The District of Lantzville will spend $38,960 extra on its water master plan and official community plan review process.
Lantzville councillors voted Monday in favour of spending $20,000 on additional tasks in order to complete the water master plan. They also approved an increase of $18,960 to the official community plan budget, which will be used to fund additional meetings for the official community plan review select committee as well as an open house.
The additional $20,000 for the water master plan is due to the recent well field capacity report that indicates there is less water in Lantzville than originally thought. District staff requested that the results be incorporated into the water master plan, resulting in additional work required by staff and Lanarc Consultants, the company leading the formulation of a water master plan and official community plan review.
Meanwhile the $18,960 is allocated toward funding additional OCP review select committee meetings, which were requested by councillors earlier this year.
Coun. Bob Colclough said he supported having more meetings, adding that it’s important to stick to the process even if the later meetings don’t provide much input or new information.
Coun. Mark Swain questioned whether more meetings were really needed, but said he would be comfortable with one or two more meetings if they were required.
“At this point with the OCP review or draft review … people can just take this home, type out their comments … and submit their feedback,” he said. “It’s getting a little out of control.”
Coun. Denise Haime, who is on the OCP review select committee, said the group has more work to do and that more meetings are needed as a result.
“To date the OCP committee hasn’t even see the draft OCP. There are sections of the OCP we haven’t even discussed yet and yet they are being brushed over,” she said.
Mayor Colin Haime said a draft OCP has taken longer than expect and committee meetings were cancelled in the past. He said the district should not be charged for the additional meetings.
“Waiting for the draft document took a period of time and was later than expected in terms of coming out. So, personally, I am not in favour of this,” he said.