Reader says motion too good to be true
Posted Jul 22, 2010 By Shaun McLaughlin
Email
Print
Tweet ThisDEAR EDITOR:
Recently your paper reported that Mississippi Mills council passed a motion to ask staff to prepare a financial plan where Almonte Ward assumes all costs of septage treatment and thus relieves rural residents of any related costs. It may sound good but don't be conned.
The motion by Almonte Ward councillor Garry Dalgity never mentioned hydro revenues but that was his subtext. About 10 minutes into the council debate on the motion, Pakenham Ward councillor Brenda Hurrle stated, "we're not just talking septage we're talking hydro (revenues) too." Mayor Al Lunney confirmed her point.
Mr. Dalgity's deal aims to get rural wards to back off on their demands for sharing hydro revenues as a trade for Almonte Ward taking over capital and operating costs for septage treatment. That is not a fair trade.
Mississippi Mills stands to make over $8 million in hydro revenues over the next 20 years. In contrast, the capital cost of the new septage facility to existing rural residents is about $468,000*, five per cent of the projected hydro revenues.
Mr. Dalgity's deal asks rural wards to trade $20 for a loonie.
* The figure of the septage costs to rural residents is based on this: the estimated $120 septage levy for 2,800 rural homes ($336,000), and 10 per cent of the cost of the sewage plant original environmental study ($14,000 of $140,000) and of the engineering study ($118,000 of $1,180,000).
Shaun McLaughlin
Mississippi Mills
blog comments powered by Disqus
