GVSC’s future questioned

By Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star - March 05, 2008

Some politicians warn the Greater Vernon Services Committee could disband if a key player walks away from the water function. The City of Vernon has launched a process that could ultimately lead to it withdrawing from GVSC’s water utility. “It could mean the end of GVSC,” said Cliff Kanester, BX-Swan Lake director. That is also the concern of Gary Corner, GVSC chairman and Coldstream mayor. “If partners are going to opt out of services, it’s going to crumble,” he said, adding that Areas B and C have stated they want to opt out of economic development. Wayne Lippert, Vernon mayor, admits that GVSC disbanding is a possibility, but he believes it’s unlikely. “We want to stay in with the water supply end of things, and we still have parks and the multi-use facility,” he said. The city’s claims for withdrawal include:

• Significant changes to the service governance and administrative structure, therefore departing from the city’s understanding of the founding principals.
• Lack of co-ordination of capital and replacement projects between Greater Vernon Water Services and the City of Vernon.
• Lack of accountability to water customers in the City of Vernon.
• Limited ability by the city to respond to users’ needs.
• Customer confusion over governance structure and lack of co-ordination of service.
• Concerns with timely response to developers, with regard to on and off-site water requirements.

“The city has never brought anything to the table regarding their outstanding concerns,” said Kanester.But Lippert disagrees with that view. “It’s been loud and clear at meetings. We have raised the concerns and he (Kanester) needs to go back and check his minutes,” said Lippert. The city states it only wants to withdraw from the distribution of water and remain involved with GVSC’s supply activities. That plan, though, is not going over well with the other partners. “You just can’t opt out of part of it. It has to be all of it,” said Kanester. “That’s not really opting out,” added Corner of the city leaving distribution but remaining in supply. But Lippert says the city is only acting on previous discussions with the other jurisdictions. “There was an agreement in principle in 2006 to do just that. The concern from Coldstream and the electoral areas at the time was supply and the costs involved, and it wasn’t our intention to pull out of supply,” he said.