Approximately 120 people attended a public information meeting last night (June 4) to learn more about the proposed West Fernie Servicing and Restructure Project and the petition process that will determine whether the project moves ahead.
Area A Director Mike Sosnowski
“I was encouraged to see such a strong turn out,” said Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) Electoral Area A Director Mike Sosnowski. “This is a complex project and the purpose of the meeting was to provide residents and property owners with detailed information on the project and the petition process that will determine whether residents want it to move ahead. Having an opportunity to hear concerns and to understand where people need more information will help us to ensure people have a clear understanding of the project, so it was great to see so many people come out to the meeting.”
The project consists of three distinct components:
One – Servicing – providing/improving water, sewer and storm drainage services;
Two – Financing – utilizing grants, securing additional grants and borrowing money to pay for servicing improvements; Three – Governance Restructure: joining the City of Fernie.
“The last time we took this project out to the community was in 2011 and we recognized then there was still work to do before we could bring it forward to an approval process,” explained Sosnowski. “Since 2011, we have completed a cost benefit analysis; secured $5 million in additional funding which has reduced the average cost to property owners and, we have broken the project into phases, to maximize the grants and keep the costs as low as possible for property owners. In addition, the province has approved a Restructure Assistance Package for the City of Fernie to help with the transition of West Fernie into the city.”
Before the project can proceed, community assent is required.
The RDEK will be using a petition process and a copy of the petition and a detailed Information Package will be mailed to all property owners in the proposed service area this week. The deadline for petitions to be returned to the RDEK is 4:30 p.m. on July 21.
“The petition process is for the entire project,” added Sosnowski.
If the petition indicates community support, the next step will be for the City of Fernie to confirm the support of their residents for the boundary expansion.
Fernie Mayor Mary Giuliano attended the meeting at the Fernie Family Centre and stated on Facebook today (June 5) she found it interesting.
Mayor Mary Giuliano
“This meeting was to provide information to West Fernie residents in regards to restructuring of the area so that they can make an informed choice as to whether they want to join the City of Fernie.
It was not about Fernie. I was there to inform the West Fernie residents that if they so choose they will be welcomed into our city.
They basically have two choices, stay as they are and incur the total costs of replacing their aged septic systems or join the city and share in the costs of having water and services provided by us,” she said, adding the city will not bear any cost.
“The costs to make this happen will not be borne by Fernie but will be funded by grants procured by the director of Area A and the RDEK. Some costs will also have to be taken on by the West Fernie residents but this amount, although substantial, is still small in comparison to what the full cost will be if each resident has to incur the responsibility of putting in their own system,” she said.
“Residents are fearful of change and that is understandable. Hopefully, this issue will be given consideration in regards to the future not just the present. It was turned down before but then the septic systems were decades newer; consideration needs to be given to the health of these systems and the potential for serious health problems arising from them,” Giuliano stated.
Should residents approve boundary expansion of the city, construction would then begin with Phase One and only those property owners within that phase would pay for that portion of the project.
The property owners in future phases would continue to pay rural taxes as they do now and will not pay anything into the upgrade project until their phase of construction moves ahead.
If the petition does not indicate community support, the project will not proceed. The West Fernie Waterworks District (WFWD) will then need to begin upgrading the water infrastructure, which will require an annual tax of about $600 on all properties in the WFWD.
For information on the West Fernie Servicing & Restructure Project, visit westfernie.ca or contact the RDEK office in Cranbrook.
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