Coldstream Sends "Private Fire Hydrant" Issue Back to GVW

But with a request for information that should finally provide the transparency so sadly lacking at Greater Vernon Water.

A quick history that could aptly be called Round And Round We Go.
The "private" fire hydrant at Highlands Golf is taxed annually by the Regional District of North Okanagan.
The tax has ballooned from approximately $225 in 2001 to $470 in 2013.  In 2014 it's $560!
Nobody seems to recognize that even a "private" fire hydrant is part of a community's infrastructure.  Or at least until now.  More info at the "Saga" blog story of August 1st, 2014,  here.

So I sought to donate it.
First to Coldstream's fire hall--and then the municipality directly--an offer by me to donate my ~$13,000 (today's value) asset "private" fire hydrant.  All in an attempt to quell the annual tax gouging by GVW.  Was told that Coldstream doesn't own hydrants within its jurisdiction, so the recommendation was to donate it to Greater Vernon Water, which does (apparently) own North Okanagan's public hydrants.  Their engineer appeared to pull the wool over GVAC directors' eyes by first saying there were 17 private fire hydrant owners--then the same engineer a month later said it was 123, not 17.  Then back to Coldstream because, apparently, GVW does not "own" fire hydrants--they merely provide water to them.
Turns out communities pay GVW a nominal fee just over one hundred dollars annually for each fire hydrant.  That information took almost a year to be "discovered".

Ahem!  Oh, for heaven's sake!

Surprisingly--when looking up a bureaucracy image--GVW wasn't the first hit...

Happy to report--actually bloody ecstatic--that Coldstream Council at their July 28, 2014 meeting was unanimous in its decision to:  (unadopted minutes)

"Report from the Director of Engineering Services dated July 21, 2014,

Barb Mitchell appealed to Council to assist her with by either supporting the

donation of her private fire hydrant to the District or the

Greater Vernon Water Utility of having the annual hydrant fee reduced.

Ms. Mitchell further explained that she had attempted to have this issue resolved with the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee but

that they had indicated they would not accept her offer of donation.

Moved by Besso, seconded by Kiss, that the District's representatives on the

Greater Vernon Advisory Committee be directed to bring forward the Highlands Golf Course fire hydrant issue back to the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee and request that, in the interest of procedural fairness 

 (bold underscore blog author), Greater Vernon Water Utility (GVWU)

review the rates charged for private fire hydrants.

No. REG2014-205 CARRIED"

That then led to the following from the Regional District's Agenda for Greater Vernon Advisory Committee (directors) to peruse at their August 7th, 2014 meeting:

If this "flies" among Directors, there will finally be water rate transparency.

If it "dies", residents--who are concerned about huge increases to their water rates--can blame their area director for waffling under regional district bureaucrats' omnipotence.

Even if residents don't care about fire hydrant "rates".

"That it be recommended to the Board of Directors, staff be directed to

prepare a report to facilitate the discussion of future Greater Vernon Water

Utility rates.  The purpose of the report is to allow the politicians to discuss

the various potential sources of revenue, including taxation, to satisfy the future anticipated needs of the water utility.  The report should include detailed statistics on the present distribution of revenue (2013), including but not limited to: (a) number of connections of each type (breaking out Agricultural, Residential, Industrial, Commercial, Institutional, and other)

(b) present rates charged, and total income received, for each type of customer and service (including fire hydrants). (bold underscore blog author)

(c) detailed maps outlining and differentiating the areas that are and are not

presently serviced by the utility, but are geographically within

the Greater Vernon taxation area;

That the report be brought forward for discussion at either the September 4, 2014 OR earliest

possible Greater Vernon Advisory Committee meeting."

The Regional District brought this on themselves with their lack of transparency.

And gouging.

Have a look at this October 9, 2012 story which proves GVW has no idea--presumably because of a lack of software ability--what the breakdown in taxes among various users is.  Even how much each category uses! 

One word describes that:  outrageous!  

"Bureaucrats need to be accountable to politicians who serve their residents...it's about time in the North Okanagan," offers Kia.

It certainly is, Kia.

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb deciding

 what to have for dinner. Liberty is a well-armed lamb.

 ~Author unknown, commonly misattributed to Benjamin Franklin

Duteau Water Storage at 117 Per Cent

Good news for residents.
Bad news for water shortage alarmists.

"Local water supply above average" begins a Morning Star story August 28th, 2013.

