There appears to be some optimism that Greater Vernon's four year old water dispute, could be on track for a resolution. NORD chairman Herman Halvorson says Vernon, Coldstream and Areas B and C had a positive meeting with a facilitator, and agreed to meet again in May. He says one concern is the city's plan to appeal an arbitrator's ruling not allowing it to leave distribution. Halvorson says if the partners come to some conclusions by this fall, they won't have to worry about Vernon's appeal.
And Halvorson says the regions also agreed on something else. A break for agricultural water users. Rather than hit them with the nine percent increases coming to residential users, they'll get a mere 2.5 % increase for the year. GVAC agricultural rep Ted Osborn from the Coldstream Ranch argued successfully that farmers are only obligated to pay for water quantity and volume upgrades, not for improvements to quality which they don't need.
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North Okanagan Regional District directors have been convinced by the arguments of local farmers and have lowered this year's agricultural water rate increase. While Greater Vernon residents will see a nine percent increase in bills, the board has approved a 2.5 percent hike for farmers. Some well-known local orchardists and Coldstream Ranch's Ted Osborn sat in for Wednesday evening's vote. Osborn believes agriculture is paying its fair share.
The board did leave open the possibility of increasing the ag rate. It has asked staff for more information on the subject to ensure agriculture is paying its fair share.
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