertise in finding realistic and significant savings.
B次元官网网址淲e werenB次元官网网址檛 talking about, B次元官网网址楥an we trim a million dollars off?B次元官网网址� ItB次元官网网址檚, B次元官网网址楥an we trim ten or tens of millions of dollars off the project,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� MacPherson said. B次元官网网址淭he feedback that we got through that process was, B次元官网网址榊es we can.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
Trusting that procurement advisorB次元官网网址檚 advice to get through a situation muddied by a significantly undervalued cost estimate presented by another consultant could raise local eyebrows, but MacPherson said the district needs to continue to put trust in available expertise.
B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 want to throw shade on any consultants at all. I think everyone has given this their absolute best effort and have provided us with good advice,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲hile the advice and feedback that we get has been imperfect, I think we need to take the lessons that weB次元官网网址檝e all learned, consultants and (district) staff, and take that information and try to fold it into the decisions that weB次元官网网址檙e making in the future quite skillfully.B次元官网网址�
He said the district reached out to the provincial government prior to OctoberB次元官网网址檚 election to suggest that Tofino would likely still need more funding for the project, but wanted to see how far it could bring the projectB次元官网网址檚 cost down before making that ask.
B次元官网网址淲e said to the province, B次元官网网址榃eB次元官网网址檙e going to need more money. We donB次元官网网址檛 know how much more, but we want to hit the pause button on how much more funding we need and we want to do what we think is responsible for the universal taxpayer and see if thereB次元官网网址檚 a way that we could deliver the same results through different methods,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� he said.
He said the procurement advisorB次元官网网址檚 work has largely wrapped up and the district is now working with engineers and construction companies to hammer out the sweet spot between the right project and the right price, adding the district needs to avoid cutting so much of the cost that it winds up with a lemon.
B次元官网网址淵ou can buy a really cheap car, but if youB次元官网网址檙e doing lots of maintenance on it every month and itB次元官网网址檚 really inefficient with fuel, you didnB次元官网网址檛 really save any money on buying a cheap car,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚t would be really easy to knock all kinds of stuff off the bottom from this project that would result in a higher operating cost that the district would have to endure for the next 60 years.B次元官网网址�
He suggested the operating costs need to be kept in check because while the district is still holding $40 million in grant funding, the operating costs will be brunted by local taxpayers. He said a cost estimate for the revised project is not yet known, noting the townB次元官网网址檚 council has approved borrowing up to $16 million for the project and is unwilling to go any higher.
B次元官网网址淓ven if it was lawful to borrow, itB次元官网网址檚 just not something that Tofino would be able to afford. It would be a tremendous burden on taxpayers in this little municipality,B次元官网网址� he said.
He said the district hopes to break ground this fall, noting the facility is expected to take roughly two years to complete.
Despite the district blowing past its Dec. 31, 2020, deadline to treat its sewage, MacPherson said the district has been in fluid conversations with the provincial and federal governments and believes there will be no penalties as long as work is ongoing.
B次元官网网址淲hat we are given to believe is that as long as we are working to advance the ball on this, there will be understanding,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚f we had decided that weB次元官网网址檙e not doing this and weB次元官网网址檙e not advancing the ball, I think weB次元官网网址檇 be hearing a different response than weB次元官网网址檝e heard.B次元官网网址�
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