Not surprising considering the eight inches of rain that registered in Highlands' rain gauge in June.  Eight inches!  That's almost two-thirds of this area's annual precipitation!

The purple line on Greater Vernon Water's graph indicates the mid-August 2013 reading at the Duteau Creek storage reservoir.

The Fall weather forecast, from the Almanac, indicates below normal precipitation and seasonal temperatures for September.

"Environment Canada seasonal weather forecasts are indicating an increased likelihood of hotter than normal temperatures for August and September", continues the newspaper story.

"...and don't forget higher and higher prices from the water authority," reminds Kia.

"Plentiful" Water Supply

Finally some good news from Greater Vernon Water.

As reported in the Morning Star on April 17, 2013, Duteau Creek's water content (in snow) is 109 per cent of average, with snow depth at 102 per cent.

The stored water volume of Duteau Creek reservoirs is 154 per cent.
The entire basin that includes Duteau Creek reservoirs is at 111 per cent.

The Okanagan-Kettle basin which includes the Kal Lake water source is at 107 per cent.

"So...nothing about rate decreases?" asks Kia.

Don't hold your breath waiting for that!

Weather system photos as they descend onto the Aberdeen Plateau are here.

Highlands Golf open for the season

Great weather (20C) for the Easter weekend.
Opening day was Good Friday.

Nice to see our regular customers again; good to know they're all a year older as well *grin*.

Lots of discussion ensued from the new clubhouse sign:

    3 levels of government, all within a 5-minute drive, lead to huge and burgeoning bureaucratic costs in the North Okanagan of B.C.    The 2013 property tax increase is 4.12%

                         

Customers had lots of suggestions on how to reduce costs!
The majority involved getting rid of government(s).
 
"I'd tend bar if I could," offers Kia.

Commercial Irrigation Rates Skyrocket 50 Per Cent

Yup.

"Six businesses, including golf courses and nurseries in Vernon and Coldstream, will see the rate for irrigation water climb 50 per cent," announces the Morning Star today.

"Let the valley revert to desert as people leave..."

Maybe they're hoping we six businesses have a short memory, but we've been through this before--first in 2005, and then here, and here (now that Coldstream Councillor Gyula Kiss seems to be in charge of everything to do with water...including "some benefits" that might accrue from transfer of the area's water licence from upland sources to Kal Lake!)

Some benefits.
Might accrue.

Isn't a water licence a public asset and any plans to transfer it, or change it, or abandon it, or trade it must come before the public for approval?
There is little transparency in local governments in the North Okanagan, as no-one has ever said publicly (out of camera) what these so-called benefits are...

With Councillor Kiss meeting privately with the water consultants, is there any wonder Greater Vernon Water Authority Manager, Al Cotsworth, is retiring at the end of March?  Probably has nothing to do now that Kiss has taken over.

Back to water rates.

Apart from the commercial rate hit, everyone else will see a 3 per cent increase in rates over 2012.  As the Morning Star states, "customers who rarely turn on the tap will start paying more for water."
Proof it was never about conservation (shades of B.C. Hydro!)

Lumby's water rates are increasing too...seems people are conserving so much water that there's not enough revenue to run the utility. 

"Why don't we just deactivate all the water lines," offers an acquaintance, "and let the valley revert to desert as people leave."

"Sounds like Sean Harvey is back," offers Kia.

(The six businesses are:  Highlands Golf, Hillview Golf, Art Knapp's Nursery, Swan Lake Nursery, Tekmar Industries, and Atlantis Water Slides).

Water Consultants admit to lack of resources...water woes diary continues

Huh?

Lack of resources?
Staff?  Data?
Yup to both.

A full 10 years (in my case) after installation of three water meters (irrigation, clubhouse, and residence), neither elected officials, nor bureaucrats, nor water consultants have any idea how much water is used by domestic customers on the Duteau Creek Water System.

"What information did we use to design our treatment plant at Duteau Creek?  Simple.      It was a guess."  Councillor Kiss

By extension, they then also don't know how much water is used by commercial, farm, industrial/light industry/institutional.

Nor how much revenue was received from quarterly water billings.

This can't be true!

