GORE BAY—Three residents of Gordon/Barrie Island who receive treated water from the Gore Bay water treatment plant are upset and perplexed as to why they have seen an increase of 20 percent in their water rates this year, with Gore Bay water users only facing a five percent increase.
Gore Bay Mayor Ron Lane explained at a town general government committee meeting last week, “Our insurance providers have told us that we have two choices, come to a new water agreement with Gordon/Barrie Island or with each Gordon/Barrie Island water user. These are the options we have been presented with.”
“We would rather have an agreement in place with Gordon/Barrie Island,” said Mayor Lane. “But Gordon/Barrie Island township council cancelled the previous agreement at the end of last year, which had been in place for 15 years.”
“So now there is a five percent increase to the water users in Gore Bay and our taxpayers are having to pay a 20 percent more this year,” stated Dax Chatwell, a Gordon/Barrie Island resident.
“You should be talking to Gordon/Barrie Island about why you are paying more than Gore Bay residents,” said Mayor Lane.
“I have talked to them, and they told us to come here,” said Lisa Garrett, a Gordon/Barrie Island resident.
“So you are all aware of the agreement we (Gore Bay) had with Gordon/Barrie Island for years relating to the water treatment plant?” asked committee chair and Gore Bay councillor Dan Osborne. “Previously, under the former agreement, Gordon water users were paying the same rate as Gore Bay users, but then Gordon/Barrie Island council cancelled the agreement. We caught this about a year later, and Gordon/Barrie Island did not want to entertain a new agreement. So, we had no recourse if someone stopped paying their water bill and we could not add any non-payments on to their tax bill. That is why we are going with monthly payments for all Gordon/Barrie Island water users.”
“Gordon/Barrie Island is not willing to negotiate a new agreement,” said Councillor Osborne. “And our insurance (company) is telling us every user of water needs to have an agreement in place with the town.”
Mayor Lane said that the 15-year-old agreement was cancelled by Gordon/Barrie Island and henceforth water rates were the same across the board for both communities. “So up to last year Gordon/Barrie Island had been subsidizing users by giving Gore Bay a rebate on the taxes on the water treatment plant. We now have to pay full taxes, which results in a $10,000 increase (to Gore Bay). And with no agreement in place, we have no way to offset this except to raise Gordon/Barrie Island user rates.”
“Because Gordon/Barrie Island water users are not Gore Bay taxpayers the only thing we can do, if a Gordon/Barrie Island resident does not pay their water bill for a long time, is we shut off their water. This is the only recourse we have now. That is something we do not want to do.”
“So, every house/property has an individual shutoff valve?” asked Ms. Garrett.
Every resident should have a shutoff valve on their property, said Mayor Lane who acknowledged some water installations have been done in the past that shouldn’t have occurred. “So at some locations, we don’t know where the shutoff is.”
“Are we looking to correct this if shutoffs can’t be found?” asked Ms. Garrett.
“We are discussing what we have to do now,” said Councillor Osborne. “We have no recourse. Until we have an agreement, probably with each homeowner.”
Ms. Garrett told the meeting that everything that the Gore Bay council members had told her, “Gordon/Barrie Island have told me literally everything different to what you have said.” She said that representatives of both municipalities should get together at a meeting to discuss this issue in full and resolve the issue.
However, it was reiterated that Gordon/Barrie Island council has indicated they do not want an agreement, but the town’s insurance company says an agreement needs to be in place with each individual water user in Gordon/Barrie Island if there is no municipal agreement in place.
“So, what can I and others do,” asked Ms. Garrett. “Is there a chance that Gore Bay and Gordon council could sit together so residents could get some clarity on this issue?”
“They are not interested,” said Councillor Osborne.
Mayor Lane reiterated, “they said they wanted us to treat Gordon/Barrie Island residents like ours. But we can’t. We may have to up rates again next year. This is not a step we wanted to take. We would rather be sitting at the table and work this out.”
After the general government meeting, The Expositor contacted Lee Hayden, reeve of Gordon/Barrie Island. “We have no interest in the old agreement.”
“Basically, it’s the town water system and it’s up to them how they choose to collect,” said Reeve Hayden. He noted that under the previous agreement, the town had been paying 25 percent of the costs that they should have been paying. He noted that in December the township had nullified the agreement and gave the town a year’s notice.
“The previous agreement had been poorly drawn up and there was no exit clause,” said Reeve Hayden. “Our lawyer said we should nullify the agreement and give the town a year’s notice. So, we did. We are also following the legislation in place that a neighbouring municipality shall be taxed the full rate. The town was paying a 20 percent municipal share, and not paying the school board taxes.”
“We were charging the town 20 percent and the previous council decided this was not a fair rate,” Reeve Hayden said. “We weren’t charging the school board taxes either. We are following the act that the town shall pay their share of taxes including the school board. But we are not charging the full rate, but as part of a proposal we would charge the full rate and give part back to the water department.”
“There certainly has been no refusal on our part to meeting with the town at the table,” stated Reeve Hayden. “Gore Bay is the water provider. We don’t have control over the water rights. We are following the Municipal Act. It is their decision, and it appears that costs are being collected on the backs of Gordon/Barrie Island water users.”
