Haywire Bay Regional Park will be getting a sani-dump station at an estimated cost of $40,000.
At the qathet Regional District board meeting on Thursday, November 28, directors also approved that camping rates for RV, campers and trailers be increased to $27 per night at both Haywire Bay and Shelter Point Park campgrounds when installation of the sani-dump at Haywire Bay is complete.
In discussion of the motion, Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne said $40,000 is a lot of money coming from the regional parks service. He said the board was looking at establishing a regional parks acquisition fund and the regional district can only take so much money from taxpayers.
“I would rather see this $40,000 go into the regional parks acquisition fund and I will be voting against this tonight,” said Gisborne. “It doesn’t mean I’m forever opposed to putting a sani-dump station up there but I don’t think it’s an expense we should be putting into the 2020 budget.”
Area C director Clay Brander said he agreed with Gisborne. He said if the situation changes the initiative could be revisited but he said he would be voting against the motion because he did not think it was necessary at this point.
Board chair Patrick Brabazon said he went camping for many years in an RV. It didn’t have a toilet in it, and not every RV or trailer has a toilet in it, he said. If a camper is going to roll up at a campsite and pay an additional fee for a toilet it doesn’t have, the regional district has its objectives misplaced, added Brabazon.
Area E director Andrew Fall said he did not believe there was any urgency on this initiative.
“We are just in the process of getting our parkland acquisition off the ground and doing more planning around regional parks,” said Fall. “Doing a bit more planning around regional parks would help. I’m not opposed to this item per se, but it’s something we could consider after we get going with the parkland acquisition.”
City of Powell River director George Doubt said the board had passed a motion that staff is creating the parkland acquisition fund but there is no policy yet. He said there was not the prerequisite of a parkland acquisition funding plan.
“While it’s nice to talk about the parkland acquisition fund, it doesn’t exist right now and it’s not going to happen this year,” said Doubt. “Meanwhile, we have an opportunity to put in a service at Haywire Bay that staff seems to believe is needed. It’s going to get more expensive over the years than cheaper and it will protect the environment, which is what people come here to enjoy.
“We can wait until later until someone makes the error of spilling their sewage into the lake instead of what they are supposed to do. I’m going to vote in favour of this.”
City director CaroleAnn Leishman said she concurred with Doubt and would be voting in favour.
When the board voted on the motion, there were four opposed, but the weighted vote held by the city directors carried the motion.
