Dec 13, 2021 Governance & Priorities Committee

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SO I'LL CALL OUR GOVERNANCE AND PRIORITIES COMMITTEE MEETING FOR MONDAY, DECEMBER 13TH TO ORDER. AND I'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT WE ARE LOCATED IN CHIEF DRYGEESE

[1. Opening Statement]

NEXT, WE HAVE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.

[2. Approval of the agenda.]

NO, NOTHING ELSE TO ADD.

THANK YOU. NEXT, WE HAVE DISCLOSURE PECUNIARY INTEREST IN THE GENERAL NATURE THEREOF.

[INAUDIBLE] PECUNIARY INTEREST TODAY? SEEING, NONE. NEXT, WE HAVE A MEMORANDUM REGARDING WHETHER TO AMEND FEES AND CHARGES BYLAW

[4. A memorandum regarding whether to amend Fees and Charges By‐law No. 4436, as amended, by amending Part 15 of Schedule B to reflect Water and Sewer Rate changes and Part 17 of Schedule B to reflect Solid Waste Management User Fee changes approved in Budget 2022.]

MS. BASSI-KELLETT ANYTHING TO ADD? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.

JUST A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT AROUND THIS, SO AS COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE AWARE, WHEN THE DRAFT BUDGET IS DEVELOPED BY ADMINISTRATION EVERY YEAR, PROPOSED CHANGES TO FEES FOR CERTAIN PROGRAMS AND SERVICES AS NEEDED ARE INCLUDED AS PART OF THE OVERALL CALCULATIONS THAT COMPRISE THE FINAL DRAFT OF THE BUDGET.

SO NOW THAT GPC HAS REVIEWED BUDGET 2022 IN DETAIL LAST WEEK AND MADE CHANGES GIVEN THE POLITICAL LENS THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS PUT ON THE BUDGET EACH YEAR, THE BUDGET NOW GOES TO COUNCIL TO REVIEW AND APPROVE AT TONIGHT'S MEETING.

TODAY, WE PRESENT AMENDMENTS TO THE FEES AND CHARGES THAT ARE INCLUDED IN BUDGET 2022 FOR YOUR FINAL CONSIDERATION.

AND, OF COURSE, AMENDMENTS TO THE FEES AND CHARGES BYLAW ARE SCHEDULED FOR FIRST READING AT A SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING FOLLOWING THIS GPC MEETING AND THEN FOR FINAL APPROVAL AT TONIGHT'S MEETING. AND THIS, OF COURSE, KEEPS US WITHIN OUR TIME FRAME OF HAVING AN APPROVED BUDGET WITHIN THE FISCAL YEAR IN ADVANCE OF THE FISCAL YEAR TO START AS THE CTV ACT REQUIRES US. SO WE NEED TO HAVE A BUDGET IN PLACE APPROVED BY COUNCIL BY DECEMBER 31ST FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS FROM COUNCIL.

COUNCILLOR MORGAN. HMM.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. JUST A FEW QUICK QUESTIONS, THE FIRST ONE IS THAT, THE MEMO SAYS.

THAT THIS IS REFLECTING WATER AND SEWER RATE CHANGES, BUT WHEN I LOOKED AT THE TABLE, IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE THERE HAD BEEN ANY CHANGES TO WATER AND SEWER RATES FROM TWENTY TWENTY ONE TO THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE OF.

WHAT IS EFFECTIVE 2024? SO CAN YOU JUST EXPLAIN THAT? HAS THERE BEEN CHANGES DID I MISS SOMETHING.

IT'S A ZERO PERCENT INCREASE.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YEAH, THERE'S A ZERO PERCENT INCREASE TO THE WATER AND SEWER RATES, WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDST OF OUR WATER RATES STUDY WITH THE CONSULTANTS WHO HAVE BEEN HIRED TO UNDERTAKE THIS WORK. BUT AT THIS POINT WE'RE PROJECTING ZERO AND I WILL ASK MS. WOODWARD IF SHE HAS ANYTHING TO ADD.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.

