Council's Watershed Moment

We told Council last year.
We told them in March this year, and again and again during the year long fiasco over the Subdivision and Development Servicing Bylaw.

Neither Development costs, nor off-site works, nor spurious and sudden "drainage" fees should be levied by the District of Coldstream against homeowners applying for a simple building permit for a renovation.

But that doesn't mean Coldstream Council wouldn't try.

We were blunt.
Because they brushed us off when we were nice.

"...NOW having drainage problems, to use Councillor Kiss' emphasis, are we Coldstream residents oblivious to a mountain-building event and the entire community used to be flat during the old bylaw?  Drainage and its effects have been around since the glaciers retreated.  Drainage is why we have drinking water year round.  Water runs downhill, and will for some time, at least until December 21st of this year, according to the Mayans."

But a desperate-for-funds local government will use any tool at their disposal to take more of your money.
Even if they have to manufacture the tool.

At least until one of their own makes it abundantly clear they're shimmying up the wrong drainpipe.  Excerpt from the June 25/12 Agenda for Coldstream Council:

"The Chief Administrative Officer commented on the difficulties of formalizing a comprehensive plan to deal with drainage issues in the District.  He added that one solution would not address all of the issues and that the Development Cost Charges could only be used on identified projects and the current amounts accumulated might limit this to a single capital project."

It gets better:

"The Operations Superintendent noted the challenge of distinguishing between storm water issues and flooding issues.  He added that the District was located in a valley bottom surrounded by hillsides and that it wold be impossible to hold a natural watercourse back." 

That's no horse-feathers, Sherlock.


The agenda item concluded with:  "Committee members expressed agreement and commented on the diligence that the Public Works Department displayed with their maintenance and response to stormwater issues."

The Public Works Department DID do a good job -- agreed.

"The Mayor is a physics teacher and he wants to hold back a watercourse?" asks Kia.

Coldstream Council merely wants residents to pay for damage from stormwater run-off, ditches and road repairs that Coldstream has neglected to maintain over the years...all in favour of decidedly warmer and fuzzier projects like bike lanes and solar panels that'll "up" Coldstream's value with provincial bureaucrats in Victoria.