Times Advocate, 1999-09-01, Page 3Wednesday, September 1, 1999
Exeter Times -Advocate
Sewage plant upgrade to
cost more than expected?
By Craig Bradford
TIMES -ADVOCATE STA
EXETER -- What's an
extra few thousand dol-
lars between friends?
Council learned at
Monday night's special
council meeting that the
about $4.8 million sewage
improvement/expansion
project may likely cost
more than expected.
Though no firm figures
are yet available; chief
administrative officer
Rick Hundey said almost
twice as much sludge has
been -discov-
ered in the
sewage
lagoons than
originally
estimated. by
B.M. Ross and
Associates,
Exeter's con -
Exeter's share of the pro-
ject was pegged at $1.6
million (about half of
which has been spent on
prior engineering/prep
fees). Hundey earlier said
the first installment of the
MOE grant has yet 'to
come in due to bureau-
cratic red tape and Exeter
has had to borrow money
to keep the project, ten-
dered out to St. Marys'
Stone Town, going.
Stephen Township was to
pick up over $900,000 of
the project and Nabisco is
to pitch i.n: a yet to be
finally
negotlat-
d
amount.
Exeter
"I'd say someone
forgot about it and -
we're. footing --the ,bill."
--- EXETER COUN. wli PaY
s -har
PETER ARMSTRONG foriits
e
through
suiting engineers_,from reserves and sewer rates.
Goderich on the project, Moyer said exact costs
Service delivery manag- for sludge removal
er Dave Moyer explained weren't included in the
the estimated $500,000 to original contract because
transport the larger than . an exact amount of
anticipated amount of sludge couldn't be devised
sludge to Exeter's landfill till the lagoons were
site (as called for in the drained and excavated.
original project plans) Coun. Peter Armstrong
could -'be 'offset by keeping wondered aloud how the
the Sludge on site, grad- engineers could have
ing:it, covering it with top.° been so far off in their
Sell and seeding it, estimates, especially with
Moving the top soil would how much they are get -
cost between $200,000- ting paid.
$230,000 and covering it ; "I'd say someone forgot
about .$50,000. Moyer '`" about it and we're footing
the bill," he said.
'foyer said wave nuctu
ations at the lagoons
made sludge mounds in
areas B.M. Ross didn't dip
into `while compiling
information estimating
how much sludge there
said keeping the sludge
on site, , an option
approved by the Ministry
of the Environment, could
be cheap enough to offset
the more than expected
amount of sludge found.
He added any 'extra
costs incurred are all
"grantable expenses,"
meaning more money
from the province would
be forthcoming,
MOE has granted the.
project $1.8 million while
was.
Moyer reminded council
the project is ahead of
schedule due to the dry
spring' and summer. He
said if Exeter experienced
a wet spring or summer
the sludge wouldn't have
been dry enough to move.
He added the lessened
time frame could result in
project savings.
Now that the sludge is
nearing the amount of
dryness so all of it can be
moved, Moyer urged
council to give him the go
ahead to move it as soon
as possible.
Reeve Roy Triebner said
he's seen sewage plants
that process sludge and
sell it to farmers and gar-
deners.
"Maybe we're sitting on
a gold mine," he said.
Hundey said staff and
engineers looked into that
possibility but devised
there may be too much
sludge to mount a com-
mercial sale program.
:Mayor B e n
Hoogenboom suggested
all of council take a tour
of the "fantastic project."
Hundey and Moyer said
they'd come back to coun-
cil at a future meeting
with a full report when
they *receive more infor-
mation from B.M. Ross.
The sewage plant Pro-
ject dominated the special
meeting after council had
dealt with the. original
reason for the meeting:,
passing the new develop-
merit charges bylaw.
Council also decided to
cap the existing develop-
ment charges fund at its
current about $70,000
'level and create a new
one to work under the
new provincial regula-
tions.`
The oldfund can be
used to fund `hard' ser-
vices (such as sewers and
roads) and 'soft services'
(such as recreational and
cultural projects). Any
fees brought in under the
new bylaw must go:.to
hard services only. '
can Biddulph council. to
future of hydro
By Scott Nixon
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
LUCAN BIDDULPH — It's decision
time for council.
Lucan Biddulph council learned at
its Aug. 24 meeting that the Lucan
Granton Hydro Electric Commission is
worth between $1 million to $1.2
million. That figure comes from a
study done by consultants KPMG.
Reeve Earl French told the T -A
council had anticipated a value similar
to KPMG's estimate.
It is now up to council to decide if it
wants to sell its utility system, lease it
out, amalgamate it with . a
neighbouring hydro company or keep
it and try to run it themselves.
If council decides to sell to Ontario
Hydro before November 2000, there
will be no transfer tax. If it sells to a
private company there will be a
transfer tax.
John Rockx of KPMG told council
there will be many companies wishing
to buy Lucan Granton Hydro if the
a
township decides to sell. Lucan
Granton Hydro has 915 customers, but
because they are primarily residential,
that makes the value lower, Rockx
said.
Council will be making a decision on
the issue at its next meeting, Sept. 7.
Deputy Reeve Bob Benner said he
didn't want to see " the matter drag, on
and told council he has had push to
get anything done regarding hydro.
French told the T -A Monday night he
would reserve his : comments
regarding the decision until council's
next meeting.
"I'm going to let council make the
decision . . . I don't want to lead
them," he said, explaining that if he
has an opinion he will let it be known
to council during the meeting.
"I think the right decision will be
made."
French said he believes council ' is
split on the issue of whether to sell
hydro or keep it and run it as an
independent company.
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