Area G Saltair residents are facing a deadline of next Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 4:30 p.m. under an Alternative Approval Process being conducted by the Cowichan Valley Regional District if they wish to register a negative vote on a bylaw to borrow $3.7 million for water treatment upgrades.
CVRD Bylaw No. 4328 is for a loan authorization, financed over 20 years, for the estimated costs to carry out provincially-mandated surface water treatment objectives.
No action is required for those in favour of the borrowing bylaw.
Related story: Loan authorization for Saltair water system upgrades being conducted by AAP
If the AAP fails, it doesn’t mean residents won’t have to pay for the filtration system. It is provincially mandated and must be put in.
“It’s a clear choice, people have to make their own decision,” said Saltair resident Debbie Neil. “It’s not that it’s not going to cost us.”
Neil is an advocate for the democratic process.
“We all want to meet the drinking water standards and we have to meet them,” she said. “That is everybody’s goal.”
Neil wanted taxpayers to be aware of two important points.
One is the additional $270 per year per parcel increase that will result from the borrowing.
But she pointed out the significant operations and maintenance costs estimated at $150,000 per year will add a further $170 per year to customer charges. So, in essence, the current customer charges of $760 per year will increase to approximately $1,200 per year with everything taken into account.
Neil also advised people to Google Elector Response Form Bylaw No. 4328 or get more details from the CVRD website at www.cvrd.ca, watch for Alternative Approval Process - Saltair Water to come up and click on it.
“Saltair, this is up to you,” summed up Neil. “You have a right to send in the Elector Form if you choose. You also have the democratic right to not.
“We all want good drinking water. It’s more an issue with the process.”
