HomeMy WebLinkAboutLakeshore Advance, 2011-06-29, Page 7Lambton Shores Zone 3 group speaks to council
vada Hillman -Replay
_akeshore Advance
In a delegation previously
presented to the Tri -munici-
pal board was also a delega-
tion at a regular Lambton
Shores council meeting last
week. Richard Matzka and
Carl Belke went through the
same power point that
detailed what the Zone 3
Community Groupwanted
council members to know
about plant size, price and
flow rates. The group is made
up of Bob Sharon - Chairman
and members Carl Belke,
Ernest Lewis, Richard Matzka,
lardy Speake and Campbell
lhylor with associates Walter
Kratz, Lee McCutcheon and
Justin Speake.
As reported in the Lake-
shore Advance June 22, this
group state, in their review the
proposed Grand Bend Sani-
tary Treatment Facility --
Expansion & Upgrade, as a
whole, is the single most
expensive capital project
undertaken by municipal
partners -. Bluewater, Lamb -
ton Shores and South I luron.
It is inoperative that both plant
design and size he the most
suitable for future require-
ments but also more impor-
tantly for current needs so as
not to burden present taxpay-
ers with a punitive and
unmanageable debt.
"The Zone 3 Community
Group is a volunteer citizen
Committee formed at a time
when it appeared Lambton
Shores Council was not
responding to concerns oldie
public with respect to issues
of wastewater services, After
16 months of investigation
and study of sewer systems
and treatment facilities, this
Committee wishes to share its
research, in this instance, on
sanitary treatment facilities."
"We feel proper considera-
tion was not given to alternate
proposals such as a 'New
Hamburg. lagoon and a
mechanical Sequential Batch
Reactor (SUR) plant. Given
the current flows to the Grand
Bend lagoon, it is the opinion
of operating engineers we
spoke to, that an upgrade to a
New Hamburg process would
be all that is currently
required. I lowever, should
flows be increased signifi-
cantly by including any or all
of Zones 1 to 4, a mechanical
plant is warranted:'
Members of the group
obtained much of their edu-
cation from field trips to com-
munities with either a sewage
collection system or a
mechanical treatment plant
of interest: ('Phis committee
compared the facilities to the
imposed Grand Bend facility
at a proposed cost of $21-26
million).
'Woodslee, ON - where we
were guided by the mainte-
nance workers who oversaw
their low pressure / grinder
pump system - they provided
a honest assessment of the
system and would not recom-
mend it.
'New Hamburg, ON -
where we had a tour of a
three -basin Sequential Batch
Reactor plant. 'lie plant oper-
ator provided an intimate
view of the process and
described strengths and
weaknesses of the treatment
method. (approximately $10
million)
'St. Jacobs, ON - where we
had our first view of an oxida-
tion ditch or 'Orbal' single
channel plant. It was almost
fully automated since daily
inflows were relatively con-
stant for the entire year.
"Tilbury, ()N - on Dr. Tsfl's
recommendation we toured
the Siemens 'Orbal' three
channel treatment facility.
The plant was engineered by
Dillon, and would be n model
for the Grand Bend facility.
($13.1 million)
•Arkeil, ON - at the Univer-
sity of Guelph's Ontario Rural
Wastewater Centre where we
attended a seminar by Kath-
erine Rentsch, Project
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Coordinator on septic systems who also
gave us a tour of their tertiary an -site
septic system displays.
After the presentation council made
comments butdid not explain the costs
as it stands today, but that are on record.
Council said they would wait for the
report to come back from Dr. 'lhsfi at the
July meeting.
As reported in the Lakeshore Advance,
if the full plant is $26.5 million and you
deducted the Build Canada Grant of
$14.9 million and the $1 million Green
Municipal Fund Grant you get about
$10.5 that has to be split between Lamb -
ton Shores (48.4%) South l luron (30.2%)
and Bluewater (21.4%).With Lambton
Shores 48.4% share there is a little less
than $5 trillion to pay. When you add in
the MNR payment for the Pinery, Lamb -
ton Shores share is only $3.77 million.
Lambton Shores and its partners also
received a $10 million dollar loan from
the Green Municipal Fund for the project
so the cost of financing the remaining
project cost for all three partners is at
half the standard bank rate.Lambton
Shores recognized this potential cost
and began ramping up sewer rates for
the existing users Grand Bend, Forest,
Arkona and 'Medford to help set aside
money to pay for this cost and has been
setting aside those monies in a reserve
fund to further reduce this cost.None of
this cost has been assessed to property
owners in Zones 3 and 4, but the munic-
ipality thought it would he prudent to
make the plant large enough to service
Zones 3 and 4 if it became necessary to
do so because of Provincial regulations.
The municipal treasurer has explained
to the Lakeshore Advance in previous
reports that the financing of the new
plant is well within Lambton Shores
capability.Residents in Zone 3 & 4 are
not affected at all by the plant project.
Also not part of the council dialogue at
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Wednesday, June 29, 2011 • Lakeshore Advance 7
last week's meeting was thatLannbton
Shores has agreed to cover Bluewater's
share of the cost for the new plant until
such time as Bluewater has been able to
develop its collection system, which
doesn't exist at this time. When it is
developed Bluewater has agreed to repay
Lambton Shores along with the carrying
costs associated with that short-term
loan.
The presenters feel the size of this
facility is too large for the needs of the
area. "I know you have paid lot to Dil-
lon," said Matzka, "Please spend this
money wisely."
Deputy mayor Elizabeth Davis Dagg
said they have to consider an upset limit
and if Dillon can't do the job for $15 mil-
lion, they should get someone else. Coun-
cilor Ruth lllman said they have an agree-
ment and have to continue with the
process. She said there were points in this
presentation that staff should look at.
"Right now we are not ready to make
decisions, we have to follow the process."
Councilor Martin Underwood said he has
confidence in the board members (Mayor
13111 Weber, councilors Dave Maguire and
Doug Bonesteel) to use all the resources
at their disposal. Councilor John Russell
agreed he trusts the board members and
asked what the status of this report was in
regards to the tri -municipal board. Ile
was told the report from Dillon engineer
Dr. 'Ihsfi was coaling to the board in July.
Councilor Lorie Scott said no one was
questioning if they needed a sanitary
treatment facility- but that the size and
cost are at issue. 126 million is too friggin
much money," she said. Mayor Bill Weber
said that was the reasons for the meet-
ings, "to go through the process:' Russell
suggested they receive and file this report,
"there is nothing new in this information.
Let's get a report from the tri -municipal
board:'
Davis-Dagg said they are sending out
tenders for the $21 and $26 million dol-
lar facilities and they need to do that for
a $15 million plant. Weber explained
tenders have not gone out. Councilor
Doug Bonesteel said there is enough
doubt on this project and they need to
do their due diligence. "Find the best
plant for the best money to do the best
job," he cautioned.
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