It may all be water under the bridge now that council here has defeated a plan to include mandatory water hookups for homes in the urban areas of town.
On Nov. 15, council defeated ratification of mandatory water hookups. Instead the town is opting for more incentives for voluntary connections.
The item was from a special Oct. 25 council meeting.
Mayor Lou Maieron said he did not see a resolution in the council package. He aid a motion by Josie Wintersinger and Deb Callaghan at that meeting council generally stated a mandatory water hookup would not be implemented and council would consider an incentive program to encourage property owners with a water main adjacent to their property to connect to it.
Maieron said, “But what we were discussing was a recommendation from the planning and water departments that [the town] go forward with mandatory water hookups – initially with a set of triggers.”
He wondered if that should be the resolution councillors should be considering instead. “Up until that meeting, we were always looking at mandatory hookup – with triggers [for implementation].”
Maieron said those triggers would have taken place with significant changes to the properties such as such as additions.
Councillor Barb Tocher believed the resolution by Wintersinger and Callaghan was enough.
Wintersinger did not want to see any conditions applied for mandatory hookups.
“Which is what the resolution says,” Tocher added.
Maieron said he wanted to be clear.
At the time of the last meeting, Maieron said he was considering the pros and cons.
“After having time to think about it, I sort of have a two-faced opinion about it – but it’s fair.”
He agreed the proper thing to do for the residents would be to implement mandatory water connections. Probably, it would also be the right thing to do for residents on the water system. But, having considered it further, and given the direction the municipality is heading, perhaps the right thing for Erin to do, is to agree with the majority.”
Council subsequently endorsed a resolution that it would not implement mandatory hookups at this time.
Maieron explained building permit applications will not be used as triggers to force connections, and instead the municipality will work to make connections more financially feasible “offering a carrot instead of a stick. We will try to make it as appealing as possible for people to hook up to water.”
People at the meeting showed their approval of council’s decision with a round of applause.
