"COPY OF SPEECH"
THANKYOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE
ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF
MY NAME IS BETTY KONC; I AM THE CHAIR OF THE LAKESHORE WATER/SEWER
COMMITTEE.
THIS GROUP IS MADE UP OF A CROSS SECTION OF CONCERNED CITIZENS FROM THE
STUDY AREA THAT THIS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT REPORT COVERS.
OUR OBJECTIVE HERE TODAY IS NOT TO BE ARGUMENTATIVE OR OBSTRUCTIONIST,
BUT RATHER AS HELPFUL CITIZENS. WE BELIEVE THAT BY WORKING TOGETHER
WITH THE COMMUNITY A BETTER SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND.
WE DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS WE FEEL WE ARE ENTITLED TO ASK, THEY DON’T
NECESSARLY REQUIRE AN ANSWER TODAY, BUT PERHAPS IN A FEW DAYS IN A
MEETING WITH MY COMMITTEE. WE ARE OPEN AND HOPEFUL THAT YOU WILL
CONSIDER THIS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, ANSWER THE
QUESTIONS AND REGAIN SOME OF OUR TRUST.
OUR QUESTIONS ARE:
HOW BAD ARE THE SEPTICS IN THE STUDY AREA? HOW DID YOU ARRIVE AT THIS
CONCLUSION?
HOW MANY ARE THERE? AGAIN HOW DID YOU ARRIVE AT THIS CONCLUSION?
WILL THERE BE A BAN ON HOLDING TANKS?
WHY WOULD THERE BE A BAN,COULD WE HAVE MORE DETAILS ON THE REASONING?
IF THERE IS A BAN, IS IT DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE LAYING OF THIS
PIPELINE?
IF THE PROPOSAL DOESN’T GO THROUGH, WILL THERE STILL BE A BAN ON
HOLDING TANKS?
WHEN THE EA REPORT IS COMPLETE AND IT GOES TO TOWNSHIP COUNCIL FOR
APPROVAL, AND THEY TURN IT DOWN DUE TO FUNDING SHORTFALL, (WHICH I HAVE
BEEN ASSURED WILL HAPPEN) WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PROPOSAL /PROCESS
AT THAT POINT?
CAN ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS EVEN BE CONSIDERED AT THIS POINT IN THE
PROCESS?
IF THEY CAN, IS THE REGION WILLING TO CONSIDER AND ACT ON ANY OF THESE
SOLUTIONS AND SHELVE THE PIPELINE PROPOSAL?
DID THE REGION CONSIDER ANY OF THE SOLUTIONS DOCUMENTED AND SUBMITTED
TO TOWNSHIP COUNCIL ,BY THE WAINFLEET COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLANNING
WASTEWATERCOMMITTEE,OF 1998?
IF NOT, WHY NOT? ARE ALL THE PEOPLE INVOLVED WITH THIS E.A. REPORT
AWARE OF THIS SUBMISSION TO LOCAL COUNCIL?
JUST EXACTLY HOW DOES THIS PROCESS WORK FROM THIS POINT?
CAN SOMEONE SIT DOWN WITH US AND EXPLAIN IT SO WE UNDERSTAND IT?
(There is a lot of angst in the community about the loss of homes due
to the financial aspect of this idea; we are hoping to allay some of
those fears with some explanations and plain talk)
IS THIS PROCESS TAINTED BECAUSE IT WAS MENTIONED AT A PUBLIC MEETING
THAT PART OF THE REASON FOR THIS PROPOSAL IS FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT?
IS THIS PROPOSAL REALLY ON HOLD AS THE ARTICLE IN THE NIAGARA THIS WEEK
NEWSPAPER SUGGESTED OR ARE YOU JUST LOOKING FOR MORE FUNDING SO THAT IT
CAN PROCEED?
IS THERE ANY POSSIBLE WAY WE CAN BRING THIS PROPOSAL TO A HALT?
