Picton councillor Lenny Epstein addresses council on the new water/wastewater committee at the Committee of the Whole meeting Thursday January 28, 2016. (Photo: Nicole Kleinsteuber / Quinte News)
The County has taken the first step to start brainstorming measures to pay for upcoming water and wastewater capital projects without incurring more debt and increasing rates.
During 2016 budget discussions, council approved the creation of a water/wastewater committee because it became quite apparent that “out of the box ideas” need to be brought to the table so the County can pay for $100 million in projects over 20 years, reduce a $30 million debt load, get more users on the system and stop penalizing the ones that are.
At the meeting on Thursday, the committee of the whole carried a motion that would see the development of the 12 member committee to review the current situation and invent strategies for the future.
“This is long overdue,” said mayor Robert Quaiff. We have a time frame of three years. We can’t do nothing. This is the most significant part of our budget and we can’t do nothing. We are $30 million in debt. We can’t keep raising the rates all the time. There is an issue and we have to address it.”