Proof is in the following correspondence, available on the District of Coldstream website, as a late agenda item to the October 9th, 2012 Committee-of-the-Whole meeting:

"October 5, 2012 memo from Councillor Kiss to Mayor Garlick and Council:
Hi Jim, ...here is a request I sent to David Sewell, copy to Trafford (Hall at RDNO), with the response.
It is beyond me how we can plan if these basic questions can't be answered.  What information did we use to design our treatment plant at Duteau Creek?  Simple.  it was a guess.  In order to design the treatment plant, one should have known what domestic water demand would be placed upon the Duteau source.  Putting in a treatment plant that would supply 2,000-3,000ML a year could have cost a fraction of the $29 million even with a small caliber parallel line to supply domestic users.  Who knows?  There is no evidence that a thorough analysis was carried out to determine the most cost effective plant.
I am perplexed about the reports the consultants are working on.
Tech Memo #2:  evaluation of water supply sources
Tech Memo #3: source storage and supply
Tech Memo #6:  water conservation strategies
... but should not we have had these reports before we built our treatment plant at Duteau?  ... Don't we have the information from the previous water plans?  

MWP (Master Water Plan 2002) produced 14 Technical Memoranda, as follows:
Technical Working Paper No. 1:  Inventory of Existing Systems and Water Demands
TWP No. 2:  Review of Financial Considerations and Strategies
TWP No. 3:  Community Development and Land Use
TWP No. 4: Water Conservation and Reuse
TWP No. 5:  Projection of Water Demands
TWP No. 6:  Water Quality Goals
TWP No. 7:  Evaluaton of Water Supply Sources
TWP No. 8:  Evaluation of Water Treatment Needs and Alternatives
TWP No. 9:  Development of a Separated Water System Concept
TWP No. 10:  Domestic Water System Development
TWP No. 11:  Irrigation System Development
TWP No. 12:  Options for Long Term Water System Development
TWP No. 13:  Implementation
TWP No. 14:  Water Rate Strategy

All we needed was an update of the above information...We need to have a thorough discussion on the water issue to mitigate the financial pressure placed on our taxpayers.  Gyula Kiss"

Councillor Kiss' memo to the Mayor and Council was prompted by this reply from the water consultant:

"October 4, 2012 email from David Sewell to Councillor Kiss, copy to Trafford Hall:
Gyula, As you know, the billing information for the customers of GVWU resides within each of the respective jurisdictions.  As these information systems are not integrated and use different platforms, a calculation of billing volumes and revenue summarized by water source would be an extremely time consuming and challenging process that at the present time we do not have the resources to accurately undertake.  The accuracy is further comprised(sic) by the degree of inter connection being built into the system. 
In discussions with the Administrator, it was suggested that if you would like to see this information gathering project advanced, please bring it forward through either GVAC or as part of the Technical Advisory Committee of the Master Water Plan process for discussion and prioritization relative to other resource draws.   Thanks.  David."

That was received after Councillor Kiss sent the consultant this question:

"October 3, 2012 email from Councillor Kiss to David Sewell, copy to Trafford Hall:
Hi David, I need some information regarding water revenue and volumes billed so I can contribute to the upcoming (District of Coldstream) budget preparations.   
I want to know what was the total domestic volume billed from the Duteau source and what was the revenue  as well as the same info relating to the Mission Hill treatment plant.  Domestic water includes industrial/commercial/institutional as well as home use.  I would appreciate receiving such info as this would help evaluating the cost effectiveness of each plant.  Thank you in advance.  Gyula".

Repeating Councillor Kiss' question is appropriate:

"...how we can plan if these basic questions can't be answered. " Councillor Kiss

Something else jumps out at this point, and that is Councillor Kiss' statement:  

 "Domestic water includes

 industrial/commercial/institutional as well as home use. "

 
 
Huh? 

So "domestic" includes EVERYTHING BUT FARM USE, including Okanagan Spring Brewery, Vernon Jubilee Hospital, car washes, golf courses, nurseries, water slide, restaurants, gyms, and...oh...residences.

Strange!
All those classifications.
All broad-brushed as "Domestic".

As a taxpayer, I need to know what my taxes and water fees are used for.  Yes, the Federal Government contributed $12 million of the $29 million cost of the Duteau Creek Water Treatment Plant...but the Federal grant is taxpayer money too!

"You forgot the consultant's fee too," quips Kia.

Pool Police

Has this year's Greater Vernon drought situation created a new bureaucracy?  Apparently, it's been planned for years as part of scheduled activities, reports the Greater Vernon Water Authority.

Yep, flying soon over your backyard will be the Pool Police.