I THINK SOME OF THE CONFUSION MAY COME BECAUSE THE EXISTING FEES AND CHARGES BYLAW SHOWS RATES THAT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY ADOPTED THAT WERE INCLUDING RATES EFFECTIVE JANUARY ONE TWENTY TWENTY TWO.

HOWEVER, WITH THE MORE POSITIVE OUTLOOK IN THE WATER AND SEWER FUND, IT WON'T BE NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THAT INCREASE FOR TWENTY TWENTY TWO.

RATHER, THE NEW AMENDMENT HAS US RETAINING THE FEES AT TWENTY TWENTY ONE LEVELS FOR THE DURATION OF THE BUDGET.

OK, GREAT. THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.

AND THEN ON THE SOLID WASTE, CAN YOU TELL ME WHETHER EITHER COMMERCIAL OR RESIDENTIAL RATES ARE CURRENTLY FULL COST RECOVERY OR DO WE EVEN KNOW YET? DO WE HAVE ENOUGH DATA TO KNOW? DEFINITELY NOT FULL COST RECOVERY YET.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I'LL ASK MR. GREENCORN IF YOU'D LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING IN RESPONSE TO THAT QUESTION.

WE HAVEN'T DONE A FULL DEPTH ANALYSIS IN COMPARING THE RATE OF RECOVERY OF THE FEES.

PROBABLY UNDERTAKE THAT AND GET BACK TO COUNCIL, BUT THEY'RE DEFINITELY NOT FULL COST RECOVERY. BUT I WOULDN'T HAVE THAT PERCENTAGE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.

I'D HAVE TO DO THE ANALYSIS.

NO, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT.

I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I-- MY PERSPECTIVE IS, I THINK THAT FOR COMMERCIAL LOADS IN

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SO THAT'S WHERE I'M HOPING THAT WE'LL GO.

I DO THINK WE'VE BEEN WORKING IN THAT DIRECTION, BUT I WOULD CERTAINLY PRIORITIZE THAT.

THANKS. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY COMMENTS ON THAT, BUT.

YEAH, AND WHAT THE WAY IN WAY OUT SCALE, THEY'LL BE A BIT OF A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE FEES AND CHARGES THAT WILL COME BACK FOR COUNCIL.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT ANYTHING TO ADD? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR, AND THANKS FOR THE QUESTION.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WILL-- WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO BE BRINGING THINGS FORWARD IN 2022 TO COUNCIL MEMBERS AROUND THIS.

THERE ARE A LOT OF PIECES OF THE STRATEGIC WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT WILL BE FALLING INTO PLACE THAT MR. GREENCORN AND HIS TEAM, MR. VAUGHAN AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN WORKING TOWARDS.

A BIG COMPONENT OF THIS IS GETTING THE WAY OUT SCALE IN PLACE.

BUT THERE'S SOME GREAT MODELING THAT THEY'RE DOING AND THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT THAT WILL COME BEFORE COUNCIL I'LL ASK MR. GREENCORN. IF YOU'D LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING, HE'S BEEN DRIVING SO MUCH OF THIS WORK.

SURE, THANKS. JUST TO ADD TO THAT, AS MS. BASSI-KELLETT SAID, PART OF A STRATEGIC WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN WAS A COMPLETE REVIEW.

SO WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THAT PLAN IS REACHING OUT TO DIFFERENT MUNICIPALITIES, SEEING WHAT FEE STRUCTURES ARE NORMALIZED FOR THE MOST PART ACROSS DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS, AND THEN IT IS DIRECTLY TIED TO THE WAY OUT SCALE.

SO WE'LL BE ACTIVELY ADVANCING A NEW FEE STRUCTURE, AND WE'RE GOING TO SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE HERE IN TWENTY TWENTY TWO AND COMBINING THAT.

