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Windermere Water gets funding boost
Headed for fall vote
The proposal to purchase Parr Utilities as part of the Windermere Water Project has received a significant funding boost after the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) board of directors unanimously approved $1.2 million in Community Works funding today (June 9).
The approved funds are equivalent to the cost of the purchase of the building.
“From the outset of the public consultation last August, the community made it clear any proposal to purchase Parr Utilities should include the purchase of the building. We are focused on reaching an agreement that is as affordable as possible for the community and securing Community Works funds will make a huge difference,” explained RDEK Electoral Area F Director Wendy Booth, attending this morning’s meeting via teleconference.
While the negotiation process with Parr Utilities is ongoing, the RDEK is moving ahead with the legislative requirements to allow for an elector assent process later this year.
The RDEK plans to hold two referendums in the fall of 2017. One for the Windermere Water Service Area regarding borrowing for the purchase of the water treatment plant and a second parallel referendum which would include the existing Parr customers to establish a larger water service area for operation and maintenance.
The board passed third reading to the Loan Authorization Bylaw for the Windermere Water Service Area for the purchase of the Water Treatment Plant and upgrading the water distribution in system in Windermere. Third reading was also given to the Windermere Water Service Area Service Establishment Amendment Bylaw, which increases the maximum requisition to allow for annual debt payments related to the purchase if the project goes ahead.
In addition, the Board gave three readings to a new Service Establishment Bylaw for the proposed East Side Lake Windermere Water System Service Area, which will create one new service area that includes Windermere, Timber Ridge and the existing Parr customers. Approval of these bylaws will be the subject of the referendums this fall.
“This is a very complex process,” stressed Booth. “While we are putting all the legal pieces in place to be ready for the referendum this fall, we are still actively working on the agreement and have to get through that process before we can take specific details and numbers out to the community.”
In the meantime, the RDEK is continuing to look for other funding opportunities to reduce the cost of the project. This month it applied for a Gas Tax Strategic Priorities Fund grant; however, do not expect to know if their application was successful until after the referendum this fall.
“We are also encouraging Windermere Water and existing Parr customers to send in their questions so that staff can compile them and have a detailed FAQ package ready once the negotiations are complete and we have concrete numbers to take out to the community,” added Booth.
The RDEK hopes to present numbers and details to the community later this summer.
For more information on the project or to submit questions for the FAQs, contact Elizabeth Ahlgren at the RDEK’s Cranbrook office at 250-489-2791 or [email protected] or visit the RDEK’s website: www.rdek.bc.ca.
The Windermere Water System has been under a Water Quality Advisory since 2006. Over the last several years, there have been a number of discussions on different options to provide treated water to the community. In October, the RDEK Board decided that the option to purchase Parr Utilities to provide treated water for the Windermere Community Water System Service Area be pursued and presented to the community for decision.
RDEK