Pool companies and landscapers are seeing contracts cancelled, and crews laid off because it is now illegal to fill swimming pools.

Responsible for the inane ("s" intentionally omitted) end-of-April situation is our very own Greater Vernon Water Authority, whose lack of planning has placed the sizeable investments of homeowners, golf courses and a myriad of other businesses in jeopardy.  Busy with the Duteau Creek Water Treatment plant over the last two years--which is today three months behind schedule but on budget (an oxymoron to any business person)--the water authority last year made a feeble attempt at increasing water storage by raising the height of one dam. 

The snow didn't arrive this winter.
Or very much the year before, and April reservoir levels are at their lowest in 40 years.
Spring rains have been hit-and-miss, yet weather systems arrive daily at the Aberdeen Plateau where water storage is concentrated. See photos of the almost-daily weather systems over the plateau (taken from Highlands Golf).

Add to that the 200+ homes previously on Antwerp Springs wells 1 and 2 that were immediately contaminated by a late winter rain on frozen ground (which sent livestock feces into the shallow wells) are now, presumably, on the Duteau Creek source.

Back to pools.
The immediate Stage 3 water restrictions have created the "unpopular" ban on filling of pools, so described by water utility manager Al Cotsworth.  In a 5 p.m. phone call Friday to Highlands Golf, Al Cotsworth stated "golf course watering" was very unpopular among the public (and while he didn't say so, Highlands Golf isn't unaware of one Coldstream Councillor--who also sites on the water board as a director--who never was keen that Highlands was built, evidenced by his opposition last year to the new liquor licence application).  Not so among the golfers here during the weekend, many of whom encouraged a petition "to hold the water authority's feet to the fire".   Petition here.

One golfer added "And no more expensive water studies."  (Note:  this year's water authority budget included $100,000 for yet another study...yet another of many undertaken.  As far back as 10 years ago, the first of such studies identified that water storage should be increased.)  See story (reprint of) "20 Year Old Interview with Brian Harvey of Vernon Irrigation District".

Another outspoken golfer stated "I've lived here for 36 years and the community has grown 400 per cent, with no corresponding increase in storage."  He'd likely be interested in the North Okanagan Regional District's request for public input into its regional growth strategy.  "Surveys and open houses will be held later on in 2010, and all residents of the North Okanagan are encouraged to get involved in the discussion," said Anthony Kittel, regional growth strategy coordinator.  You can bet that WATER will be at the top of any list after this year's debacle.

As reported in Sunday's newspaper, "Pool parties are hard to dismiss and we'll be doing an air photo flight soon," Al Cotsworth said.  He added that regulations will be enforced, as they will become aware of filled backyard pools.

"I'll bark at low-flying flights," offers Kia.

Not necessary, Kia.  We're watering the vegetable garden with the water in the pool's winter tarp!

Oh yes...almost forgot to offer a gigantic welcome to a fabulous website:  VernonCentral.ca
Offered is free classified advertising (for 90 days), and features our local Vipers hockey team as well as--you guessed it--our water woes, and many other topics.  (Some features are still under construction).

Suddenly, water RATES aren't really the issue!

Stage 3 Water Restrictions...

As the newspaper announces, "unprecedented measures are being taken to preserve Greater Vernon's dwindling water supply."  And it's only April!

Greater Vernon's reservoirs currently have about 2,500 acre feet of storage, while it's usually 4,500 at this time of year.

Drought response planning was initiated in early March, and the measures have included looking at restrictions as well as other water sources that can be utilized if required.  Meetings have also been held with agricultural users because 70 per cent of our water goes to that sector.

How will Highlands Golf be affected?
In a 5 p.m. telephone call on Friday, April 23rd, water authority manager, Al Cotsworth, instructed Highlands Golf to use "minimum levels of water to maintain the playing areas in usable condition."

In an earlier article, "Snowpack a Concern" photos of weather systems on the Aberdeen Plateau were included.

As Greater Vernon's population continues to increase, we must focus on increasing water storage on the Aberdeen Plateau, where systems arrive almost daily, despite not-a-drop on the valley's southern exposure.

Click for Additional photos of Aberdeen Plateau weather: 

Or we might as well place highway signs north and south of Vernon..."do not enter....out of water due to bad planning".

"Do not enter?" gulps Kia.
I'll visit friends in Kelowna then...there are NO water restrictions 30 miles south of here!