The Bureaucratic Penchant for Editing

...and not just for brevity's sake.

About a year ago, I overheard someone ask whether the Technical Memoranda summaries actually provided the same information--albeit in a summarized form--as the full memoranda.

In other words, with no editing (intentional or otherwise) of information that might harm GVW's goal of keeping Duteau Creek Water Treatment Plant intact and operational following a review by the SAC committee.

There may have been only raised eyebrows versus a reply.
This blog entry will start with Non Cost Considerations (NCCs) and conclude with the verbatim list of Adopted Motions (from elected GVAC officials).

GVW has chosen to not provide SAC with one, and edited the other.

"...Better satisfy the writer's purposes and the audience."

As the Stakeholders' Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet twice this month--having been told to review the Non-Cost Considerations (several times actually)--let's have a look at the weightings of two versions of NCCs. 

Plural?  Yup.

Non-Cost consideration Descriptions	GVW Weighting	Stamhuis Weighting
System Operational Ease & Flexibility	15%	20%
Governance & Administration Variances	15%	40%
Emergency Preparedness	10%	3%
Average Finished Water Quality	15%	5%
Reliability & Availability of Supply	15%	15%
Ease of Implementation	10%	5%
Future Expansion	10%	10%
Environmental Impacts	10%	2%
Total	100%	100%

 
Perhaps it's of value to review GVW edits to the actual descriptions of NCCs:

Original NCC Description Text, followed by bolded GVW Description Text:

System Operational Ease and Flexibility:

• addresses operation issues of two plants vs one, gravity system vs pumping, maintaining a single piped system vs twinned pipes.
• For each option the ease of water delivery will vary.  This issue will be considered in this item. (Notice the omission of what the public wants?  twinned lines!)

Governance & Administration Variances:

• examines cost allocation, administration, system expansion, backflow issues, public impressions and management of a combined system vs fully separated system agricultural system.
• For each option the management of the water system will be different.  This will be discussed and considered within this item.  (Notice the lack of choice i.e. combined system / fully separated ag system?)

Emergency Preparedness:

• examines the ability to respond to emergency situations, such as the loss of a facility due to earthquake, fire, contamination of source water etc.  Options having two sources have a better ability to respond to emergencies that impact a source as are options that use the gravity are more resilient to large scale power outages.
• The ability to respond to emergency conditions, such as the loss of a facility due to earthquake, fire, etc.

Average Finished Water Quality:

• based on the raw water quality of each source, there are some treated water variations between Kalamalka Lake, Okanagan Lake and Duteau Creek water which are reviewed in this valuation item.  The potential impact from invasive species such as zebra and quagga muscles(sic) as well as the vulnerability to human impact on the long term viability of the source.
• There are some treated water variations between Kalamalka Lake and Duteau Creek water.  This consideration will be reviewed in this valuation item.  (Notice the omission of Okanagan Lake?)

 Reliability and Availability of Supply:

• examines the likelihood that one or more sources will be unable to provide the required volumes of raw water under regular expected operating conditions.  Includes consideration of drought, climate change, and interconnection if two sources used.
• The likelihood that one or more sources will be unable to yield the required volumes of raw water under regular expected operating conditions.

Ease of Implementation:

• reviews the ability to implement the option in a timely manner resulting in the customers receiving Interior Health compliant treated water.  Considers land acquisition, disruption to the public during construction, conflicts with other utilities, obtaining or transferring water license, government permits and approvals and implementing changes to the operation of the system.
• The ability to implement the solution in a timely manner resulting in the customers receiving Interior Health compliant treated water will vary between the options.  (Notice the omission of the list that includes land acquisition?  Acquiring land--and perhaps others--may not be necessary, given the alternative -- legal rights of way).

Future Expansion:

• assessed the ability of the system to respond/adjust to changing future needs in a cost effective and operationally efficient manner.  Reviews the ability to expand the domestic and agricultural systems, deferring capital costs, incorporating new technology, adjusting to changing political or economic conditions.
• The ability of the system to respond/adjust to changing future needs in a cost effective and operationally efficient manner.  (Notice the omission? of ideas including deferral, new technology, political / economic changes?)

Environmental Impacts:

• considers the overall environmental impacts of the various options such as residual (waste) production, chemical use, carbon footprint, energy minimization, impact to natural water courses.
• This factors(sic) considers the overall environmental impacts of the various options such as residual production, energy minimization, impact to natural water course, etc.  (Notice the omission of chemical use? )

___________________________end of NCCs
 
Next, will Greater Vernon Water give SAC unedited Adopted Motions from elected representatives?
During the pre-SAC meetings stage, GVW edited--indeed changed the priority order!--of adopted motions.

So, in case the unedited version is no longer available, the 14 points listed below comprise the verbatim list, in the order in which they were presented and passed, of Adopted Motions by GVAC elected officials:

Elected Officials' Adopted Motions, unedited (verbatim)

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.   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.  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.  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

 


"Let's see if GVW gives the unedited verbatim Adopted Motions to SAC," says Kia, appearing to place a bet.

I'm in.
All in, actually.