Sewer concerns relayed

By STACIE SNOW Morning Star Staff Jun 24 2007 http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/

The Committee Regarding Okanagan Landing Sewer (CROLS) and City of Vernon staff held an open house to allow Area 2 residents to voice their concerns about the imminent connection to a low-pressure sewer line. The panel allowed residents to voice their concerns. The members will then bring those issues to the July 23 City Council meeting for further consideration. “The point of the session is to address concerns, develop a strategy and have it turned into council resolutions,” said Robert-Lee Dickinson, municipal engineer with the city. “Your constructive feedback will allow us to present this information to council in a formal matter that will result in the rewriting of bylaws.” Dickinson gave a visual presentation to clarify issues regarding the operation of the low-pressure system, onsite service requirements, current connection requirements, user fees, water meters, area regulations and incentives to connect.

About 100 Area 2 (106 houses located on the 2300 meter section of Okanagan Landing Road from 8167 to 8990) resident attended the meeting. The city will not force residents to connect to the system but if a septic system fails, repairs will not be permitted and connection will be mandatory. All properties that are adjacent to a sewer collection line must pay an “availability charge” of $47.79 per quarter per residence. Additional costs to residents will include a $90 plumbing permit, a $3,500 connection fee, optional water meter $170, onsite work $9,000-$15,000, for a cost of $13,000 to $19,000 per household. The total cost for all of the 106 households is $320,000. If homeowners do not use much water, there is the option to purchase a water meter and have the sewer billed in relation to the amount of water a household uses. “If you have a lower than normal usage and you feel you could save money with a meter, you have that option,” said Jeremy Kinch, manager of planning, development and engineering services for the city. “However, it is unlikely that you would save much, if any money because it would take a while to make up the cost of the meter.”

One of the citizens’ major concerns was that the policies described by the panel ignore the promises made to Landing residents at the time of the annexation in 1993. “There was no vote for this,” said CROLS committee member Kathleen Nolan. “Originally it was going to be a gravity-fed system and now it is chanced to a grinder fed system without a vote. We are being forced into this. “I think that the cost is way to high and I don’t see any other area of Vernon that is being forced into paying that out of their pocket.” Dickinson countered by telling the crowd that the panel has conducted research into payment methods used in other jurisdictions with similar systems. “The resounding reply from studies that we have done in relation to other areas is that it is easier and more cost effective for the pump to be owned by the property owner because if the owner is familiar with the system, they can handle it when it breaks down,” said Dickinson. Elaine Swyripa was concerned that residents of the Landing have attended many meetings and been told what the fees will entail, but the costs continue to escalate. “You are downloading the cost of this system on very few people and it hardly seems fair,” she said. Ghee Hwany agreed that residents are willing to pay for some costs but he felt that others seem outrageous.

“Before the night is over we need to send a message to council that we are people just like everybody else, we are sensible and we feel we are getting a bad deal imposed on us,” he said. “If this is a system we have to live with then we are willing to compromise but it is only fair that the city pay for the pump.” Dan Irving is in favour of the switch from septic to a sewer line. “People need to take a second look at septic systems,” he said. “I am pushing for the acceptance of this to get rid of the septic tanks that are leaking into the lake. This is a no-brainer in my view.” The panel will bring the residents’ concerns to the council in an attempt to amend mandatory connection bylaws, draft a municipal fee bylaw, create a policy for domestic lake intake metering and explore changes to availability charges. “The system was designed to minimize the costs to the resident and it is a balancing act to find what will work for both parties,” said Ed Stranks, municipal technician for the city.