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| Justin Hammer, a concerned resident and real estate agent, addresses his concerns and the concerns outlined in an online petition signed by more than 1,000 residents at the April 18, 2016 council meeting. Lisa Goudy/Times-Herald |
By Lisa Goudy
Council chambers were filled with concerned
residents voicing their opposition to the local improvement program for cast
iron water main replacement.
Council previously approved the LIP in a
vote of 4-3 and the Saskatchewan Municipal Board approved the city’s 2016
application in early March. At Monday’s council meeting, the cast iron water
main construction bylaw for phase one was introduced.
“People won’t be
charged until the program’s complete because then you know the exact costs,”
said city manager Matt Noble after the meeting. “If we don’t pass the
construction bylaw, we won’t get the project in the ground.”
The
non-petitionable LIP would see property owners directly affected by the work
paying an additional 30 per cent to pay for cast iron water main replacement.
All residents will pay the remaining 70 per cent. Any property owners who are
unable to pay the extra cost upfront can add the cost to their property taxes
over a period of 20 years with a four per cent interest rate.
However,
ever since the project was considered, there has been opposition and that
opposition was evident when many residents addressed council.
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