SAC Committee

Applications are now being accepted by RDNO for 13 volunteers to form the Stakeholder Advisory Committee, with an August 24th deadline.  The application form is here.  The preamble to the process includes pertinent other links. 

The public--and committee volunteers--should watch carefully during the committee's expected six-month term to see whether Adopted Motions--moved and seconded by elected officials during a prior GVAC meeting--will actually be presented to the group in the same format in which they were moved and seconded. 

After all, that would comply with one of the myriad Terms of Reference for the committee, in particular under #3, PURPOSE, which states:  "Ensure all options are considered".

Somewhere within this list of Greater Vernon Advisory Committee minutes is a list of Adopted Motions.   But rather than spending an hour clicking on various minutes to find them, here they are once again.

Verbatim...lest Greater Vernon Water (conveniently) forgets to provide committee members with the consensus (agreed-upon wishes) of the area's elected officials.

Of particular interest to many, many people (including Highlands Golf) is number 11, "need of supply type"...  and while we're at it, get rid of number 14 "hiring a communications specialist".

1.  Councillor Lord asked that a Communications Strategy for dealing with the Review be adopted such that the public could be informed on each question. Adopted

2.  Coldstream Mayor Garlick said the defeat of the Referendum bought valuable time (bullshit!) for a review to be undertaken.  And that Standards for water quality, pricing and delivery have changed and are in the process of change, that the review incorporate these changes in its process.  Adopted

3.  Councillor Kiss requested the review focus on a MWP that addresses the future needs of the water user base, and that as Okanagan Lake is the most reliable water source where the least amount of treatment is needed, that the review include the viability of the OK Lake as the principal water source. Adopted

4.  Filtration exclusion and deferral issues were discussed and GVW management explained the current situation with respect to IHA and that it should be included in the review. Adopted


5.  Bob Spiers asked if a review could include the cost of treating the entire volume of Duteau water as compared with other treatment options. Adopted

6.  Mayor Garlick asked that public involvement in the review follow the model set and adopted by the Municipalities at the provincial level whereby a public committee was struck to provide feedback into decision-making relative to MWP allowing politicians and staff to have maximum input to direction.  (Politicians and staff?  Aren't you forgetting the public?  As long as his idea has no semblance of Coldstream's Agricultural Advisory Committee, which was a sham whose meeting principals were led--by the nose--by a councillor--after they were told what terms of reference were!).  Adopted

7.  Director Fleming asked if  "current demand levels" projected to 2020 and on, be considered in the review. Adopted

8. A question respecting the differing levels of supply by Quarter be included in the review.  Adopted

9. Redundancy of sources and the management of supply should be reviewed as Duteau, Kal, Coldstream Creek, King Edward Lake, and Okanagan Lake all are in the picture. Adopted

10.  Whether one treatment plant could supply all needs from all sources. Adopted

11.  Mayor Garlick proposed that the principle of  "need of supply type" be adopted to guide supply management.  In other words, if a user needs potable water, user pays for potable water.  (Alternately then, it would follow that if a user needs unchlorinated non-potable water that isn't available, the user pays for unchlorinated non-potable water!  An excellent idea!)  Adopted.

12.  Question to minimize the use of treated water on agricultural lands.  Adopted

13.  Councillor Cunningham advised everyone to take a "step back" and work with the public on developing a new MWP that serves the needs of the entire community.  (But no longer controlled by bureaucrats, hopefully!)  Adopted

14.  Mayor Garlick proposed that staff investigate hiring a communications specialist. Develop a communications strategy to facilitate the flow of information to and from public and press throughout MWP review process. The intent is to draw people in to the process.  Adopted

Hopefully the committee will ensure the present cost shifting system ends.

 

 

Something else the committee's volunteers may appreciate learning:

"Add manipulation to that last graphic," suggests Kia.

So let's watch and see if Adopted Motions--in their original unmanipulated form--are presented to the committee.
Any bets?
Anyone?