WE HAVE TO STILL REACH OUT AND DETERMINE HOW THAT'S GOING TO INTERACT WITH THE SOLID WASTE BYLAW. AND IF SOLID WASTE BYLAW CHANGES HAVE TO COME AT THE SAME TIME AS A FEE STRUCTURE. SO WE'RE STILL NOT 100 PERCENT SURE THAT, THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN OR IN WHAT ORDER YET, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE ALL THOSE THINGS ARE WORKING IN TANDEM WITH EACH OTHER AND JUST BACK TO THE OTHER FEES.

IT'S NOT JUST TIPPING FEES THAT WE RECOVER REVENUES FROM, IT'S ALSO THE SOLID WASTE LEVY ON EVERYBODY'S WATER BILL.

SO IT'S A COMBINATION OF DIFFERENT THINGS.

MY QUICK MATH, WHILE FOLKS WERE SPEAKING, IS THAT IT LOOKS LIKE THE REVENUES WE BRING IN COVER ABOUT SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT OF THE COST OF THE OVERALL OPERATION.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILLOR KONGE.

THANK YOU. YEAH, THAT WAY IN WAY OUT SCALE, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS IS THAT NOW BEEN ON THE BUDGET AND APPROVED A COUPLE? YEP. AND IT'S JUST GETTING FINISHED THE WORK.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YEAH, IT'S BEEN A COUPLE OF YEARS.

WE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME STEPS IN THE PROCESS THAT HAVE BEEN DELAYED, SO IT WAS NOT OUR IDEAL. WE WERE PUSHING FOR IT.

THERE WERE A COUPLE OF ISSUES.

I'LL ASK MR. GREENCORN IF YOU COULD JUST GIVE A VERY HIGH LEVEL SYNOPSIS OF WHERE WE'RE AT, BUT WE HIT THE WALL A COUPLE OF TIMES.

THE WAY SCALE IS HERE, IT'S READY TO GO.

LAST YEAR, WE HAD SOME ISSUES WITH INSTALLATION.

MR. GREENCORN CAN SPEAK TO THAT BECAUSE WE ARE VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO IT BEING IN PLACE THIS YEAR.

MR. GREENCORN? SURE, THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN, I BELIEVE IT'S BEEN ON, TECHNICALLY ON THE BOOKS FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS.

WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT WE'VE SUCCESSFULLY GOT.

SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT OF THE WAY SCALE BUDGET COVERED BY ICIP FUNDING THAT OCCURRED AFTER THE FACT, SO WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS THAT.

INITIALLY, THE DELAYS WAS A MAJOR TURNOVER IN STAFF, WHICH COULDN'T BE REALLY AVOIDED, BUT WE DID OUR BEST TO ADVANCE THE PROJECT.

SO IN TWENTY TWENTY ONE, WE-- IN TWENTY TWENTY AND TWENTY TWENTY ONE WE ADVANCED THE DESIGN, WHICH REQUIRES LIKE STEEL PILING AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE AND THE ACTUAL LOGISTICS OF SITE.

SO WE WANT TO MAINTAIN SERVICE AND CONTINUITY THROUGHOUT THE INSTALLATION.

SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE OUR SITE WAS APPROPRIATELY DEVELOPED SO THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN 100 PERCENT UPTIME AND NOT HAVE TO, I GUESS, SHUT DOWN FOR ANY APPROPRIATE-- OR ANY AMOUNT OF TIME TO MAKE SURE THE INSTALLATION WAS DONE APPROPRIATELY.

SO WE'VE GOT THE-- WE COMPLETED THE DESIGN IN TWENTY ONE AND WE TENDERED, BUT IT WAS LATE IN THE SEASON AND THERE WERE SOME COMPLICATIONS JUST WITH THE CONTRACT AND GETTING

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BUT WE'RE GOOD TO GO AND WE'RE SET FOR HOPEFULLY TO GET IN THE GROUND AS SOON AS A FROST IS OUT OF THE GROUND IN TWENTY TWENTY TWO.

YEAH, SO I MEAN, REALISTICALLY, THEN THAT WAY SCALE ISN'T GOING TO BE OPERATIONAL, PROBABLY UNTIL LIKE JUNE, JULY, END OF JULY, BEGINNING OF AUGUST.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT. MR. GREENCORN. I WOULD SAY AUGUST END OF AUGUST WOULD BE A REASONABLE EXPECTATION.

