User fees set to increase
District of Port Edward mayor and council reviewed the District’s refuse rates within the municipality and gave first, second and third readings to Bylaws No. 666, 667, 668 and 669, which outlined the service rates and user fees for 2016, including water, sewer and garbage rates effective Jan. 1.
“We’re redoing the bylaw because the lingo was not up to date and we also increased the user fees. The user fees have not been increased since 1997 and we recommend that council increase the user fees,” said Polly Pereira, director of corporate administrative services.
“The monthly increase [for garbage] is $4.33, the annual is $52 more per year for garbage,” she added.
While the garbage and sewer rates have not been changed since 1997, there was an increase in the water user fees in 2013.
“Basically, to address that, our costs have gone up on the garbage,” said Mayor Dave MacDonald.
Council voted to have a special meeting in December before the new year to adopt the resolutions before Jan. 1 and then will get the information to the public in the new year.
Double doors for gym access
Port Edward chief administrative officer Bob Payette was successful in his talks with Pacific NorthWest LNG in finding a way to allow gymnasium access at the old Port Edward school, however the cost of that solution would tally $5,000.
A set of double doors can be implemented in the back-door access to the school which allows gym users to access the gymnasium and bathrooms but not the rest of the facility – now used as office space for various companies including PNW LNG.
“The double doors will have panic bars on the inside, so we’ll have to re-jig the alarm so that it doesn’t set it off and I believe PNW would help with that cost,” said Payette.
The access would not require a fee, but would require a key sign-out system where users are accountable for the time they’ve been given in the gym.
Insurance for the users would fall under the same low-risk activity coverage as outdoor swings and parks for the District, said Polly Pereira, director of corporate administrative services.
