The New Guy

He has a lot to learn.

New Vernon Mayor, Akbal Mund, can be forgiven for his enthusiasm when he said "We're here to help our businesses grow," in his capacity as director of Greater Vernon Advisory Committee.

He was referring to the applicant's successful application for additional 2 hectares of water for an orchard that now encompasses 80,000 apple trees.  Staff had recommended rejection of the application.

Voting against the additional water allocation were directors Jim Garlick, Gyula Kiss and Bob Spiers.

Gyula Kiss was quoted in today's Morning Star: "If it wasn't treated water, I would have no problem with them having all of the water they need.  But when we have expensive (treated) water, someone has to subsidize it when it's sold at a lower cost," and the financial impact is on domestic customers whose horrendous residential water rates subsidize farm water costs.

"This is an area we've historically given (blog highlight) water to," said Agriculture rep and director Ted Osborn.
Given is the operative word.

Here's what GVW staff had to say about a separate application for a Tree Seedling Nursery property application for irrigation water:  "The water source proposed to provide irrigation water to these subject properties is treated potable water from Duteau Creek Water Treatment Plant (DCWTP). The RDNO is endeavouring to minimize the impact on the DCWTP by encouraging treated potable water to be used for domestic purposes only. This property is not located within a proposed Separation Area and will not be provided with a separate non treated irrigation connection. The applicant has no option but to use the treated water source currently available.  The Master Water Plan identifies these properties as not being within the boundaries of a Separation Area and hence will not receive non treated irrigation water in the future."

Mr. Mund needs to learn how Greater Vernon Water is helping businesses grow.
Or not.
Just ask Hillview Golf, Highlands Golf, Swan Lake Fruit and Garden, Art Knapp Nurseryland (while it was still in operation), Atlantis Waterslides, Tekmar just how they're being helped by Greater Vernon Water and politicians.

Helped in the downhill slide towards closing permanently (which Art Knapp nursery has already done)!


Yup, we six businesses listed above hired a lawyer back in 2005? (or was it 2006?) to represent us in an appeal to the Regional District because bureaucrats, with the help of the advisory committee, were about to totally eliminate the Non Domestic, Non Potable Commercial Irrigation category!  Our appeal was successful because we proved that other communities were actually increasing the number of categories to more accurately reflect their customers' water usage!

That famous quote from Yogi Berra comes to mind:  "It's deja vu all over again."

Why?

Well, let's see how Mr. Mund's promise to help businesses grow is working so far.  This is from the Advisory Committee Agenda dated March 5, 2015.  That's also the agenda for the 2015 Water Rates.

"Non Domestic Non Potable rates in Section 5.e.i apply to the following properties:

-7921 Greenhow Road

-7961 Buchanan Road,

 -1101–14 Avenue

-7920 Highland Road,and

- 5100 Silver Star Road

 All these properties shall be phased in to be billed at 100% of the Non Domestic  and MixedUse Fee at the following:

2015     60% of Non Domestic and Mixed Use Fee

2016     70% of Non Domestic and Mixed Use Fee

2017     80% of Non Domestic and Mixed Use Fee

2018     90% of Non Domestic and Mixed Use Fee

2019    100% of Non Domestic and Mixed Use Fee"

"The water authority and uninformed politicians giveth and taketh away," offers Kia.

Must be in another community...certainly not the North Okanagan

Akbal Mund sure has a lot to learn.
The poor guy.