Inverhuron residents urge Kincardine to stay the course on water, sewer project

Grant Hopcroft and Paul Axman are urging Kincardine council to move ahead as quickly as possible with the Inverhuron water and sewer project.

Both are residents of Inverhuron and were members of the steering committee that met from 2009-10 to discuss the project. And both made delegations to council in committee-of-the-whole last night (April 8).

Hopcroft said he has been watching the drama unfold, with respect to the lengthy process to receive approval for this project. And given the recent delegation by Donald A. Stewart and James McKeary of the Inverhuron Watershed Concerned Citizens Association, he decided it was time to review some facts.

He and his wife have owned a cottage on Wood Street in Inverhuron since 1991, and have been summer visitors to the area since the 1980s.

"I am keenly interested in the health of the Inverhuron community, and applied for and was appointed by council to the steering committee for the Inverhuron Sewer and Water Environmental Assessment (EA)," he said. "The need for servicing in Inverhuron has been questioned by some throughout the EA process and naturally, this question was a focal point for the work of your staff and the steering committee."

He said one of the most relevant documents demonstrating the need for servicing in Inverhuron is the letter of
support for the Building Canada Fund application from the Grey Bruce Health Unit, dated Nov. 3, 2008.
The letter notes evidence that more than 20 per cent of private wells in Inverhuron have adverse water quality results, and expresses major concern about the safety of the underground water aquifers in the area. It states that in 2008, Inverhuron was one of the last small communities on Lake Huron that did not yet have complete municipal sewage services.
The letter also raised concerns about the number of older septic systems in Inverhuron that were not in compliance with sizing and setback regulations. Furthermore, the health unit provided information during the EA process that supports an assumption that approximately 70 per cent (276) of all developed properties in the Inverhuron project area are serviced by septic systems that have been in use for more than 25 years or are considered substandard.

"We also learned that 60 per cent of properties within the study area are too small to support a traditional sewage disposal system, and an additional 22 per cent of properties are too small to support both a well and septic system," said Hopcroft. "Only 17 per cent of properties are of sufficient size to support both a septic system and private well supply."

He said the EA was finally approved last December following an extensive and very lengthy EA process.

"I was not a keen supporter of the final result, but it's a better solution than doing nothing," he said. "I urge you to take the time to review the full report. There was more than ample opportunity for input, questions and discussion throughout the process. Some are now asking council to pause and to re-open discussion regarding servicing options that have already been considered through the EA process. We are now less than a year away from the deadline for expiry of federal and provincial cost-sharing."

Hopcroft noted that Kincardine's request for an extension past the March 31, 2016, deadline, has been denied by the Building Canada Fund – Communities Component Joint Secretariat. This means only work performed prior to that date is eligible for funding of two-thirds of project costs (up to $6,076,400). Any outstanding work remaining as of April 1, 2016, will be the 100-per-cent responsibility of the municipality and the contributing property owners in the study area.

"The tender process for this project must be expedited to ensure that as much work as possible can be completed within timelines," said Hopcroft. "I am requesting that council direct municipal staff and your engineering consultants to expedite the Inverhuron water and sewer project tender and construction process, to maximize the share of funding applied to project costs.

"I am also requesting that council direct municipal staff and your consultants to continue to work with the Building Canada Fund – Communities Component Joint Secretariat to explore options to complete as much of the project as is possible within program timelines."

"Would we be able to invoice for supplies that are not installed by March 31, 2016?" asked deputy mayor Jacqueline Faubert.

"I'm reluctant to give a firm answer on that without the agreement in front of me," said Hopcroft. "Ask municipal staff to discuss that with ministry staff."

Chief administrative officer Murray Clarke said all material and goods purchased up to, and including, the deadline date are eligible for the funding program.

"Can we just assume that's in the funding agreement?" asked Faubert.

"There are provisions in the agreement with respect to that," said councillor Laura Haight.

Councillor Maureen Couture requested that every member of council receive a copy of that agreement so they can read it for themselves, and that council move on to the second delegation.

