A Greater Vernon politician says people who use 20 cubic metres of water or less per quarter, will be hit the hardest under new fees being discussed. 
Gyula Kiss of Coldstream (pictured) made the comment at Thursday's Greater Vernon Advisory Committee meeting after hearing the rates could rise from 23 to 103 percent this year, depending how much water a household uses. Kiss says the rising fees "could be potentially problematic as it's an election year." Director Patrick Nicol is concerned families will be hit hard. "It's not as clear at this point if that is the case, but in this economy, the kind of percentages that we are looking at are clearly very dramatic." GVAC has given preliminary approval to change to a tiered system for low, medium and high water users---but the rates will be subject to more debate. A study by NORD staff shows Greater Vernon's water rates are among the highest in the valley. ($480 for single family using 350 cubic metres a year). BX Silver Star director Mike Macnabb doesn't apologize for that, saying it's costly to bring good quality water into homes. He tells KISS FM, "They might be the highest in the valley, but world wide, we have a sweet deal when it comes to water, so we have to recognize that as Interior Health increases the requirements for the water quality, there's a cost involved."
While staff suggest rates could rise anywhere from 23 to 103 percent, G-VAC chairman Wayne Lippert says that's still to be decided. "The key thing is what the base fee will be.It will cover most of the operational costs." Lippert says the bottom line is Greater Vernon needs more revenue from water fees to run the system and pay for the new Duteau Creek treatment plant. It cost about 12 million dollars to operate and fiance the water system last year. NORD's Financial manager David Sewell told the board, consumption revenue from water "fell short of projections" in 2010. The committee will hold a special meeting to discuss water rates January 13th, after a special budget meeting.
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Don Quixote Note: Water Calculator for Proposed 2011 Rates
In order to be allowed to enter your data go to bottom of Calculator page and click on edit.
This calculator allows you to put your 2010 Quarterly water amounts in the 4 areas in Red and it will display both your 2010 Water Charges and a comparison to the 3 presently proposed water rates. Type in your First quarter Cubic meter Quantity and hit tab. Then type in your 2nd quarter quantity and hit tab. (Etc. Etc.)
Gyula Kiss of Coldstream (pictured) made the comment at Thursday's Greater Vernon Advisory Committee meeting after hearing the rates could rise from 23 to 103 percent this year, depending how much water a household uses. Kiss says the rising fees "could be potentially problematic as it's an election year." Director Patrick Nicol is concerned families will be hit hard. "It's not as clear at this point if that is the case, but in this economy, the kind of percentages that we are looking at are clearly very dramatic." GVAC has given preliminary approval to change to a tiered system for low, medium and high water users---but the rates will be subject to more debate. A study by NORD staff shows Greater Vernon's water rates are among the highest in the valley. ($480 for single family using 350 cubic metres a year). BX Silver Star director Mike Macnabb doesn't apologize for that, saying it's costly to bring good quality water into homes. He tells KISS FM, "They might be the highest in the valley, but world wide, we have a sweet deal when it comes to water, so we have to recognize that as Interior Health increases the requirements for the water quality, there's a cost involved."While staff suggest rates could rise anywhere from 23 to 103 percent, G-VAC chairman Wayne Lippert says that's still to be decided. "The key thing is what the base fee will be.It will cover most of the operational costs." Lippert says the bottom line is Greater Vernon needs more revenue from water fees to run the system and pay for the new Duteau Creek treatment plant. It cost about 12 million dollars to operate and fiance the water system last year. NORD's Financial manager David Sewell told the board, consumption revenue from water "fell short of projections" in 2010. The committee will hold a special meeting to discuss water rates January 13th, after a special budget meeting.
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Don Quixote Note: Water Calculator for Proposed 2011 Rates
In order to be allowed to enter your data go to bottom of Calculator page and click on edit.
This calculator allows you to put your 2010 Quarterly water amounts in the 4 areas in Red and it will display both your 2010 Water Charges and a comparison to the 3 presently proposed water rates. Type in your First quarter Cubic meter Quantity and hit tab. Then type in your 2nd quarter quantity and hit tab. (Etc. Etc.) 
2 comments:
Need more revenue from the water utility?
Here is an idea:
Shut down Vernon's taxpayer-subsidized Spray Irrigation Program and start using the deep lake outfall. According to my notes, the SI program generates revenues of approximately $40,000 per year, but costs Vernon taxpayers about $1.5 million per year.
Without spray irrigation as a source of cheap irrigation water, we can turn all those high-volume irrigation consumers into Greater Vernon Water customers. Voila, more revenue for our regional water utility!
Now, before anyone cries foul over increased water rates, let's substantially subsidize ONLY those who are bonafide agricultural customers, thereby making good on our promise to support agriculture in the North Okanagan.
GVW's annual revenue from agricultural/irrigation customers is in the order of $700K per year. With Vernon saving $1.5 million by winding down the Spray Irrigation Program, surely at least half of that money could be utilized to support true agriculturalists in the North Okanagan, while still giving Vernon taxpayers back a big chunk of their hard-earned tax dollars.
Commercial non-agricultural enterprises, such as golf courses and resorts, should pay their own way.
In this manner, everyone would support our regional water utility!
P.S. Don't worry, I have no hopes of anyone currently in power actually connecting these dots. To all those who favour amalgamation, I may soon join your camp, regardless of the increased costs to the taxpayer, simply to see these important issues discussed at ONE table.
Ha ha McNabb you can kiss my and a lot of others votes goodbye next election. Maybe we should be charged $4.00 a liter for gas too, because in other parts of the world such as Europe thats what they pay, its a sweet deal! This is just more bs and I for one can not wait to have some of these guys voted out. And I am happy to see that Lippert is still the chair of GVAC, I cant imagine what it would have been like with McNabb sitting in that position. I agree, amalgamate, get rid of the extra polititions we dont need and lets get it together. I still wonder though, why are do we have the highest water rates in the valley ( and also the entire country ) when we live in the wettest part of the valley? Why do we pay so much? I think this needs to be explained to the taxpayers, because we are not an endless moneypit. I have friends in Kelowna that pay 1/4 what we pay, why are we being hosed and who is to blame for the problem?
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