YEAH. YEAH, I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE INTERESTING TO SEE, YOU KNOW, MY OWN PERSONAL BELIEF IS THAT. YOU KNOW, THE WAY IT'S SET UP RIGHT NOW.

CONTRACTORS GO IN, THEY GET THEIR VEHICLE TARRED LIKE A TARE WEIGHT ON IT.

AND DEPENDING ON IF THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, FULL TANKS OF FUEL OR SNOW ON THEIR VEHICLE AND ALL SORTS OF STUFF, WE SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR VEHICLES WE CAN BE PAYING.

SOMETIMES CLOSE TO SEVENTY FIVE DOLLARS, EVERY TRIP, TOO MUCH UNTIL I GET A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE INVOICES THAT ARE COMING IN AND GO, OK, GUYS, YOU GOT TO GO AND, YOU KNOW, GET THIS TRUCK A NEW TARE WEIGHT ON THIS TRUCK BECAUSE IT DOES CHANGE QUITE A BIT.

AND I THINK THE CITY IS ACTUALLY COLLECTING MORE IN DUMP FEES THAN WHAT THEY SHOULD.

SO I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE VERY INTERESTING WHEN THIS IN AND OUT SCALE GOES IN.

UM. SO, YEAH, I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT.

MY NEXT QUESTION IS ON THE WATER RATES FOR WATER DELIVERY, SEWAGE PUMP OUT.

AND IF ADMINISTRATION CAN JUST.

YOU KNOW. WHEN I FIRST CAME ON COUNCIL, IT USED TO BE THAT RESIDENTIAL WAS BASICALLY HALF OF WHAT THE COMMERCIAL WAS.

WE KEEP DOING THESE THREE PERCENT INCREASES PER YEAR.

NOW WE'RE ALMOST AT ONE THIRD, LIKE IT'S ALMOST THREE TIMES AS MUCH NOW FOR A COMMERCIAL.

AND WHAT'S THE JUSTIFICATION ON THAT NOW? OK. HOW CAN WE JUSTIFY THAT WE'RE CHARGING COMMERCIAL USERS ALMOST THREE TIMES WHAT WE'RE CHARGING A RESIDENTIAL USER? MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION, AND THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT ONE, AND AGAIN, I WILL SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THE HISTORY OF THE WATER RATES REVIEW.

WE REALLY WANTED TO DO THIS IN-HOUSE.

WE THOUGHT WE COULD GET IT DONE.

WE WERE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT GETTING IT DONE WITH EXISTING RESOURCES.

THAT JUST WAS NOT POSSIBLE.

SO WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE COUNCIL DID APPROVE THE RESOURCES TO GET THIS DONE IN TWENTY TWENTY ONE AND IT IS TAKING US A LITTLE BIT OF TIME WITH ALL THE COMPLICATIONS OF TWENTY TWENTY ONE BROUGHT.

SO WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS WORK BEING COMPLETED IN TWENTY TWENTY TWO IN THAT PERIOD OF TIME. THERE HAS BEEN SOME EVOLUTION OF THE RATES, AS TYPICALLY HAPPENS.

I WILL ASK BOTH MR. GREENCORN AND MS. WOODWARD IF EITHER OF THEM WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO WHAT YOU HAVE ASKED ABOUT IN TERMS OF THE PROPORTION OF THE FEES AND SEE IF THEY HAVE ANY COMMENTS THEY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE. I GUESS I CAN JUMP IN.

IN REGARDS TO THE FLAT FEE.

I MEAN, WHAT WE LOOK AT EVERY YEAR IS OUR COLLEAGUES IN CORPORATE SERVICES TELL US THAT THIS IS THE REVENUE PROJECTIONS THAT YOU REQUIRE TO MEET TO FULFILL THE BUDGET STIPULATIONS, TO HELP MEET OUR EXPENDITURES IN THE WATER AND SEWER FUND.

