5673 replies to this topic

[JohnN]

Richard Atwell's comments on Mayor of Oak Bay interview on CFAX today: 

http://theriteplan.c...Nils_Jensen.m4a

Start from 7m08s.

Jensen announced that Oak Bay Council has started the process of looking for a "Plan B" and wants to join the Victoria in their study of an alternative. This is good news however Jensen is still of the opinion that the loss of $500m in funding is a great risk (this is despite all of the assurances from senior governments):

https://www.youtube....h?v=dFyWKdjKXbk

As a caretaker of taxpayers monies, I am grateful that he is concerned about this and not taking a cavalier attitude towards municipal spending and debt but we're been hearing this drumbeat since 2009 that we have to make decisions before the plan is finished or even rush into them:

https://www.youtube....h?v=9JUJrm-RXQU

Start from 1m24s.

Jensen highlighted the $19m the CRD has spent on studies but did they study the right thing? $700,000 alone spent on a distributed system study.

That sounds impressive but CRD didn't produce a Class C cost estimate for decentralized tertiary disinfected system.

CRD paid for a Class D (or lower) discussion paper of a distributed secondary system. That's apples vs. oranges.

Calling proposals like The RITE Plan, a magic solution, silver bullet, or asking "web surfers" to show us the engineering studies from Sweden is insulting to those who have come to the CRD, pleading with the Directors to update their knowledge from 2009.

Just look at Sechelt...they conceived of, designed and built a modern sewage treatment plant in a single election cycle. CRD has spend almost 3 election cycles with almost nothing to show for it.

A dream in 2008, like the building of Dockside Green is just how treatment plants are being build now: 21st century water reclamation facilities instead of last centuries sewage plants.

[JohnN]

GUEST COMMENT: CRD’s desperate leadership

Tim Morrison
Victoria News
Aug 21, 2014

Excerpt:
From acting as a “facilitating” chair, who seeks to help the municipalities come to consensus, CRD chair Alastair Bryson, who is also the mayor of Central Saanich, has moved to become an “intervening” chair. He has moved from the politics of persuasion to the politics of power. Honouring process has been subverted by manipulation of process.

READ MORE Here:   http://www.vicnews.c.../272075041.html

[JohnN]

Oak Bay makes ‘Plan B’ for sewage

Oak Bay News
Aug 22, 2014

The district of Oak Bay is searching for a “Plan B” when it comes to sewage treatment. At its meeting Monday night, council asked staff to begin discussions with the municipality of Saanich and City of Victoria to collectively come up with an alternate plan to the one currently on the Capital Regional District’s table.

Read more: http://www.oakbaynew.../272227891.html

[Mike K.]

Strong words by Morrison. No doubt he wants to be selected to represent Esquimalt at the CRD level.

[JohnN]

Strong words by Morrison. No doubt he wants to be selected to represent Esquimalt at the CRD level.

Morrison along with the other 3 men on Esquimalt Council outvoted the three women (including Mayor Desjardins) for higher pay raises. Since that move appears to have been unpopular in Esquimalt, could be that Morrison would just like to get re-elected period.

[JohnN]

CRD SEWAGE NEWS 24 August:   http://sewagevictoria.blogspot.ca/

 

Audio-Visual News:

- Oak Bay Mayor Jensen on CFAX 19 August

- Justin Stephenson on CFAX

 

- The RITE Plan's Youtube Channel

News stories:

- Why it's OK to pee beside the seaside

- Oak Bay makes ‘Plan B’ for sewage

- EcoJustice Letter to Esquimalt 

 

​LETTERS:

- Let courts decide on sewage treatment (Dew-Jones)

- CRD shouldn’t attempt political interference (Ferri)

- We need leadership on sewage plant siting (Spence)

- Saanich, Oak Bay need to get involved (Witter)

 

Click here to read: http://sewagevictoria.blogspot.ca/

[JohnN]

Put sewage issue on the ballot, Esquimalt councillor says

 

Esquimalt Coun. Tim Morrison believes the township’s residents are solidly behind his council’s unanimous rejection of a regional sewage treatment plant at McLoughlin Point, and he wants to give them a chance to prove it.

 

Read more here:  http://www.timescolo...-says-1.1330408

 

- And here is link to just-released 11 MB pdf City of Victoria report on an analysis for getting into distributed sewage treatment and comparing with options. 

https://victoria.civicweb.net/FileStorage/043BD0768B0C49A39734886255AAF9D7-Workplan%20for%20Review%20of%20Wastewater%20Treatment.pdf

 

From what I can tell on first glance at report, City of Victoria is getting into some heavy slogging and likely that there will be eruptions of sewage planning problems, conflicts, issues all through the municipal election period. 

[JohnN]

Atwell declares candidacy for mayor of Saanich. Bringing his RITE Plan angle to the debates, may demand that Leonard sharpen his focus to criticize RITE Plan as well as defending Leonard's own actions on CRD sewage committee (or lack thereof). Especially as Leonard even outperforms Oak Bay Mayor Jensen as "the mayor who is never there" for CRD sewage committee meetings.

 

Saanich elections: sewage crusader Atwell runs for mayor

 

Excerpt: Richard Atwell says he feels the public is concerned about the way decisions are being made and thinks they want to see a fresh approach.

