What does it take to run a sewage treatment plant? Right now in Sooke we have qualified people who have taken on the responsibility of running the system, yes they work for EPCOR, but could similarly qualified people could work for the District of Sooke in the same capacity?
Of the people on the street questioned about Sooke running its own system all four stated they want to see the job in-house. No one is saying EPCOR employees haven’t done a good job but they want to see the profits that EPCOR obviously makes stay in Sooke.
The argument has been that the district would have to purchase new vehicles for the crew and find a place to store them. Well, you better believe that EPCOR has figured out those costs in the contract. The property that the system sits on is adequate to park a few vehicles. So that argument doesn’t sound very plausible.
It seems most people have no bone to pick with EPCOR, just with the council and the length of the contract. Getting out of it at any time after the ink is dry would not be easy or inexpensive. Can you say $1 million?
It will be up to the local residents to figure out how they want this to go down. Everyone who plans to state their opinion using the Alternate Approval Process needs to go to the meeting tonight and ask questions, get the facts and then make their decision based on the information they get. If you approve of the contract then you don’t have to do anything, if not, then you need to let the district know through the AAP. Be sensible and reasonable about this and don’t let a good/bad deal fall through because you are unhappy with the present council.