OUR SOLUTIONS
REVISIT THE REPORT FROM THE STRATEGIC PLAN ALREADY ON FILE WITH THE
TOWNSHIP AND TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS. A CONDENSED
VERSION IS STAPLED TO MY PRESENTATION.
HOLDING TANKS TO REPLACE BAD SEPTICS AND A SCHEDULE OF PUMPING OUT THE
TANKS.
COMMUNAL SEPTIC SYSTEMS WITH THE HOME OWNERS RESPONSIBLE FOR
INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE ON A SHARED BASIS.
GATHERING THE HOME OWNERS IN THE MOST POPULATED AREAS OF THE STUDY
WHERE THE LOT SIZES ARE RESTRICTIVE TO REPAIRING THE SEPTICS AND WORK
WITH THEM TO FIND A SOLUTION. SOMEONE JUST MAY HAVE THE ANSWERS WE ARE
ALL LOOKING FOR.
LOOKING TO OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT HAD THE SAME OR SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND
HOW THEY SOLVED THE PROBLEM example: the Muskokas,Huntsville.
THE TOWNSHIP COULD HIRE 1-2 QUALIFIED INSPECTORS TO “POLICE” AND
‘ENFORCE”SEPTIC SYSTEMS TO BECOME COMPLIANT WITH THE CODES SET OUT BY
THE HEALTH DEPT.THIS WOULD BE MORE COST EFFECTIVE AND WOULD ELIMINATE
FUTURE COSTS OF UPKEEP TO THE “PIPELINE” YES, ONLY THOSE PEOPLE
WHO ARE NOT IN COMPLIANCE WOULD BE AFFECTED FINANCILLY,BUT THEY COULD
PROBABLY GET GOVT. FUNDING TO OFFSET THE COSTS.
VISITING THE NET, THERE APPEAR TO BE HUNDREDS OF SITES, MOST OF THEM
FROM THE UNITED STATES. ALL OF WHOM ARE WELL AHEAD OF ONTARIO IN
ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF WASTEWATER.
ASKING VENDORS AND SUPPLIERS OF ALTERNATIVE SYSTEMS WHAT THEY WOULD
RECOMMEND THAT WOULD BE APPLICABLE TO OUR SITUATION.
THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS WE COULD COME UP
WITH, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE PROBABLY MORE IDEAS,MAYBE BETTER IDEAS OUT
THERE. BUT THE POINT IS THAT WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT HELPING TO SOLVE THIS
PROBLEM,WE ARE WILLING TO WORK TOGETHER TO FIND THE SOLUTION THAT WILL
BE EFFECTIVE YET NOT BANKRUPT US IN THE PROCESS.
IN CONCLUSION
WE ARE JUST ORDINARY HOME OWNERS AND TAX PAYERS. WE ACKNOWLEDGE
THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM. WE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT A SOLUTION HAS
TO BE FOUND, BUT WE BELIEVE THAT THE PIPELINE PROPOSAL DOESN’T FIT THE
BILL. WE BELIEVE THAT A SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND THAT WILL SATISFY
MOST IF NOT ALL.
WE FEEL LIKE WE ARE UNDER ATTACK AND THAT WE HAVE NO SAY. WE ARE
NOT UNREASONABLE PEOPLE; WE WOULD LIKE TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION,WE
ARE EAGER TO WORKTOGETHER, WE ARE CERTAIN THAT THROUGH A JOINT EFFORT
OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE REGION A MORE EQUITABLE SOLUTION IS JUST
WAITING TO BE FOUND.
LET’S TALK. LET’S SET A DATE TO GET TOGETHER,AND GET DOWN TO THE
BUSINESS OF FINDING THAT SOLUTION.
WE CAN BE CONTACTED AT 905-834-1143 0R FAXED AT 905-835-9049.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING BACK FROM YOU SOON AND STARTING SOME
MEANINGFUL DIAGLOGUE.
THANK YOU