 

Read more here: http://www.cfax1070.com/News/Top-Stories/Saanich-elections-sewage-crusader-Atwell-runs-for

 

Atwell Press Release: http://richardatwell...ressRelease.pdf

Attached Images

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[JohnN]

Sewage funding in jeopardy, Fortin warns: 

 

Fortin: “In my mind, it [federal and provincial funding] is at jeopardy...So as we flounder around in this region, unable to come up with any direction and move forward, there is the concern and the risk that that money goes over to those that have their act together and the need.”

Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/sewage-funding-in-jeopardy-fortin-warns-1.1334100

[Sparky]

I find it horrific that people consider federal and provincial money different than local money.

 

IT'S STILL OUR MONEY. To rush into a mistake (8 years is a rush don't you know) just because there is a threat of not receiving "free" money from another tax source sickens me.

 

As soon as we start NOT wasting money at any level, we can calm down and do something right for a change.

[Mike K.]

Sewage funding in jeopardy, Fortin warns:

Fortin: “In my mind, it [federal and provincial funding] is at jeopardy...So as we flounder around in this region, unable to come up with any direction and move forward, there is the concern and the risk that that money goes over to those that have their act together and the need.”
Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/sewage-funding-in-jeopardy-fortin-warns-1.1334100

Jesus Christ let's give it a rest already. Fortin kept the same fear driven campaign alive during the bridge decision process and kept warning of a funding loss. Meanwhile he wasn't even able to convince the province to chip in seventy five cents, let alone lose it.

The funding will stay. Why would the feds deny us funding for something they are forcing on us? What kind of world do people like Fortin live in?

[VicHockeyFan]

The problem is that while Fortin goes on about how the CRD is broken and how munis are not stepping forward for the greater good, he fails to mention that CoV is one that is also not stepping forward, by suggesting the whole plant(s) be built at Clover Point.  Which honestly, is likely the cheapest plan of all.

 

Here's my plan:

 

 

 

Say, what's Sweetnam and crew doing every day lately?

[Mike K.]

Good question.

[Sparky]

 

 

Say, what's Sweetnam and crew doing every day lately?

 

Why don't you phone him and ask him?

[Mr Cook Street]

I'd love to see a great structure go up at Clover Point. It could house the treatment facility and enhance the park area. Lots of glass to minimize loss of views. Throw in a coffee shop or restaurant with soaring windows that could pay rent towards the facility costs.

 

Something like the War Museum in Ottawa:

 

[JohnN]

Video of that Governance Committee 28 August meeting and discussion of the sewage treatment workplan starting at 2:00 hours mark with Geoff Young comments: 

 

http://victoria.ca.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=258

 

at 2:15 hours mark, Fortin carries on from Young's concluding comment about funding possibly being in jeopardy. 

 

Interesting Fortin comment that while Victoria residents may be in favour of "sewage treatment" at $300 per year, not so many may be in favour at $900 per year.

[JohnN]

CRD SEWAGE NEWS 31 August

 

http://sewagevictoria.blogspot.ca/

 

Audio-Visual News:

- City of Victoria Sewage Plan Discussion 28 August

- The RITE Plan's Youtube Channel

 

News stories:

- Councillor: Put sewage issue on the ballot

- Saanich elections: sewage crusader Atwell runs for mayor

- STAG's Atwell for Saanich Mayor

- Sewage funding in jeopardy, Fortin warns

- Frank Stanford's comment Aug 29 2014

 

LETTERS:

- Let residents vote on sewage plan (Ferguson)

 

http://sewagevictoria.blogspot.ca/

 

.

 

[JohnN]

The high cost of conducting the public's business in private

DAVID BROADLAND 
Focus Magazine
SEPTEMBER 2014

The Victoria region’s two largest public infrastructure projects are in deep trouble. The proposed $800 million sewage treatment program had already cost $90 million by the end of June even though the project didn’t have a site on which a central treatment plant could be built.

 

Of that $90 million, $45 million appears to have gone up in smoke, and three month’s after Environment Minister Mary Polak backed Esquimalt’s right to decline hosting a central treatment plant, there’s no political agreement on how to proceed.

Read more here: http://focusonline.ca/?q=node/764

[JohnN]

Presentations at CRD Sewage Committee meeting 10 September:

- 1) Massimo Bergamini, Principal, InterChange Public Affairs – Federal Funding Agreement for Sewage Treatment; (InterChange is Seaterra's lobby firm in Ottawa)

- 2) Colin Stewart, Stewart McDannold Stuart – Statutory Obligations for Sewage Treatment (SMS is Seaterra legal firm)

CRD Sewage Committee 10 September Agenda with reports: 
https://crd.bc.ca/about/document-library/Documents/committeedocuments/corearealiquidwastemanagementcommittee/20140910

[JohnN]

CRD SEWAGE NEWS 7 September 

 

http://sewagevictoria.blogspot.ca/

- Sewage spill affects Cadboro Bay beach

- The high cost of conducting the public's business in private

- Presentations at CRD Sewage Committee meeting 10 September

 

​LETTERS:

- New Saanich candidates are strong contenders (Bickerton)
- The sewage treatment conundrum (Goodenough)
- Politicians should clean their own backyard first (Kimm)
- Mayor Jensen’s flip-flop (Kirby)
- The sewage treatment conundrum (Weatherill)
- The sewage treatment conundrum (Wartels)
- The sewage treatment conundrum (Slater)
- CRD/School District wasted water (Bickerton)

 

http://sewagevictoria.blogspot.ca/