SO WE DO OUR BEST TO APPLY THOSE PERCENTAGES AND EXTRAPOLATE OVER THE OVER THE DIFFERENT BILLINGS TO ENSURE THAT OUR REVENUE MEETS OUR EXPENDITURE REQUIREMENTS.

SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY THE FEES COME FORWARD EVERY YEAR.

TO ANSWER THE SPECIFIC QUESTION ON WHY COMMERCIAL PAYS MORE THAN RESIDENTIAL.

DON'T-- TO ME, IT'S AT THE END OF THE DAY.

WE STILL NEED TO MEET THAT REVENUE REQUIREMENT.

SO HOWEVER, THE CITY DECIDES TO SLICE UP THAT CAKE THAT'S GOING TO BE COMING FORWARD IN THE NEW YEAR WITH THE WATER RATE REVIEW, AND IT'S GOING TO BE OUR RECOMMENDATION.

AND THAT ACCORDING TO AWWA OR AMERICAN WATER AND WASTEWATER ASSOCIATION, WE SHOULD BE REVIEWING THAT EVERY FIVE YEARS.

SO WE'RE GOING TO BE PUTTING THAT INTO A PLAN TO REVIEW ON A MORE REGULAR BASIS.

BUT HOPEFULLY, ONCE THAT RATE REVIEW GETS UNDERWAY AND GETS INTO THE ACTUAL DETAILS OF OUR BILLINGS AND OUR-- THE DIFFERENT STRUCTURES LIKE THE ERUS AND STUFF ASSOCIATED WITH OUR BILLING PROCESS AND OUR FEES AND CHARGES BYLAW, HOPEFULLY THAT'LL PROVIDE-- AND THERE'LL BE MULTIPLE PRESENTATIONS [INAUDIBLE] THE COUNCIL ON THOSE FINDINGS AND HOW TO MOVE FORWARD. SO IN

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IF NOT, WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET BACK TO YOU WITH THAT INFORMATION.

THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, WE DO HAVE THOSE NUMBERS, WE MAINTAIN THEM ON OUR REGULAR BASIS. UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T HAVE THEM AT MY FINGERTIPS, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE SO FAR ON OUR WATER AND SEWER RATE REVIEW.

THE EXISTING WATER AND SEWER RATES HAVE BEEN IN PLACE FOREVER AND AS A RESULT, THEY'VE KIND OF JUST HOPPED ALONG EVERY YEAR WITHOUT ANY REAL IN-DEPTH LOOK AT WHO IS SUBSIDIZING WHO AND WHY.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THIS REVIEW IS REVEALING IS WHERE THERE IS SUBSIDIZATION, WHERE THERE MAY OR MAY NOT BE SOME FAIRNESS.

SO WE ARE VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO BRINGING FORWARD THE RESULTS OF THIS ONCE WE WORK THROUGH THEM WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION.

THANK YOU. AND WHAT YEAR DID WE INITIALLY COUNCIL APPROVED THE WATER RATE REVIEW? WHEN DID WE ASK FOR THAT TO BE DONE THE FIRST TIME AROUND? MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANKS VERY MUCH.

I THINK WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS ON IT, CERTAINLY SINCE 2018, AND IT WAS IN THE BUDGET IN TWENTY TWENTY. THANK YOU.

RIGHT. YEAH, I MEAN, MY CHALLENGE WITH, YOU KNOW, THE WATER RATES AREN'T CHANGING, WHICH IS WONDERFUL, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK THAT RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER ON TRUCKS IS PAYING JUST UNDER $67 A MONTH AND THE SAME CUSTOMER FOR COMMERCIALS, PAYING ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY ONE DOLLARS A MONTH FOR WHAT IS, IN MY OPINION, THE EXACT SAME SERVICE.

YOU KNOW, THE BLUE TRUCK WITH WATER SHOWS UP TWICE A WEEK, FILLS UP THE TANK WITH WATER AND LEAVES, AND TWICE A WEEK THE WHITE TRUCK SHOWS UP AND SUCKS ALL THE OTHER STUFF OUT AND LEAVES. AND FOR THERE TO BE SUCH A DISCREPANCY THAT HAS I MEAN, I'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE PAST.

