Assiginack meeting to set water rates gets heated

by Diana Smith
MANITOWANING - A special council meeting to set 2003 water rates in 
Assiginack and to establish the number of water connections for 
future capital costs in the townplot of Manitowaning had its 
contentious moments last Thursday.
Water rates are to go up about four percent, according to Deputy 
Clerk Darcy Chapman. The rise in rates has been connected to the 
extra testing required under the Drinking Water Protection Act, as 
well as the repairs and upgrades needed after shut downs at the 
Manitowaning Water Treatment Plant and also the wastewater site in 
January and February of this year. Also contributing to the increased 
cost is the provincially required reserve fund for each water plant.
After the Zebra Mussel incident, which saw the Manitowaning water 
plant shut down and the town put under a boil water advisory, both 
the water plant in Manitowaning and the one in Sunsite Estates were 
privy to an inspection by the Ministry of Environment's Drinking 
Water Inspection team and found wanting.
In all three cases (Manitowaning, Sunsite and the wastewater site) 
costs will have to be worked into the 2003 Assiginack 
Water/Wastewater Budget and paid for by the system users.
Mr. Chapman advised the Council that budget lines on these costs were 
estimates given to him by the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) 
representative Sean McGhee, as repairs have not been completed. The 
agency is the current operator for both the Manitowaning and Sunsite 
systems.
The price tag, due to repairs, deficiency upgrades and increased man 
hours following the shut down due to Zebra Mussels at the 
Manitowaning Plant, is estimated to be $22,000. The money needed to 
upgrade deficiencies at the Sunsite Plant was $16,000, and the 
breakdown at the Manitowaning Wastewater Plant cost users $10,000 for 
repairs, removal of sewage and extra operator man-hours.
Councilor Bud Rohn immediately objected to the setting of water rates 
based on the estimated figures.
"People think I drag my feet when I want to check and verify numbers, 
but I have been more and more reluctant to accept figures given to me 
by OCWA. These people are the reason we have these repair costs," 
said Councilor Rohn. "We just finished up a two year battle over 
another OCWA bill that started out with a $12,000 total that ended up 
being reduced to $2,373."
Mr. Chapman was quick to point out that the annual water bills with 
four scheduled installments had to be sent out to the public on time. 
He felt if they waited for exact figures to issue them, people would 
end up paying water and tax bills in the same month, which could 
prove a hardship for many.
He commented, "If these numbers are an over-estimate of the actual 
bills then the difference will go into the respective reserves."
Jim Griffin, head of the Sunsite Estates water committee, attended 
the meeting. He was concerned that the water bills were being based 
on inflated estimates. He was promised by reeve and council that his 
committee would be kept in the loop about what was going on regarding 
Sunsite water service.
"We are not willing to put up for grabs $28,000 (Sunsite's water bill 
for 2003) with people we don't trust." He commented, "I called the 
Ministry of the Environment (MOE) Inspector, Marne Managhan, this 
morning, to go over the Provincial Officer's Order for Sunsite 
Estate. There are alternative ways to solve or fix some of the work 
ordered for the plant. My concern is that OCWA might put in more than 
they have too, when we have a new plant going in shortly."
He pointed out 83 percent of all costs for the new plant will be 
covered by government funds. For example, the Order states that the 
municipality (by way of its operator) must install spill containment 
around the hatch to the clear well, and around the chemical storage 
tank.
"There are three different ways this can be done with three different 
costs. Those options included poured concrete with lag bolted to the 
floor, steel with gaskets or plastic," Mr. Griffin said.
"Who in the township is sitting down with OCWA and going over the 
alternatives and seeing that we are getting the cheapest most 
efficient options for upgrades and repairs on these plants?" he 
questionned. "The fact that the township is willing to accept 
estimates to complete its billing process, estimates that are based 
solely on decisions made by OCWA without running them past the 
client, as per the contract, is not right. With all due respect, the 
contract reads that in all regulatory matters OCWA will not operate 
without the approval of the client."
According to Mr. Griffin, part of the MOE order requires that spare 
back up parts be on hand for key parts of the system. He feels that 
is entirely sensible, except in this case, where he questions why you 
would buy a bunch of backup parts for a system you are going to 
change in four months.
"Our group would have liked to have had that appealed, but you only 
had seven days to do so, and nobody did it. Nobody appealed any part 
of those orders or has asked the Director of the MOE for any leeway, 
so I am going to do it this week," he said. He added, "We don't want 
contaminated water or our system to break down, but we certainly 
don't want large expenditures when in fact we are replacing the plant 
shortly. I am also going to phone (Algoma-Manitoulin Member of 
Provincial Parliament) Mike Brown for help."
Councilor Les Fields was not happy with different people going out 
and contacting the ministry.
"All this information should have been run through the municipal 
office," she said. "We can't keep trying to micro manage this 
situation."
Mr. Griffin feels differently, "If staff isn't going to approve what 
OCWA is doing, then yes, we at Sunsite are going to do it."
The other issue brought to the table during this evening meeting was 
that a colour-coded map has been drawn up by the Deputy Clerk to 
identify the number of water connections for future capital costs in 
the townplot of Manitowaning. It sets out to distinguish the number 
of single lots with one connection, double lots (or more) with one 
connection and questionable lots/service where perhaps two residents 
are using a single connection.
It is an important issue in the case of Manitowaning because its new 
water plant will be upgraded to a Class "C" Project where $534, 000 
of the capital cost dollars won't be covered by subsidies. The 
government stipulated it would not finance any part of a system that 
establishes growth.
Currently, the map has identified 350 users on the system, although 
the engineering study originally identified 224. This will reduce the 
capital costs per lot from the original figure, which was estimated 
to be between $2,779 and $3,420.
"Over one-third of the lots in Manitowaning are serviced but are not 
being used," Reeve Hugh Moggy commented. "It is fair that everyone 
share in the cost for the water treatment plant."
Objections have been heard from owners of the vacant lots, who feel 
they paid into the original capital cost for the system's 
infrastructure in 1977, and they currently have no use for water from 
the new treatment plant. They propose that the capital costs on these 
lots be deferred until such time that they are built on and used. 
This, according to Reeve Moggy, would put a terrible strain on the 
other two-thirds of property owners who would have to cover the total 
capital costs and the accompanying interest.
People owning double/multiple lots with one dwelling would also like 
to avoid paying a capital cost on each one of their lots reasoning 
that they only have one water connection in use. People who oppose 
this theory rationalize that down the road these lots could be sold 
separately, or in the case of a house in the middle of a double lot, 
torn down and the two lots sold.
As council ponders these dilemmas the map will be put on display in 
several public venues so locals can check the validity and 
correctness of the material.
It was also noted by the municipal staff, following the meeting, that 
OCWA representatives will meet with council next week to discuss 
their estimates for capital repairs.

First Nations governance forced upon people