ItB次元官网网址檚 a road Esquimalt council has been down before.
So when representatives with the Capital Regional District presented the new plan for a two-plant sewage treatment system with facilities at Clover Point in Victoria and McLoughlin or Macaulay points in Esquimalt, several councillors couldnB次元官网网址檛 help but vent their frustration and concern.
During a lengthy discussion Monday night, Coun. Tim Morrison said he doesnB次元官网网址檛 believe Victoria will ever allow a large sewage treatment plant at Clover Point. Fearing everything will be dumped on Esquimalt again, some councillors want to see what happens with Victoria before approving anything in principle.
Other councillors believe the technology should be chosen before a site is selected, and want assurances from the CRD that a centralized sewage treatment plant will never be put on McLoughlin Point B次元官网网址� like the CRD pushed to do before the township rejected the plan two years ago.
B次元官网网址淲e have been down this road before. This is deja vu. The township of Esquimalt has made a decision,B次元官网网址� said Coun. Lynda Hundleby. B次元官网网址淲hy did we do all this other work and a consultation to know that it will just come back to this?B次元官网网址�
CRD spokesperson Andy Orr told council the two sites are a base case to help the process move forward and stay in the funding game with the federal and provincial governments. The CRD has until the end of September to submit its plan on wastewater treatment or risk losing $83 million in funding. Approval is needed from both councils in order to move forward, otherwise the CRD will have to go back to the drawing board.
Reviewing the history of the ongoing sewage saga, Morrison noted the relationship between Esquimalt and the CRD a few years ago was one of severe distrust. But that relationship was remediated in 2014 thanks to an election, prompting the region to move forward and work towards a new sewage treatment plan, along with a process that allowed municipalities to bring their own sites forward.
Morrison said that process, however, was recently thwarted when Oak Bay Mayor Nils Jensen brought McLoughlin back to the table due to the cost, allowing for a campaign to be reinstated against Esquimalt.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 time to stop moving back and stop this obsession with McLoughlin and stop this obsession with dumping all the regionB次元官网网址檚 sewage problems back on Esquimalt,B次元官网网址� said Morrison. B次元官网网址淚 will not be giving license to the CRD to continue misinforming the public that it was Esquimalt that is voluntarily putting forward McLoughlin Point...No means no. Get over it and move forward.B次元官网网址�
Mayor Barb Desjardins is also chair of the CRD and told her fellow councillors that experts said the estimated $1 billion cost of the current plan could come down. She also said CRD staff followed the process, but it was a political decision that changed everything. The only reason she supported the motion was to hear from the private sector about innovative solutions that may be available.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 trying really hard to move forward. This committee has been frustrating because of the politics. I donB次元官网网址檛 know how to discontinue that politics,B次元官网网址� she said.
Several members of the public also spoke to council, urging them to be cautious about heading down the same road with McLoughlin Point. The matter will be brought back to council April 18 for further discussion. Senior CRD staff and Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps have been invited to attend.
editor@goldstreamgazette.com
