Utility Rates
In order to effectively provide water and sewer services to the community and meet operating
requirements the utility rates will be amended to increase overall revenues in the water and sewer fund.
The 2021 revenue increases required are as follows:
Water Fund: $95,556, of which, $77,361 will be made up of the 13% rate increase beginning April 1, 2021
and the balance of $18,195 will be made up of 2020 surplus.
In addition to the 13% rate increase there is a further 1% recommended to be added as an Ecosystem
Service Fee. This fee will be collected from users against fixed and variable water charges, each quarter,
which will be subsequently transferred to Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation to support Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks.
The service fee is a small measure of support for the Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks initiative which includes
the protection of lands that form the watershed from which Tofino draws its municipal water. The
addition of this fee is recommended as a step in fulfilling the “key deliverable” in Council’s 2021 – 2023
Strategic Plan.
26 comments:
Effective Date – April 1, 2021
Utility Rates
In order to effectively provide water and sewer services to the community and meet operating
requirements the utility rates will be amended to increase overall revenues in the water and sewer fund.
The 2021 revenue increases required are as follows:
Water Fund: $95,556, of which, $77,361 will be made up of the 13% rate increase beginning April 1, 2021
and the balance of $18,195 will be made up of 2020 surplus.
In addition to the 13% rate increase there is a further 1% recommended to be added as an Ecosystem
Service Fee. This fee will be collected from users against fixed and variable water charges, each quarter,
which will be subsequently transferred to Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation to support Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks.
The service fee is a small measure of support for the Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks initiative which includes
the protection of lands that form the watershed from which Tofino draws its municipal water. The
addition of this fee is recommended as a step in fulfilling the “key deliverable” in Council’s 2021 – 2023
Strategic Plan.
and on Jan. 1st 2022 another 4% on top of that !!
"The proposed water and sewer utility charges in the Residential, Commercial and Other, and Fire Flow Class will all be subject to an increase of 4%, excluding the 1% portion for the Ecosystem Service fee, on January 1, 2022 in order to meet ongoing increases to operating costs."
Vote JJ . Existing council supports this .
So taxation for the tribal parks disguised as a service fee. Who supports this insanity? And if so where is the accountability? This was discussed behind closed doors as this has not shown up council minutes. Secrecy always costs us more as do incompetent employees and consultants. Save tofino please.
How is quorum met with only 4 council members for the feb. 23rd council meeting?
RE 1:51PM Quorum is 4.
Welcome to eviro fascism. one group is pitted against another for the economic and political benefit of the enviro group. This seems to have been engineered by the ex-mayor in concert with one group in secret while pretending to represent another group, the district of tofino.
It starts small - just one or 2% increasing to 4% - then the next level the inhabitants of the districts will be paying a different 5% to the botanical Garden for protecting the environment. Once a significant level of polarization occurs then Kristallnacht is next on the list. As far as I'm concerned the BC government needs to put a stop to this except for guess what folks? The BC government is now the former mayor and not about to trash her group's agenda.
Pushing people by blackmail only goes so far then the pushed people start pushing back.
If this is where the phony data scientists want our society to go then start up the band.
Both councillors running for mayor were fully aware of this and voiced zero objections .
At least somebody put this on the agenda now instead of after the election. Please ask the candidates what their position is on this issue.
Protection from what ? Sounds like extortion.
Dan Law better start talking and fast. He knew this was ready to happen and said nothing. A lot of people are going to be looking to JJ now. Kiss it goodbye Danny boy.
I agree with the other posters. Tofino's water supply is licensed by the province of BC. Unilateral declarations of Tribal Park designations have no legal legitimacy. This is extortion.
What are they doing, behind closed doors in a world of their own, the idiots have just made a deal with the whirl wind. But it is just a "small amount of money". Why are they telling us that, if they don't anticipate a lot of opposition. Fools, Appeasers, This is the thin edge of the wedge.