AND TO SEE THAT, I MEAN, YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A WATER REVIEW OR THE REVIEW ON THIS.

BUT RIGHT NOW, IT SHOWS THAT GOING FORWARD FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS, THAT DOESN'T CHANGE.

AND I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT WE ACTUALLY INCREASE THE RESIDENTIAL RATE BY FIVE DOLLARS A MONTH AND WE REDUCE THE COMMERCIAL RATE BY FIVE DOLLARS A MONTH.

THAT MIGHT NOT BALANCE OUT DUE TO THE DIFFERENCE IN CUSTOMERS.

YEAH. MS. BASSI-KELLETT.

THEN I GUESS I WOULD PROPOSE THAT WE INCREASE THE RESIDENTIAL ONE BY $5 AND SEE HOW MUCH THAT REDUCES THE COMMERCIAL ONE.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT PROPOSAL.

AGAIN, WE NEED TO LOOK AT OUR NUMBERS OF USERS TRUCK VERSUS WHITE, WHICH WAS ASKED FOR JUST MOMENTS AGO, AND WE'D NEED TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION BACK TO COUNCIL.

WE WILL AWAIT YOUR DIRECTION.

THANK YOU. OK, BUT THIS IS GOING FORWARD TONIGHT, SO IF WE WANT TO MAKE CHANGES ON THIS, EITHER WE DECIDE THAT IT'S NOT IMPORTANT OR, WE POSTPONE THE APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET OR HOW DOES THAT LOOK? THE OTHER, I GUESS QUESTION WOULD BE THERE IS THE WATER RATE REVIEW THAT'S COMING FORWARD AND IS MS. WOODWARD JUST SAID THAT THERE IS A DISCREPANCY AND SO, AND THERE WILL BE RECOMMENDATIONS COMING FORWARD FOR COUNCIL TO CONSIDER.

SO FOLLOWING THE REVIEW OF THAT INFORMATION, COUNCIL WOULD HAVE A BETTER IDEA.

AND WE'RE NOT JUST PULLING FIVE DOLLARS OUT OF THE YEAR.

SO MS. BASSI-KELLETT CAN WE UPDATE THE FEES AND CHARGES BYLAW MIDWAY THROUGH OR AFTER THAT INFORMATION COMES FORWARD TO COUNCIL? THIS ISN'T. WE DON'T HAVE TO KEEP THESE FEES LOCKED IN FOR THE FULL TWENTY TWENTY TWO, IF

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WE WILL FORESEE THAT THERE'S A COUPLE OF BIG TICKET ITEMS COMING FORWARD IN 2022.

SO CLEARLY THE WAY OUT STATION THE RESULTS OF THE WATER RATES REVIEW ONCE IT'S VETTED THROUGH COUNCIL AND COUNCIL MAKES DECISIONS AND DETERMINATIONS ON IT.

SO YES, WE DO FORESEE THAT WE'LL BE OPENING UP THE WATER-- OR THE FEES AND CHARGES BYLAW AT LEAST A COUPLE OF TIMES IN TWENTY TWENTY TWO.

OF COURSE, WE TYPICALLY OPEN IT UP IN THE EARLY SPRING, LATE WINTER TO SET RATES FOR THE UPCOMING RECREATIONAL CYCLE STARTING IN SEPTEMBER.

BUT WE DO FORESEE THAT THERE WILL BE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE YEAR ONCE THESE SEMINAL PIECES OF WORK HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND WE'RE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT ACCORDINGLY.

THANKS. YEAH.

I MEAN, THAT'S ALL GREAT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, THE COMMERCIAL USERS, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THREE YEARS FOR THIS. WE KNOW THAT THE BREWPUB, THEY WERE PRETTY INSTRUMENTAL IN SAYING LIKE, THIS IS ABSOLUTELY CRAZY WHAT WE'RE PAYING FOR WATER.

