Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: March 09, 2011 1:00 AM
Major dollars were spent to sink a water line into the ground at O’Keefe Ranch, but it sits unused. About $225,000 went to extending a water line from Greater Vernon’s Duteau Creek source to the historic site in Spallumcheen last fall. But it hasn’t been activated because $25,000 to $30,000 in fees to the North Okanagan Regional District are outstanding. “We’re not permitting them to connect until they pay the fees,” said Arnold Badke, NORD’s engineering general manager. “It’s the way we treat any other development. Unless the board tells us to waive the fee, we have to follow the bylaw.” NORD politicians approved the extended water line to the ranch in September 2009, although staff had cautioned against such a move because it could set a precedent for other Spallumcheen properties wanting water. O’Keefe Ranch officials say the fees have not been paid because of a lack of financial resources. “We raised all of the money to get the line in,” said Catherine Lord, manager. “We still have to work through that last little bit (fees).” It’s expected ranch representatives could be before the NORD board March 16. “We will ask for the fees to be waived and if that doesn’t occur, the ranch board will have to look at how to handle the issue,” said Lord. The reasons for extending the Duteau Creek source to the ranch’s administration building was to meet health standards and to ensure sufficient access to water in case of a fire. “We need enough water pressure to protect the heritage buildings,” said Lord. At present, the ranch continues to be served by a well. Lord insists the lack of the Duteau Creek line won’t stop the ranch from opening an RV park this year because those spaces don’t have services of any kind. Director Doug Dirk won’t speculate on what the regional district will do with the request to waive the fees. “It will be considered like any other request that comes alone,” he said.
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EDITORIAL: Water fees can’t be waived Morningstar March 09, 2011 1:00 AM
It would certainly be easy to question the North Okanagan Regional District’s 2009 approval of running a domestic water line to O’Keefe Ranch. After all, the historic site is located well outside the boundary of the Greater Vernon utility. Plus, it’s no secret the ranch is cash-strapped and its ability to take on any major infrastructure initiatives is limited. But it made sense to extend the line given the well source at the tourist attraction doesn’t meet drinking water standards and a certain level of water pressure is required for fighting fires. The bottom line to all of this, though, is the ranch made a legal commitment to construct the line and cover all fees. To now ask for forgiveness on those fees — between $25,000 and $30,000 — is unacceptable. Essentially, what is being asked is that other utility customers who have seen their rates soar subsidize the ranch. The other option possibly is for the utility to make up the difference by tapping into reserves, but that ultimately will also impact customers. Keep in mind that many of these customers live in the City of Vernon, which owns the ranch and already provides significant operational dollars to O’Keefe. Yes the ranch is run by a non-profit society and its focus is promoting the region’s heritage. But in the end, it is also a business and it must be responsible for the same expenses that face other businesses. If the ranch is successful in having fees waived, who else will have their hand out? There’s no question that coming up with $30,000 will be a challenge, but like the heat or electricity bill, this one can’t be avoided.
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