Legal action looming over sewer

By RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff Sep 01 2006 http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/
The City of Vernon could find itself in a legal battle over sewer services in Okanagan Landing. About 267 residents gathered at Paddlewheel Park Hall Wednesday to discuss the city’s sewer policies. It was decided to hire a lawyer and possibly sue the city over them being charged for parts of the extension project. “The citizens of Okanagan Landing were promised, and it’s on paper, that sewer services would be provided at no cost and the only cost would be the connecting costs (for each house),” said Alan Hill, meeting chairman, referring to annexation of Okanagan Landing in 1993. A lawyer in Vancouver has been identified although he must still be approached, and a committee has been formed to raise funds for legal action. Besides possibly going to court, a majority of the residents decided not to connect or pay for pumps and grinders as part of the sewer line extension in their neighbourhoods. The estimated cost for each property is about $15,000, according to Hill. Most of the people present at the meeting were from Okanagan Landing Road, where sewer is now in place, but there were also residents from Delcliffe and Tronson roads, where service connection is being proposed by the city. Currently, city bylaws require properties to connect to sewer but Hill says he and the other residents are not worried that they will be targeted by city hall. “Is the city going to take action against 182 people with 182 different cases?” he said. Coun. Juliette Cunningham attended the meeting, and she wasn’t impressed with everything she heard. “Not all of the information presented there was accurate,” she said. “There was a lot of emotion and I think some people left because they were not comfortable with some of the statements made.” However, Cunningham admits there are some concerns that need to be addressed by the city. “A lot of them question the system put in and possible failure if the power goes out,” she said. Cunningham plans on delving into the issue further. “There was a lot said at the meeting and a lot of it happened before I was on council. I need to clarify things with staff and council.”