Input piped into water plan

by Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star posted Jan 25, 2015 at 1:00 AM
Residents are being brought to the table as the future of Greater Vernon’s water utility is charted. The Greater Vernon Advisory Committee met Thursday to discuss the next steps for the master water plan after voters shot down borrowing $70 million in November. “We need to provide opportunities for input,” said director Bob Fleming. That is also the view of David Sewell, Regional District of North Okanagan chief administrative officer. “This process can’t be rushed and there has to be an information exchange. Public and political support will be obtained in lock-step,” he said. Those comments were welcomed by the handful of residents in the audience Thursday. “I’m impressed with the direction this is taking,” said Klaus Tribes, a former Vernon councillor who is part of a citizens’ group focused on water. “We want to come up with something we can live with. We will be coming forward with our thoughts.” Sewell says the goal is to avoid a staff-driven process and to have all parties collaborate. “We will develop a proposal to bring back to the committee on how we develop this public exchange of information,” he said. “We will also engage in discussion with the Interior Health Authority, with the expectation that they aren’t just an observer but an active participant.” While political divisions appeared prior to November’s borrowing referendum, director Jim Garlick insists that must be avoided as a new plan is developed to meet provincial water quality rules. “I don’t want to hear negativity. We’re building something and we need to be positive,” he said. Some of the discussions Thursday revolved around Duteau Creek and the fact that much of the treated water goes to irrigating farm land. “If we get rid of Duteau Creek (use Mission Hill treatment for domestic use), we can save $2 to $3 million a year and over 20 years, that puts a lot of pipes in the ground,” said director Bob Spiers. Director Gyula Kiss is also calling on Duteau to be replaced by Kalamalka Lake for domestic use. “If we also use Okanagan Lake as a domestic source, it will be cheaper than any other source,” he said. At least one person believes the provincial government’s water standards should be challenged. “It’s a bureaucratic derived crisis. There isn’t a crisis,” said Scott Anderson, a Vernon councillor, of health risks related to the water. “I’d like to see some push back against the province.” Juliette Cunningham, GVAC chairperson,was pleased with the tone of Thursday’s meeting. “This has been the first chance to lay everything on the table,” she said.
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Positive tone at water talks
posted Jan 25, 2015 at 1:00 AM Morning Star Editorial
It would have been easy for Thursday’s meeting on Greater Vernon water to be a disaster.After all, a majority of voters turned down borrowing $70 million in November for capital works, and flaws in the master water plan and the Regional District of North Okanagan’s communications plan were clearly evident. Also, politicians turned on each other, with some who had endorsed the plan and the referendum then announcing they would vote no against the borrowing? Thursday’s meeting of the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee could have become nothing more than a finger-pointing session. But, instead, everyone at the table was respectful and there was a frank and open discussion about what went wrong with the referendum and why there wasn’t voter buy-in. This time around, there appears to be genuine interest in having the public involved in developing a master water plan right from the get-go, and that is critical as it will ultimately be residents who foot the bill. However, there also needs to be some onus placed on any residents who become active in the process. They must accept the fact that upgrades will be required unless the provincial government abandons its water quality standards. Residents or any citizens’ groups must also remain in contact with GVAC as it is the agency responsible for water and not municipal councils. There is no magic bullet and establishing a master water plan that is financially responsible and meets provincial guidelines will take considerable time and compromises. But based on Thursday’s meeting, a positive outcome is achievable.