Lantzville Coun. Denise Haime wants to know which neighbourhoods are thirsting for municipal water – and what they are willing to pay to get it.
Lantzville council is considering a new water advisory committee in the lead up to a master plan.
Staff members pitched the idea of a five-member committee at an open meeting last week, which would look at options like how to provide municipal water to unserviced areas and give input into a water master plan. The total cost for the plan and this new committee would be $100,000. Councillors, however, are looking for further discussion on the group.
Haime said she would like to see a nine-person committee representing different areas of the community. It could work on a questionnaire to ask the public for its concerns and needs, and how much residents would be willing to pay.
A water agreement with Nanaimo will eventually allow an additional 211 homes on private wells to hook into the city water system. While those connections are meant for the Northwind/Southwind area of upper Lantzville, residents would also have to agree to the service and the cost to connect.
Haime isn’t convinced, for example, that all homes in the ‘Winds’ need the water, or would be willing to pay to get it.
Coun. Bob Colclough said the committee would advise council on process and policy development rather than technical aspects of drilling or well construction, which is where the idea for a committee began. He said there’s also been discussion of having a joint committee to handle the issue of water and an official community plan review.
Council is slated to revisit the committee issue this April.