Hopcroft stressed that council has to do something because this provincial-federal funding opportunity happens only once in a generation. "If you do not move ahead with this, you will regret it later on when septic systems start to fail."

AXMAN OFFERS BACKGROUND ABOUT PROJECT

Axman said his family has had a cottage in Inverhuron since 1931 and is in its fourth generation there.

Back in 2009, he said, a steering committee composed of local residents (seasonal and permanent), council, the health unit and B.M. Ross and Associates (municipal engineer) met several times over two years to discuss options.

"There were 12 volunteers from among the residents to sit on the committee, and seven were selected," said Axman. "We now have another group (Inverhuron Watershed Concerned Citizens Association) looking to intervene at the last minute, and this could jeopardize the grant."

He said the steering committee discussed several options, as well as the reasons for looking at sewer and water services in Inverhuron. "One thing that was clear from the outset is that there is no 'universal solution.' Some folks want water, some want sewer, some want both and some want neither. There will be controversy regardless of the decision."

However, the grant is for sewer and water, not an "a la carte" solution where certain streets can be picked, and different servicing options chosen in those areas, he said.

Axman said the steering committee was given an overview of different types of septic systems, the geology of the area, options as far as sewer systems, and impact of lot sizes on septic and wells. There was considerable material covered on all these topics already and the steering committee made a decision based on the material presented.

He noted that Haight had prepared a package for council, containing much of this material.

Axman urged council to beware of both sides of the story.

"Based on what has been reported in the local media and discussions with cottagers, I don't feel this is the case," he said. "In particular, the Inverhuron Watershed Concerned Citizens Association appears to have put itself forward as spokesperson for the citizens oft Inverhuron."

Referring to an article, dated March 8, by Liz Dadson of the Kincardine Record, Axman said the association considers itself to be "evolving into an organization that speaks with authority for this area." And that the Inverhuron and District Ratepayers' Association (IDRA) is a social group and hasn't spoken on behalf of the community for 15 years.

"One fundamental difference," said Axman, "is the IDRA elects directors and a president. At this point, it appears the association is a self-appointed body. When I read that article, that's the first I had heard of the Inverhuron Watershed Concerned Citizens Association."

He said that as a seasonal resident of Inverhuron, a common historic perception has been that council typically dealt with issues concerning Inverhuron in the off-season, when the cottagers had little input. "Now it appears the association is employing those same tactics. The seasonal folks that I have spoken with have heard nothing of the attempt to quash the project."

Axman encouraged council to familiarize itself with the information provided in the package about the project, and make a truly-informed decision.

"This project will affect the property owners in their pocketbooks," he said. "But there are a lot of people who want this system, and a lot of people waiting to build."

Councillor Randy Roppel said he doesn't blame the people for the delay in this project - it was council that dropped the ball.

"No, we did not," argued Haight. "We followed the process, and the process, and the process. We got mired in the process."

Roppel requested an opportunity to ask a question on behalf of an Inverhuron cottager on Lake Street North in Inverhuron, who had driven three hours to be at the meeting but did not realize she had to be listed on the agenda in order to address council. Council agreed.

Her question was: What happens to property owners who have applied to replace a septic system but were turned down due to inadequate space for a system, and then this water and sewer project fails to proceed?

"You could look at a tertiary system," said Haight. "The lot fabric is too small to meet the setback requirements (for a regular septic system). Sixty per cent of the lots are under-sized, and the age of the septic systems is such that they need to be replaced. It's a risk for the whole community."

Chief planning official Michele Barr said many properties in Inverhuron will likely find that their septic systems are on the municipal road allowance, not their own properties.

Mayor Anne Eadie added that some municipalities, including Huron-Kinloss to the south, have implemented a septic re-inspection program. "That could be a possibility in the future here."

She thanked Hopcroft and Axman for their delegations.



Paul Axman (L) and Grant Hopcroft address Kincardine council about the Inverhuron water and sewer project