Things are looking
up for the prospect
of constructing
a waterline north to
county hamlets after
the province committed
$2.4 million in additional
grant funding
for the previously
stalled project to move
forward.
The Westlock Regional
Water Services
Commission
(WRWSC) originally
estimated the project
would cost $7.1 million,
based on 2012 figures,
but after tendering the
project out in 2017 that
estimate increased by
more than $2 million.
The Water for Life
grant was expected
to cover 90 per cent
of the costs, but that
was based on the 2012
numbers. The commission
was put in a position
where it would
have had to borrow
the remaining funds
and increase its debt
limit by an additional
$500,000.
The province had originally
stated that additional
funding would
be reviewed after tender
costs were in place,
but in October 2017 the
commission was told additional
funding would
be reviewed after the
project was completed,
at the commission’s initial
expense.
Now, with $2.4 million
in additional
funds announced by
the province, the project
can move forward.
At the commission’s
Sept. 11 meeting a motion
was passed to proceed
with once again
putting the project out
to tender.
“I wouldn’t say it’s
a done deal yet — we
have to do our due diligence
and check all
our prices and we’ll
go from there,” said
county commission
member Coun. Jared
Stitsen.
He added the commission
is also in the
process of interviewing
candidates for the commission
manager position.
“It’s definitely a good
sign, we’ll just see how
all the quotes come
back,” he said. “Funding
was always one of
the things we needed to
figure out so hopefully
with the province’s contributions,
we will be on
our way.”
“The hope is, of
course, that the tender
comes in within
the parameters of the
grant allotment,” said
mayor Ralph Leriger,
who does not sit on the
commission himself,
but spoke on behalf of
the town’s representatives.
The commission,
which includes members
from the Town
of Westlock, Westlock
County and Village of
Clyde, has been at an
impasse for the duration
of 2018.
Several votes to move forward with
the project have been split down municipal
lines with county councillors
Stitsen and Dennis Primeau, along
with Clyde councillor Allan Van
Eaton voting to move forward with
the waterline to fulfill the commission’s
mandate to provide water to
as many residents in the area as possible.
Town representatives, councillors
Curtis Snell, David Truckey and
Clem Fagnan, consistently voted
against moving the project forward
citing the fact the funding was not
in place.
“I’m glad that they stuck to their
guns and the result is we’ve got the
additional grant funding from the
province,” said Leriger.
The lack of clarity as to where
the remaining funding was going to
come from resulted in friction within
the commission, which followed
along municipal lines.
The disagreement over whether or
not to proceed led to accusations of
partisan interference, which was the
subject of a letter sent by the county
to municipal affairs minister Shaye
Anderson earlier this year. The town
followed that up with a letter of its
own to the minister, explaining its
stance.
Leriger commended the commission
members who stood firm
against moving the project forward
without all the funding in place.
“I think the members of the water
commission who held firm in
their position that the funding for
a project needs to be in place before
agreeing and approving to go
ahead, should be congratulated,”
he said. “By doing so, they forced
the province to come up with the
remainder of the grant money.
Given the fact that all grant programs
are oversubscribed and
under-funded, there is a very real
chance we would have never seen
that money.”
