City of Powell River Council will consider establishing a liquid waste management plan monitoring committee.
At the September 29 committee of the whole meeting, corporate officer Chris Jackson outlined a proposal for the monitoring committee to monitor implementation of the city’s liquid waste management plan and evaluate effectiveness of meeting provincial and federal regulations.
In drafting terms of reference for the committee, Jackson said the city consulted with the province. He said the city was given some input and approval of the terms of reference.
“The monitoring committee’s role will be to review and provide recommendations as part of the annual provincial requirements,” said Jackson. “Every March, I believe it is, the province requires us and every municipality with liquid waste treatment to provide comments in the annual report. This committee will provide that function.”
In a written report to the committee, Jackson stated it is important to note that the monitoring committee is responsible for monitoring implementation of the liquid waste management plan and not supervising infrastructure services staff or overseeing project management of the consolidated wastewater treatment facility construction.
Membership of the committee, according to Jackson, would include one council member, which would be councillor Jim Palm, one qathet Regional District electoral area director representative, one Tla’amin Nation elected representative and up to four members of the public at large.
Members of the public could make expressions of interest and applications to city council, and the council could appoint up to four people, said Jackson.
The first term would expire June 1, 2023, followed by two-year terms, said Jackson.
Support for the committee would come from the city’s infrastructure services department and Jackson was suggesting a budget of $1,000 to assist with meeting expenses.
Mayor Dave Formosa said this committee was a long time coming and it was nice to see it was being formulated. He said there had been expressions of interest from the community to serve on the committee.
Formosa asked why the committee needed to have someone from the regional district serving.
“Tla’amin Nation, I understand, because they are going to be part of it, but why a regional district director?” asked Formosa.
Jackson said when septic systems in the regional district are pumped out, it comes to the city’s septic facility, so in that sense, there’s that opportunity for representation on the committee for people in the electoral areas who have that connection.
Formosa said in many cases elsewhere, the regional district is part of the liquid waste system, but in this case in Powell River, it is not.
“I would have thought it would have been better to make opportunities for our tax-paying citizens instead of somebody who is not as connected to it, but that’s nothing against the regional district directors,” said Formosa.
The matter will be sent to city council for consideration.
