Frustrated with the Province’s apathy about the high cost of water in his community, Beiseker Mayor Bruce Rowe is threatening drastic action.
He told his council, Sept. 12, that unless the Province steps in, the Village will turn off its connection to the Kneehill water line and revert to well usage.
“I doubt Alberta Environment would ever allow such a move,” said Rowe. “But I am at a point where I am willing to do it anyway. If they take me away in handcuffs, so be it,” he said.
In 2003, federal and provincial funds covering two-thirds of the cost of the water line were approved to solve quality and quantity water issues in Acme, Beiseker, Carbon, Irricana, Linden and the counties of Rocky View and Kneehill.
The municipalities formed a commission and borrowed about $12 million to cover construction costs, which pumps water from the Red Deer River at Drumheller.
The water commission, mired in debt, ran several years of deficit budgets. The line has fewer users than originally estimated, causing higher rates. As a result residents have used less water.
Rowe is frustrated by the endless cycle, and said his constituents can’t afford to pay the exorbitant fees that would be necessary – around $10 per cubic metre – necessary to erase the Village’s $200,000 deficit.
“Currently our fees… are $4.18 per cubic metre,” said Rowe. “That is one of… the highest (rates) in Alberta. Our citizens can’t afford to pay for the water.”
According to Rowe, numerous promises to aid the cash-strapped organization have been made by provincial ministers over the years, including Ray Danyluk, Hector Goudreau and Luke Ouellette.
The latest meeting, between Municipal Affairs deputy minister Ray Gilmore and representatives of the seven member municipalities, took place in January. During the meeting, municipal representatives received recommendations from a Municipal Affairs investigation.
“Their own report recommended a $6.2 million cash injection,” said Rowe. “They said they would get back to us, now here we are in the middle of September with nothing happening.”
Rowe will be meeting with Ouellette at the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association convention, Sept. 27-29 in Calgary, where he will present an ultimatum.
“I am going to tell them if this doesn’t get fixed, and get fixed right soon, we are going to turn off the pipe,” said Rowe. “I am going to take a hard stance. The proverbial is going to hit the fan if they don’t do something.”
Linden’s Mayor Darwyn Moon said after receiving a reply from Municipal Affairs to a Village request for an update in July, he is hopeful the Province will act.
“We are hopeful something is going to happen but we don’t know when it will be,” he said.
Moon said Linden residents are charged $3.60 per cubic metre for their water, an amount he thinks is reasonable.
“It is not so much the cost, it is the amount we use,” he said. “We have to find ways to use less water.”
Long time Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills MLA Richard Marz said he is disappointed with Rowe’s stance.
“We (the Province) did exactly what we said we were going to do,” he said. “There has been an expectation that it is the Province’s responsibility to fund cost overruns. I am a fiscal conservative and I can’t see yielding to public pressure because of the misconception.”
Marz said he would be willing to go to bat for his constituents if the federal government would be willing to match provincial funding.
According to Marz, Rocky View County made a huge mistake at the project’s outset by signing an agreement that didn’t cover more of its territory, including Balzac, where the then-proposed race track and mall were slated to be built.
“They had potential customers with the Balzac development, which would have deferred the cost,” said Marz. “This was a huge oversight. Is the Province supposed to accept the responsibility for that error? I am not in favour of rewarding that type of management.”
Marz said he would support the members’ use of Municipal Sustainability Initiative grant money to pay down the debt, something not currently allowed.
“I would be happy to try to convince my colleagues,” he said.
He will not, however, support a provincial bail-out of the debt-burdened system.
“I think it is unfortunate that prices went up, but the decision was still local to go ahead and proceed,” he said. “The bottom line is… I can’t justify saying we will just cut a check for the overages.”
