What about the Sewer Franchise Agreement? Utilities are essential, not everything is money.
The District of Sooke’s proposed 21-year Wastewater Franchise Agreement with EPCOR, as is, is what evolved so wonderfully from our community’s investment of time, money, planning, installation and maintenance.
RFPs happened and the tendering process was observed at the beginning of this project.
Difference in costs now and when originally quoted – 40 per cent higher is a more accurate number, almost to the penny. These increased numbers would have happened no matter who contracted or even if we had our own sewer department.
What about EPCOR and local hiring and training? Anyone interested is invited to submit a resume to EPCOR. The majority of EPCOR employees are residents of Sooke.
LWMP partnership is of significance to the Sewer Franchise Agreement. Contracts that are of length are for the community as much as short term contracts are, they are also implemented through a selection process completed by the mayor and council. It is the individuals elected who, with the purity of their hearts, make decisions based on wholesome goodness for all.
Total Annual Payment is annual operating costs. Budgets cannot include non-contracted large future contractual items.
The amount of money required to establish our community’s capable sewer department would be millions. EPCOR a multi-billion dollar company. What is offered, is far beyond that which most single municipalities have the ability to do for themselves.
Parcel tax stabilization is a play on words. Things of this nature do not ever finish bubbling. The sewage treatment portion of the parcel tax is to be considered in a stable state as per the numbers provided by the District of Sooke. Especially so when the sewage treatment option is setup to only increase at a slow and steady one per cent annually to make it so that costs relative to ownership and operations of this sewage treatment system are in the black by year 14.
I feel very comfortable saying EPCOR is a morally responsible Canadian company.
moonfist
Sooke