Dear Editor,
More on this topic, especially after the Snug Cove Sewer Local Management Committee finally met March 3, 2022 for the first time in three years. The meeting can be viewed on the Bowen Island Municipality (BIM) website. Acting Chair Glenn Cormier and Acting Vice-Chair David Belringer asserted that the Phase 1 improvements must proceed immediately, even though the entire $1.64 million dollar cost is to be paid from Municipal Capital Renewal and Replacement fund ($1 million) and Unallocated Surplus ($640,000), essentially draining those Reserve funds.
A staff presentation by Patrick Graham, Director of Engineering, showed that the existing Sewage Treatment plant capacity has been exceeded on a number of occasions, overflowing during high rainfalls (into Snug Cove) and that significant load increases have occurred with the addition of new residences at Foxglove Lane, Rivendell Court and the new apartment complex.
The sewer outflow is also not operating in the correct location and requires an upgrade to meet Provincial standards. No funds were collected for a Sewer Reserve from any of these developments, in fact no Development Cost Charges (DCC) have ever been collected on Bowen Island for sewer, water, roads or park development. A new DCC was added and approved by Council in 2021 requested by Metro Vancouver for Park improvements. A DCC for sewer improvements will be considered as part of Phase 2 of the Snug Cove Sewer Treatment Plant upgrades in 2023 or later.
Many residents believe that the utilities should be self-funding. Each of seven water systems pays its own way through a combination of Parcel taxes and User fees, and so should the sewer system. An opinion has been advanced that the sewer is a Bowen-wide benefit, but the same argument could have applied to the Cove Bay Water system. All costs for the recent Water Treatment plant and even for last-minute replacement of a section of water main necessitated by the Cardena Road upgrades (for the benefit of all Bowen commuters) was assessed solely to the users of the Cover Bay Water System, to be repaid with interest for ten to thirty years through Parcel tax and user fees.
The next scheduled meeting of the Snug Cove Sewage Local Management Committee is at 1 pm, Thursday, March 31. The public can watch via Zoom.
In the meantime, the new Chief Financial Officer must prepare a Five-Year Financial Plan for consideration by Council and adoption before May 1st. How the missing Capital Reserves will be re-budgeted remains to be seen; with approximately $5 million annual municipal expenditure on Bowen every one per cent budget increase will only net $50,000 in new operating or capital revenue. Replacement of the $1.6 million in one year would mean a local property tax increase for all property owners of 32 per cent for this one item alone.
Even without extraordinary expenditures approved by Council such as the Snug Cove Sewer Phase 1 improvements, we have seen the municipal share of our property taxes escalate by 6 to 7.5 per cent every year for the past seven years. This is simply not sustainable for most homeowners, certainly not for older residents on fixed incomes.
I have witnessed many of my friends reaching the difficult decision to sell and move to a more stable community (Vancouver Island, the Interior, Alberta among other destinations) and many more will surely feel forced to go if we are to take on the extra burden of paying not only for the services we use but for the sewer system as well.
Phase 2 of that project is roughly estimated at $5.8 million, with some faint promise of a development Cost Charge adopted by Council to pay for the new services required by new development. In the meantime, a development freeze is in place for all properties within the Snug Cove Sewage System area. The missing municipal Capital Renewal and Replacement Reserve funds as well as Unallocated Surplus. Reserve funds are not available for the next infrastructure emergency.
The Sewer users should be paying the entire cost of the sewer system, in my view, just as the rest of us pay the entire capital and operating costs for our own septic system, plus our share of potable water costs and other utilities delivered to our properties.
The next Municipal election is October 15th this year. Each candidate coming forward for re-election or election needs to develop a clear position on controlling costs while delivering necessary services.
Yours truly,
Bill Granger
