by
Jennifer Dart
The Westerly News
August 17, 2005
Tofino council voted last week to borrow money for only one of two water infrastructure projects currently under consideration.
Borrowing funds for the Tofino Water Upgrade Project was approved by council, but they decided not to approve borrowing money for the Ginnard Creek reservoir expansion project.
The water upgrade project is part of the long-term plan of using Kennedy Lake as a regional water source, while the Ginnarad Creek expansion addresses short-term shortages, mainly during dry summer periods when usage is at its peak.
While both projects are still in their initial stages, the water upgrade project has already been approved for a two-thirds funding grant from the Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services (MCAWS), and the Ginnard Creek expansion is awaiting a separate grant approval.
The upgrade project would see the construction of a supply main to the southern edge of the district, a 1.2 million gallon reservoir constructed at the Stump Dump, improvements to the pump station at Industrial Way, and overall system improvements.
Originally the project was supposed to extend all the way to the airport, but the citizens of Tofino did not support that in a referendum last year. Because of the change, an application to MCAWS is required to retain the grant approval for a reduced-scope version of th eproject, said public works superintendent Gary Holte in his report to council.
Council also awarded the tender for the upgrade project to the lowest bidder, Fournier Excavating Ltd., pending MCAWS approving the scaled down version of the project.
Tofino also has short-term water supply issues and expanding the storage capacity at Ginnard Creek would provide an estimated 20 days' worth of emergency water in the event of a severe shortage.
The district is waiting to hear if the Ginnard Creek expansion will be successful in another provincial grant application.
The defeated Ginnard Creek borrowing bylaw was meant to be proactive, said district administrator Leif Pedersen, so the process of borrowing money for the project would already be started in the event the grant does not get approved.
Treasurer Martin Gee pointed out in his report to council that "staff are concerned that the grant application may not be approved."
Borrowing money for both the upgrade project and the Ginnard Creek project together would have pushed the district past the limit of borrowing that is allowed without electoral assent. The issue of borrowing for Ginnard Creek would then have to be brought to referendum as part of the fall municipal election.
Pedersen says the tender on the upgrade project came in at about 35 percent higher than the amount budgeted, pushing the borrowing amount up still further.
The mayor said he was disappointed the Ginnard Creek borrowing bylaw did not get approved, because he thought "council supported it up to that point."
The Mayor Anderson and Couns. Tilitsky and Ayres voted in favour of putting the borrowing question to the people of Tofino in a referendum or counter petition, while Couns. Strudwick, Schwartz and Webb voted against it. Coun. Shaw was absent.
In the event of a tie vote, the motion is defeated.
The mayor said the possibility of borowing for the project could be brought before council again when Coun. Shaw is present, but Gee pointed out in his report time is running short to include the bylaw in a referendum during the fall municipal election.
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