The Times Advocate, 2008-06-25, Page 22
Times—Advocate
Wednesday, June 25 2008
Exeter residents sound off on proposed water rates
Continued from front page
Joy Tyler of the Carling Street apartments noted
tenants in those two buildings have been told they
will pay an additional $50 per month to cover the
new water charges. She asked Grunda if any thought
was given to those living in apartments. She noted
some people are struggling financially and are on
fixed incomes.
Grunda said he understood Tyler's concerns, but
said there are fixed costs in the system and other
municipalities are adding base charges to their
water bills as well.
Tenants of the Carling Street apartments were pro-
vided with information by building management
telling them that the flat rates actually subsidize high
volume users by charging the same flat rate to low
volume users in apartment buildings.
Senior Street apartment building owner Glenn
Trachsel said he has spoken to councillors in other
municipalities who have told him the proposed
Exeter charges are "unprecedented" and probably
wouldn't pass an appeal with the Ontario Municipal
Board.
"It's unfair," he said of the new rates.
He said the average tenant in his building uses five
cubic metres per month and with the new flat
charges will be paying the equivalent of over $8 per
cubic metre of water, twice as much as what some-
one in a house will pay.
He added apartment residents don't use as much
water as those in houses.
"You're discriminating against those apartments,"
Trachsel said.
Grunda said a portion of the bill is based on the
amount of water consumed and added the munici-
pality has to ensure it raises enough revenue to pay
for the water system.
"There's got to be a happy medium," Trachsel
responded.
Sanders Street apartment resident Robert
Drummond said his landlord told him his rent would
go up $50 per month in light of the new fees.
"This is outrageous to say the least," he said,
adding only about $5 of that would be for the water
used; the rest will be for the base charge. He said the
water bills should be billed by consumption.
"We're getting jacked," Drummond said.
Apartment building owner Rob Seiler said his fig-
ures show apartment residents will pay the equiva-
lent of $10 to $20 per cubic metre with the new
rates, when the flat rates are taken into account.
He asked why there couldn't be a fair system in
Andrew
Grunda
which everyone pays for what they
consume.
Grunda said if the municipality
went to a water charge based
entirely on consumption, the rev-
enue raised would be variable every
year. He said such a system would-
n't serve the system or the users
well. He said the proposed structure
isn't atypical of what other munici-
palities are doing and said having a
base charge is more prudent than
having a variable consumptive
charge.
Seiler said those who can afford the least will be
paying the most under the proposed system, with
Trachsel adding apartment residents are subsidizing
the houses.
"This is the most pathetic attempt at fairness I have
ever seen," Seiler said.
Hugh Davis, who managed the former Exeter PUC
for 36 years, noted that the Exeter system never had
a contaminated well and the new pipeline project
was too expensive for the community. He said the
municipality is looking at the expenses "after the
fact" and costing should have been done beforehand
to determine if South Huron could afford it. He
added the municipality should have worked harder
to get a bigger grant than the $4.3 million grant it
received.
"The wells would have lasted ... they're in good
condition," he said, adding he feels sorry for those
who can't afford the new rates.
"What will happen to them?" Davis asked.
There was some shouting from audience members
during the evening, with one man yelling, "we've
been railroaded." A number of people asked where
members of South Huron council were, although it
was later revealed they were all sitting at the back of
the room.
Mayor Ken Oke took the stage, explaining the
meeting was held so council can get an idea of what
residents think of the new rates. He said the wells
are failing and the government says South Huron has
to fix the system.
He said upgrading the wells will cost about the
same as the new pipeline, plus there would be addi-
tional costs with sourcewater protection regulations,
and the municipality would have no guarantees with
the water the wells could produce.
He said council will try to come up with something
that's fair.
"We have a big bill to pay ... and when I say 'we',
that's all of us."
Referring to the tone of the public comments, Oke
said, "Let's try and keep this civil."
Duplex owner Fred Simmons said the flat charges
cause a lot of problems for some people and should
be adjusted. He also said the structure of the pro-
posed fees don't promote water conservation.
South Huron resident Pat Down congratulated
council for being far-sighted enough to bring in
pipeline water to Exeter, but added apartment resi-
dents are being hurt by the proposed fees. She said
there should be several different fee scenarios for
council to choose from and asked if there can be dif-
ferent flat rates for houses and apartments.
Grunda said that can be looked into.
Down said the fees need to be based more on con-
sumption rather than the flat fee.
"You're penalizing the apartment people," she said.
Shirley Genttner said the municipality is putting
landlords in a bad position and is taking advantage
of them.
She suggested water meters be installed in apart-
ments and residents should pay for what they use.
"I'm more than willing to pay my fair share, I just
want it to be fair."
Nunzio Chiarella of Exeter asked, "Why are you
forcing us to move out of Exeter?"
Don Winter of Exeter said Grunda should revisit
the proposed fees based on the public's comments
and suggested new rates should be phased in.
"You've sort of slapped people in the face and said
'take it or leave it.""
Operations manager Don Giberson said a study
showed South Huron's wells were vulnerable and
there is a potential for contamination. He later added
the biggest costs a water system pays is to maintain
adequate water flows for fire protection for high val-
ued property such as apartment buildings, which
contribute a significant amount to a system's fixed
costs.
South Huron chief administrative officer Roy Hardy
concluded the two and a half hour meeting by saying
the municipality will consider the comments and the
public will be notified when council is to discuss the
new rates.
There were complaints from some at the meeting
that copies of the study weren't provided at the
meeting and audience members couldn't read the
figures on the projection screen.
Another public meeting was to be held last night
(Tuesday) in Crediton after the T -A went to press.
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