Holding tank fee
Councillors in Sechelt have voted to defer a planned increase in the fee for processing raw sewage from properties that aren’t on municipal sewer and have to use a holding tank instead of a conventional septic field.
Coun. Darnelda Siegers outlined one possible scenario for a homeowner generating 12 cubic metres of sewage a month. “We’re looking to charge $44 per cubic metre, or $528 per month, $6,336 per year for pumping out a holding tank of a home, yet we charge $371 dollars per year, per house, as a user fee for the same sewage to come through a pipe,” she said. “What’s the actual cost we’re looking to recover?... Either one [fee] is way too low or one is way too high.”
Siegers said community members have come forward to say the proposed increase is out of line compared to other communities, and she asked for the new fee to be deferred to give staff time to study what’s being done elsewhere.
The motion was approved in a 4-3 vote.
Rx Drug Mart signage
The new owners of the drug store at the Trail Bay Centre have been granted a sign bylaw variance similar to ones held by earlier owners.
The main sign has been non-conforming because of size and character since the original store was established as a Shoppers Drug Mart. The previous owner, Rexall, also required a variance to have the same size of sign and change the colour scheme.
In both cases council was divided, and members were divided again on whether to allow a similar variance for Rx Drug Mart, which is proposing a design with smaller graphics but on the same size frame.
Coun. Alice Lutes said, “It’s upsetting that these large companies keep coming in and dictating to us what our community will look like… I’m getting fed up with it. I know we need to work on our sign bylaw, but I don’t think we should keep amending it.”
The variance approved by council on Sept. 6 also called for the backlit signs to be shut off during non-business hours.
Shelter debate
Mayor Bruce Milne took time during the Sept. 6 council meeting to discuss the tone of some of the correspondence the district has been getting about a proposed homeless shelter near the former sewer treatment plant on Ebbtide. Milne said the letters, email and reaction on social media, from those on both sides, “revealed our community … and not in very positive way.”
“Again [it was] a reminder of how difficult it is for this community to remain civil and respectful, on all sides,” Milne said. “This community really needs to work on respecting the legitimate views of other people with some compassion, even if you disagree with them. We’re a long way from that.”
A note in the correspondence section of the agenda said, “Due to the defamatory nature of some comments, these letters and emails will not be posted publicly at this time.”