AND THREE YEARS IS A LONG TIME TO WAIT.

SO I WOULD IF THERE SUPPORT, I'D LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH WHAT I'M PROPOSING BECAUSE I THINK THAT THE COMMERCIAL USERS HAVE WAITED LONG ENOUGH.

IF THERE'S NO SUPPORT WELL, THEN IT JUST DIES LIKE.

BUT IF THERE IS SUPPORT, THEN I THINK THAT ADMIN CAN CRUNCH THOSE NUMBERS FOR US AND WE CAN SEE WHERE IT LOOKS.

COUNCILLOR MORSE, ARE YOU? THAT CAN BE [INAUDIBLE] COMMENTS.

NO, NOT--. I MEAN, WE'RE JUST A GPC., ARE WE DOING MOTIONS? [INAUDIBLE] WE CAN JUST DO WHETHER THERE'S ANY SUPPORT FOR IT? YEAH. NO, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, LIKE, I TOTALLY HEAR WHERE COUNCILLOR KONGE IS COMING FROM HERE. THE FRUSTRATION ON HOW LONG IT'S TAKEN, CERTAINLY I'VE BEEN WAITING WITH BATED BREATH SINCE WE ASKED THIS QUESTION QUITE QUITE A LONG TIME AGO, AND I DO AGREE WITH HIM THAT I THINK ALL USERS WOULD BENEFIT FROM HAVING ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS.

I JUST THINK THAT WITH ADMINISTRATION BRINGING IT FORWARD SO SOON, I JUST DON'T NECESSARILY FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO KIND OF DO THIS.

THE FIVE DOLLAR SUGGESTION JUST SEEMS LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE AN EVIDENCE BASED DECISION THAT WE CAN MAKE IN THE NEAR, NEAR FUTURE, LET'S JUST DO THAT.

ALTHOUGH I DO AGREE WITH THE SENTIMENT OF WHAT COUNCILLOR KONGE IS PROPOSING.

IT JUST SEEMS LIKE WHY NOT TO? YEAH. AND AS NEIL'S ASKED, LIKE, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHEN WE GET THE REPORTS.

SO PERHAPS IF WE COULD GET AN IDEA FROM ADMINISTRATION, HOW SOON THAT'S GOING TO COME? THAT WOULD BE A QUESTION TO ASK.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT, ANY ANY IDEA WHICH GPC IT'LL BE BROUGHT FORWARD? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.

WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF WORKING WITH THE CONSULTANTS ON THIS.

IT'S IN PROCESS RIGHT NOW.

I WILL ASK MS. WOODWARD IF SHE'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO AN E.T.A.

ITS Q1 OR Q2.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. BASSI-KELLETT. YES, WE ARE OURSELVES A LITTLE BIT FRUSTRATED WITH HOW LONG THIS HAS TAKEN, ESPECIALLY IN THE TIME SINCE THE STUDY GOT UNDERWAY.

HOWEVER, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO THIS RIGHT AND ACTUALLY GET SOME RESULTS OUT OF IT. SO WE ARE GOING BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD WITH THE CONSULTANTS FIRST THING IN THE NEW YEAR AND WOULD ANTICIPATE HAVING SOME PUBLIC CONSULTATION IN THE FIRST QUARTER AND BRINGING SOMETHING CONCRETE BACK TO COUNCIL, IF NOT NEAR THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER, VERY EARLY IN THE SECOND QUARTER.

THANK YOU. THANKS.

YEAH. I MEAN, HAPPY TO HEAR FROM OTHER COLLEAGUES, BUT I THINK I JUST-- I THINK IT JUST SEEMS APPROPRIATE TO WAIT FOR THE STUDY.

I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TIME THAT'S PASSED, BUT IT SEEMS TO BE THE KIND OF PRUDENT WAY TO MOVE FORWARD.

TO ME? THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON ADDRESSING THE WATER RATES? SEEING NONE.

[INAUDIBLE] COUNCILLOR PAYNE SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR MORSE, WE CAN BE ADJOURNED, BUT DON'T.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.