Amherstburg needs help with offsetting costs for the upgrade and expansion of such infrastructure as the water treatment plant, say council members, and are wanting to see what can be done.
Councillor Peter Courtney referenced two reports town council received regarding the water treatment plant and the engineering works needed for its expansion. He noted the town needs help from upper levels of government to pay for such big ticket items.
Courtney said Amherstburg is a standalone municipality that pays for its own water and wastewater facilities. Many other surrounding municipalities combine resources and split costs on new and upgraded infrastructure, he noted.
With the potential to expand the plant and the costs that are forthcoming with that, Courtney asked if there was anything town council could do to ramp up pressure or make upper levels of government more aware of the town’s situation.
“More homes, more choice, more build requires more water, requires more infrastructure, requires all of these things and can put a small municipality like ours into a real financial pickle,” said Courtney.
The town needs help, he said, as there is aging infrastructure in Amherstburg.
“What can we do as a municipality?” he asked. “I haven’t gotten an answer yet. I asked previous administration in my first term on council - $30 million, where is that going to come from? That’s just for water. We have wastewater and we pay all these levies to facilitate the maintenance of it and they’re off the charts because we can’t share costs.”
Courtney said the issue is clean water, which is a necessity.
CAO Valerie Critchley said Courtney made good points as more homes and more development requires more infrastructure.
“That is certainly a message all municipalities have been making loud and clear through delegations at ROMA, through delegations at AMO (Association of Municipalities of Ontario) and particularly to the Ministry of Infrastructure,” said Critchley.
There has been some success achieved as a group with AMO doing advocacy work with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) also working on it at the federal level to try and get more infrastructure funding.
The Canada Community Benefit Fund is continuing, she added, with AMO entering to an agreement with the province to continue OCIF funding.
“We keep doing that advocacy, as does AMO, as does other municipalities,” she said.
Critchley said programs have opened up and the Town of Amherstburg is seeking grant funding through them, but cautioned Amherstburg isn’t the only municipality applying.
“Almost every other municipality in the province is doing it so it’s competitive,” said Critchley.
Advocacy has to continue and Amherstburg does it as much as possible, the CAO added.
Courtney reiterated other municipalities share water treatment facilities while 23,000 people in Amherstburg pay for the plant here.
“To me, it should be priority,” said Courtney. “We’re at a crossroads here. Something has to happen. Taxation dollars isn’t going to get it done, realistically. Whatever (administration) needs from us, I’ll put motions forward. Whatever you need. We have to advocate for sure. This is getting scary.”
One of the two reports was for authorizing administration to execute an agreement with Stantec Consulting for a Class Environmental Assessment (EA) for a total amount not to exceed $302,227.20 (net HST included). That would be for plant expansion. Critchley said that EA would be helpful because when grant dollars are released, upper levels of government look for shovel-ready projects. By having the EA work done, it would help in the town’s advocacy efforts, she added.
Councillor Diane Pouget asked if information like Amherstburg not being able to share water plant costs would aid in grant efforts, with Critchley stating any information that could give the town a leg up would be useful. The CAO noted she is not sure the information would be taken into consideration “but we would certainly highlight it.”
During a report on the EA report earlier in the meeting, Courtney also hoped for grant funding, believing the end result will cost “massive amounts of money.” Manager of engineering Todd Hewitt said if the plant is at 90 per cent capacity by 2025, the town has to be in a position to try and start preparing for the eventuality of getting to 100 per cent. Moving with the EA now prepares for the eventuality of 90 per cent, he said.
“We have received dire warnings that could result in stopping further development and ordering water usage restrictions and watering bans,” said Pouget. “Why the delay? The study won’t be completed until Nov. 2025 so that’s a little more than a year from now. Why didn’t we start the RFP process almost immediately after we approved the budget?”
Hewitt said options were considered with respect to the RFP and administration believed it is best to go with Stantec as they have the experience with the water treatment plant and water tower.
“We have no other choice. We have to move fast on this,” said Pouget.
Council members look for help with regards to water plant costs
By Ron Giofu
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