Business Turned Down For Extra Water

Posted on 9/17/2015 by Ron Manz 107.5 KISSFM
It appears Great West Equipment will not be getting extra water from Greater Vernon for its new head office in Spallumcheen. The Greater Vernon Advisory Committee says a request for more potable water has to be tied to Spallumcheen agreeing to contribute to construction of a major water reservoir in the area for the future, according to Regional District of North Okanagan Chief Administrative Officer David Sewell. "In negotiations, there are some deficiencies in the public infrastructure to allow development in that area, and we're attempting to work on a joint financing plan to allow for that public infrastructure in a manner that will support development," Sewell tells Kiss FM. Spallumcheen Mayor Janice Brown says that position is disappointing, since a proposed site and overall costing formula for a reservoir has not been determined. "We don't even have a borrowing bylaw, so we would never.....I would never do that to our citizens. We need to make sure we know all the facts to make an informed decision and make sure we're sure we're getting what we pay for," says Brown. Brown says Great West already has fire flow and sewer. "All they are looking for is potable water for the office, and once they get that, they can apply for their building permit so they know they can get water somewhere else." The result means Great West will have to explore other avenues to access adequate water in order to get their permit. The heavy equipment company is currently in Vernon, but wants to expand to a larger site on L and A Cross Road in Spallumcheen. About 50 people work at the office now, with that possibly growing to 90 in future years. Sewell says Great West is the first of what is likely a larger expansion in the region needing water. "It's really a matter of how fast do we develop it, who pays, and how much do people pay, but really the intent is how do we make sure we can support the fire flow and potable water delivery to facilitate development in that area," adds Sewell. Brown hopes the decision doesn't stall Great West's plan. "And it doesn't mean that down the road we won't continue to negotiate with (Greater) Vernon about future development and new water. We understand that has to happen. It just doesn't have to happen now."