qathet Regional District (qRD) committee of the whole will debate whether to become the receiver for the Lund Waterworks District.
At the July 26 regional board meeting, directors were presented a recommendation that qRD respectfully decline the opportunity to become the receiver.
According to a staff report, BC Ministry of Municipal Affairs has requested the regional board be asked if it is interested in stepping in as the receiver for the waterworks district. Current receiver Tom Day is stepping down from his position and the ministry wants to appoint a new receiver.
The staff report indicated that the regional district does not have capacity at this time to take on the responsibility, with the resource-recovery centre project in full swing and the Lund Community Hall project on the radar.
Chief administrative officer Al Radke said it is in the government’s policy that all improvement districts will eventually be dissolved.
“They thought the best way would be natural attrition and so they continue to starve every improvement district out by not offering grants,” said Radke. “The fact of the matter is their policy says once an improvement district dissolves it will go to the nearest local government. By default, that is us.
“It’s not whether or not we want the Lund water system. We’ve already committed to taking it on.”
Radke said in 2018 the regional district put in 300-plus hours along with waterworks district board members as part of the process to apply for funding for the needed improvements. He said the grant applied for in 2020 was rejected.
“It’s not that we’re not accepting the Lund water system, it’s whether or not we want to be the receiver,” said Radke. “We do not have to be the receiver to get the grant. Otherwise, we could be the receiver and the grant isn’t awarded.”
Electoral Area A director Jason Lennox, in whose district Lund Waterworks District is located, said he wanted to refer the motion to the next committee of the whole meeting, with a fulsome staff report, and all the information in a full package, so that directors can have time to discuss the matter further.
Radke said by his understanding, any potential grants do not have any bearing on whether or not qRD is the receiver.
Electoral Area D director Sandy McCormick said there are several other water improvement districts in the region that could end up in the regional district’s lap.
“How we make the Lund upgrade work is really important in terms of what could be coming down the road,” said McCormick. “It’s important that we consider further information. We have to consider what happens in Lund won’t necessarily stay in Lund. It can apply to other improvement districts.”
A motion to refer the matter to committee of the whole was carried.
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