Several residents here have questioned why the town would even consider passing new water system bylaws before receiving results from a servicing and settlement master plan currently underway.
“This bylaw should be postponed,” resident Joe Moore told Erin council recently.
He argued it makes little sense to proceed now with huge water rate increases and to force some people currently serviced by wells to hook into the town water system, which, he said, would cost landowners between $11,000 and $20,000 while providing water of a lesser quality.
Moore suggested Erin should first examine the findings of the master plan, which will outline how the municipality will proceed in the future with water and waste water infrastructure.
That sentiment was supported by at least five other residents who spoke at the March 15 meeting.
Howard McRae, who lives on Armstrong Street, one of the areas close to an existing water pipeline and thus subjected to town-imposed water system hook-ups, objected to the “onerous” cost to comply with that section of the bylaw.
“I find it rather repugnant,” McRae said of the town proposal that could cost him $20,000. Plus, he added, the town would “provide me with less service,” and the move could also lower the value of his home.
Mayor Lou Maieron said he understands the concerns of well owners, but “There is a cost to growth.” He explained McRae’s subdivision was one of the last approved before the municipality decided all new development would be hooked up to the municipal water system.
Water Superintendent Frank Smedley said increasing the number of users will make the town system more efficient, due to “economies of scale.”
However, because the section of the bylaw dealing with new hook-ups has a lot to do with planning issues, including the provincial Places to Grow legislation, Smedley said questions on that section should be directed to town planner Sally Stull (she was not present at the meeting).
Resident Dave Dorman called the town proposal “a money grab” and wondered why the town did not do a better job of publicizing the forced-hook-up portion of the bylaw. He said many people, including himself, read about proposed water rate increases and assumed the bylaw did not affect them because they were on a private well. Dorman suggested the town notify by direct mail every possible landowner who may be forced to decommission a well and hook into the town system.
Councillor John Brennan said the servicing and settlement master plan is a long way from being complete – Maieron suggested two or three years – and while it does make sense to consider infrastructure changes in conjunction with that report, water rates are “a here-and-now issue.” The rates need to be increased, Brennan said. It is just a matter of how much.
As for mandatory new hook-ups, he said perhaps the costs could be pro-rated over several years to help “ease the burden” on property owners.
Councillor Barb Tocher suggested council separate the bylaw into two documents – one applying to water rates and one dealing with other issues such as new hook-ups.
Council unanimously agreed to separate the bylaw and also to direct staff to contact landowners with wells who have a town pipeline in their vicinity, and to publish more advertisements on the proposed water bylaws.
Last week council deferred the water rate section of the bylaw and informed residents they would also not be dealing with the hook-up issue as planned on April 5 (due to one councillor being absent).
Both matters will be discussed at the April 19 meeting of council.
