Last week city council passed a motion permitting the city to enter into an easement agreement with Troy Weil at 244 Woodland Drive. The agreement will allow the city to attach hydro service to a pole on Weil’s property that belongs to BC Hydro and bring it into the city reservoir property at a distance of approximately 25 metres.
In exchange, Weil will hook into the city’s water system.
Hydro service hook-up is needed because the city is experiencing a failure of the communication cable that links the Woodland Drive Reservoir with the Westside Booster Station, said general manager of planning and operations Geoff Goodall.
“It’s been repaired, but doesn’t seem to be functioning correctly so we’re proposing to go to a radio type system and we’ll need power to do that.”
The cost of the project will be approximately $10,000 to complete and would consist of hydro poles, wires, transformers, BC Hydro connection fees and other miscellaneous materials.
Additionally, the request from Weil for the city to install water service to his property would cost the city approximately $6,000 to $8,000.
When Coun. Surinderpal Rathor asked if there will be any payment to the property owner, Goodall said no, that it would strictly be an exchange.
Previously council approved that Weil could hook up to the water service out of the reservoir, but said he would have to pay for all costs.
“This is saying if he gives us the easement we require to the tower then we will put in the water system, so it’s an exchange of services,” Goodall said.
When Rathor asked if it was precedent setting, Goodall said it was a “one-off deal” that makes economic sense for both parties.
Councillors Geoff Bourdon and Danica Hughes were opposed to the motion.
“I still don’t support this,” Bourdon said. “Taking any resident out of the collective group up there who will be applying for water makes it harder for the rest of the group and it compounds our problem financially.”
Speaking in favour of the motion, Coun. Laurie Walters said the city needs the hydro hookup, regardless.
In a report to council manager of water and sewer division Joe Engleberts said another option is for the city to have the hydro service installed from Woodland Drive into the reservoir site at a distance of approximately 250 meters for a cost of approximately $30,000.
This would consist of primary voltage from Woodland Drive into the site, hydro poles, wire, transformer, BC Hydro connection fees and other miscellaneous materials.
The city would then install the necessary infrastructure to the reservoir to enable the radio communications equipment.
Coun. Ivan Bonnell clarified that the water service will only be brought to Weil’s property line, and that he’ll have to pay to bring the water to his home.
“That saves the city $15,000 so I’m in support of the recommendation,” Bonnell said.
Mayor Kerry Cook lives on Woodland Drive and, as is normally the case, excluded herself from the discussion and vote, citing a possible conflict of interest.