BY GARY HOLMAN
SALT SPRING CRD DIRECTOR
A sample survey of former and current commissioners of Capital Regional District (CRD) water districts by North Salt Spring Waterworks District (NSSWD) and recent commentary regarding Salt Spring Island’s so-called “dysfunctional” governance structure deserve a response, notwithstanding their puzzling timing.
Conversion of NSSWD to a CRD entity is presently a non-issue, since their previous board rejected the province’s virtual guarantee of 70 per cent funding for the Maxwell Lake treatment plant. The Feb. 28 Viewpoint commentary by Julia Lucich regarding fragmented governance is also a bit odd given the recent establishment of the Local Community Commission (LCC), which now consolidates delivery of most local CRD services.
There is no question that many local water districts, including NSSWD, are facing significant challenges of aging infrastructure, as are many municipal systems. Dealing with such significant liabilities is a difficult exercise. As a member of all CRD area-specific water utilities, I understand and take seriously the frustrations experienced by some commissioners. CRD can improve communications with commissioners and ratepayers, and the CRD director must help ensure this.
However, my experience over years of participating on such commissions, and the survey itself, caution against black and white conclusions. It’s true that the majority of the 27 former and current commissioners completing the survey (over 50 were asked to respond) characterized their experience with the CRD as negative. However, 68 per cent were apparently still willing to consider conversion with appropriate due diligence. The majority of respondents also acknowledged that water quality, service reliability and financing were all positively impacted as a result of CRD management.
The actual record of CRD utility management on Salt Spring Island (which was not presented to the interviewees) should also be considered. Although CRD has made mistakes in the past (NSSWD’s dismantling of the St. Mary Lake aerators suggests no operator is infallible), substantial progress has also been made. For example, the three water utilities that rely on lake water — Fulford, Beddis and Highland-Fernwood – installed state-of-the-art dissolved air flotation (DAF) plants well over a decade before NSSWD installed their first DAF plant on St. Mary Lake under orders from Island Health. Cedar Lane and Cedars of Tuam also upgraded their treatment plants. All of these investments were supported by several million in infrastructure grants. These grants have enabled three CRD water districts to pay off the debt for these upgrades, and the other two districts will retire this debt within three years. Significant infrastructure challenges remain, as for NSSWD, including the eventual replacement of decades old asbestos-cement distribution systems.
Water conservation measures, a requirement for infrastructure grant funding, have also meant that no moratorium on new water connections have been necessary in CRD water districts, in part because of more progressive rate structures that incentivized lower water consumption. Let’s also not forget that CRD water districts, subject to the Local Government Act, allow renters to vote on any necessary borrowing and for their commission representatives, unlike NSSWD, in which only property owners are enfranchised.
Notwithstanding the above, the priority at this time, which NSSWD has been diligently working on, is to address the water moratorium. The welcome announcement of a $10-million provincial grant to raise the weir on St. Mary Lake could be a decisive factor in these deliberations, depending on the resolution of the outstanding litigation regarding the Channel Ridge properties. As I’ve stated publicly and conveyed to the NSSWD board, the CRD may also have a role in resolving the moratorium.
Regarding the broader governance issue on Salt Spring Island, the newly established LCC broadens local representation, improves accountability and transparency and consolidates service delivery. Voters recognized this with a 62 per cent “yes” vote for the LCC, compared to 30 and 38 per cent support in the last two incorporation referenda. The public support and interest in the LCC was also confirmed when 15 islanders offered themselves as candidates for the four available positions. What Ms. Lucich characterizes as voters failing “to grow up,” I suggest is more fairly viewed as exercising prudent judgment.
The effectiveness of our local governance should take into account Salt Spring’s many accomplishments, which I contend would compare favourably with other communities of our population size and tax base. For example, in the last five years alone, construction was completed or funding commitments secured for 130 units of affordable and supportive housing (SS Commons, Croftonbrook, Drake Road supported housing, Seabreeze Inne for health worker housing), and the Trust legalized hundreds of properties for suites and cottages outside the NSSWD moratorium area.
There have been many more accomplishments: new CRD and NSSWD water treatment plants as noted above; indoor swimming pool and more recent additions of shared recreation and daycare space; a soon to be built new fire hall and retention of the Ganges hall in public hands; an almost completed emergency room at Lady Minto; a 25,000-square-foot community centre; a new library; miles of pathways and sidewalks in and around Ganges, including the soon to be repaved Ganges hill with wider shoulder bike lanes; acquisition of a 75-acre community park on Mount Maxwell; upgrading of Centennial Park; upgrades to the Ganges sewage treatment plant and replacement of the Malaview plant; free recycling; establishment of The Root food storage and processing centre and Salt Spring’s first large-scale composting facility.
Many of these accomplishments were achieved by securing tens of millions in federal, provincial and CRD grants. Part of our unique system of governance is also enhanced by the efforts of a remarkable ecosystem of community groups, a number of which are funded by CRD to deliver important local services such as the library, recycling centre, arts facilities and programs, and search and rescue.
The proof is in the pudding and while our governance system is still somewhat fragmented, it is far from dysfunctional, and we need to understand when we’re winning. Got a question about who does what? Here’s a thought: call or email me, or any one of the newly elected LCC commissioners, and we’ll get you the answer. It’s not that complicated.