Closed Meeting Requirements
Municipal councils or regional district boards may close a meeting or part of a meeting by passing a resolution that sets out the basis for closing the meeting to discuss any of the following:
Personal information about individuals appointed to or being considered for appointment as an officer, employee or agent of the local government
Personal information about individuals being considered for an award or who have offered a gift to the local government on condition of anonymity
Labour/employee relations
Security of property of the local government
Acquisition, disposition or expropriation of land or improvements if local government interests could be harmed by disclosure
Law enforcement, if disclosure could harm an investigation or enforcement of an enactment
Litigation or potential litigation impacting the local government
A hearing or potential hearing by an outside administrative tribunal affecting the local government, for example, the Gaming Commission, the Passenger Transportation Board or the Utilities Commission
The receipt of legal advice
Information that is prohibited or information that if it were presented in a document would be prohibited from disclosure under section 21 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (business interests of a third party)
Service negotiations and related discussions that are at their preliminary stages and that could harm the interests of the local government if held in public
A matter related to the local government that is being investigated by the Office of the Ombudsperson
Objectives, measures and progress report discussions with local government officers and employees for the purposes of preparing annual reports
A matter that, under a separate enactment, may be discussed in a closed meeting
Deciding whether or not the meeting should be closed
Deciding whether or not a local government wishes to use the authority under section 91 of the Community Charter to exclude staff or allow them to attend a closed meeting, or in specified circumstances to allow other persons to attend a closed meeting
This proposal should never have been discussed behind closed doors.
Are we going to pay Friends of Clayoquot Sound to “protect” Tonquin Park ?
" The one percent fee is in keeping with the Tribal Parks recommendation for Tribal Parks allies and reflects communication between District administration and the TFN Tribal Administrator. " '
$755,504.00 X 1% = $7555.04
Much ado about nothing . 3 times that amount was spent on the stupid skating rink .
What other secret deals are being cooked up behind closed doors ? For real change vote JJ .
Slippery slope to nowhere. Bad idea regardless of the the dollar values . Is the money being offered as value for any particular service or as appeasement. Appeasement is always a bad idea. And you are right, it was a stupid skating rinky dink.
This is what comes of being a resort municipality with tourist taxation dollars.
Civic government, elected and non elected get used to spending the “FREE MONEY”
So when it comes to actually running the town, they have the mindset that all the money, including the regular taxation revenues of the town is also “FREE MONEY”
Since it isn’t THEIR MONEY, it does not hurt to give it away or waste it.
They dare not ask a local taxpaying citizen what they think of such useless spending.
Sounds like the groundwork is being set to necessitate a citizen taxation revolt.
It can't help but occur to all of us that in order to get this far with a special Levy a consultation with the district lawyer needed to happen.
Here we go again with the administration using taxpayer money to get legal advice on how to pull the wool over our eyes....... For the benefit of a third-party extortion scheme.
This issue needs to go to a referendum which is normally what's required if district monies are to be spent out of the boundaries of the District.
Should be a multiple choice.
Personally I would prefer to donate of my own free will to the tribal parks alliance rather than have my arm twisted.
There is perhaps an option of a park entry toll split between tribal parks, parks Canada, and Tofino/ucluelet.
The districts plan at this point constitutes a dangerous confrontation.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”― Edmund Burke
If you look at the time frame, it's obvious that this whole deal was put together when Josie was still mayor....... Present at the table had to have been Law, McQuade, Osborne, the 4 other current councillors, and Bob Mc Pherson.
Vote JJ Belanger for mayor.
Re 9:32PM Incase it hasn't occurred to you, maybe not everyone on Council was in favour!
8:29 AM; You may be correct. But since the discussion was held in secret, behind closed doors, "in camera", the members of the electorate have no way of knowing what was discussed, or who proposed what, or who voted in favor or against any part of the proposal.
What we do know, for sure, is that tomorrow there will be a vote in council that could potentially raise the water bill of every taxpayer in Tofino.
Another thing that we know for sure is that both Law and McQuade were fully aware of this plan, and both chose to say nothing about it, prior to this weekend's exposure of the scam.
Sorted by democracy...go figure
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