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Hagensborg Water District considering dissolution

Ballots are being mailed out to ratepayers on November 15 and must be returned by November 30
19132426_web1__MJW2909-Snootli-Valley-View
A view of the Snootli watershed, the source of drinking water for the Hagensborg Water District. The district has been under a boil water advisory for decades. (Michael Wigle photo)

Submitted by Jeremy Baillie ~ Hagensborg Water District

After recently receiving approval of a $3.78-million-dollar infrastructure grant from both the provincial and federal levels of government, the Hagensborg Water District continued its work of conducting a Conversion Review centered upon dissolving the Hagensborg Water District (HWD) in favour of becoming a service area of the Central Coast Regional District. Accessing the one-time infrastructure grant requires converting to a local service area of the Central Coast Regional District.

The HWD hired consultant Jim Tarves to complete a conversion review with the cooperation of the Hagensborg Water District and the Central Coast Regional District. The completed review was presented by Mr. Tarves at a public meeting this past October 3rd, 2019 attended by approximately twenty five rate payers.

Advantages and disadvantages are outlined in the review which is available at the Hagensborg Post Office or from the Hagensborg Water District website (https://www.hwwdistrict.ca/).

By dissolving the Hagensborg Water District advantages include access to this one-time grant and the potential to access further grants and/or borrowing at the Municipal Finance Rate as a local service area of the regional district. Other potential advantages include the ability to share resources both equipment and human resources with the CCRD instead of competing for these finite resources.

Meanwhile, not dissolving means not accepting the grant and the possible need to borrow to pay for needed repairs, upgrading of pipes, fire truck and intake at rates much higher than the rate Municipal Finance Rate that only regional districts and municipalities have access to.

Dissolving the Hagensborg Water District may present a loss of local autonomy with the CCRD Directors potentially not being ratepayers of the HWD.

Maintaining an advisory board or committee would be a discussion occurring after dissolution.

To answer the question surrounding dissolving the HWD and accepting the grant verses maintaining the status quo ballots will be sent to via the mail to all Hagensborg Water District Ratepayers. The Hagensborg Water District looks to have this ballot out to rate payers in the mail by November 15th and will be asking rate payers to return these ballots post marked no later than Friday, November 30th.

Should you have any questions or concerns about this or other matters pertaining to the Hagensborg Water District operations please email the HWD at hwwdistrict@gmail.com