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That clarifies some things. You are saying you tried to oversee this process and they somehow slipped one by you? Interesting.
The only question I still have is: when you said
“we need to establish a one-stop enforcement service for concerned residents to access when they see problems and illegal activities concerning water in this community… I think that the Township should contact the Provincial and Federal Governments and offer to provide one-stop enforcement services on their behalf. It is extremely clear from feedback received from residents on more than one occasion that the lack of sufficient and effective enforcement resources is a major contributor to current problems. We can fix this.” (http://www.kimrichter.com/currentissues.htm)
How did you envision this service operating? Volunteers? Run by the Township? How much staff and how to pay for them? Taxes? Voted in or appointed? Translink – like?
RC: Good questions! I think one of the most logical solutions is to use the Township's existing Water Resources Department and Bylaws Department.
I think the push towards having an appointed external "Conservation/Water Board" may (and I stress the word "may") be rooted in internal politics at a higher level (such as those between Provincial Ministries). An external body could act as an arbitrator between them and they could also have a good shot at stacking the board with their preferred players.
From a funding perspective, the Township already committed to $1M per year for 20 years in 2002 to protect groundwater under the WRMS plan. That funding is already in place and it should be more than enough to fund additional staff resources for water enforcement purposes. Additional monies could also be generated by charges for water consumed above the annual allotments as is currently proposed in the draft WMP. I don't believe there is a need for an additional levy because I think that all an additional levy would do is build bureaucracy.
Finally, I have never stated that they "slipped one by me". That is your terminology not mine. I am overseeing the process by asking the questions I do and raising the issues I have. That's what you pay me (and all the Council members) to do.
Thanks again for writing!
The above are good posts, but they open more doors to look into as wider views of this issue are exposed.
Unfortunately there seems to be lttle time alloted for even a moderately comprehensive study. If this deadline of December 31st is in fact real, this could very well end up similar to the ill fated gun registry, but on a much smaller scale of course.
Right off the bat, I guarantee you that there multiple ways to circumvent meteriong by anyone with a minimum of genius. Is it only me that notices that the catch ponds next to green house operations look inadequate to supply the volume of water for this type of high volume farming during dry summers? Is it only my suspicious mind that notices that some of these catch ponds reach a certain low level and remain there despite the continued hot weather in late summer? Someone please tell me how a farm inspector in the employ of the township, can wag his finger at a farmer and say, "I want to look under the floor of your potting shed, or does that big pipe lead to that creek over there?"
Kim,
I see an ever growing bureaucracy in the making here, and the township budget will eventually not be up to it by a long shot. For all of our sakes, please talk some sense into other councilors, and slow this process down until we all can look at the insides of this monster in the making.
The whole concept of what is about to be taken on, has MOTHERHOOD written all over it, and while that gives people a warm feeling, it also holds the same dangers of disaster as any other venture. Throw this operation into the lap of a private firm, and see what they would say about the reality of the present cost estimates. Nothing complementary I'll bet.
Re Richter's quote earlier; "I am overseeing the process by asking the questions I do and raising the issues I have. That's what you pay me (and all the Council members) to do."
The rest of Council NEVER asks the right questions. They are sriously overpaid. In fact they never see the real issues at all. This water issue is another example. It went over everybodies head on council except for Kim. They truly always rubber stamp everything and understand nothing. Yet they treat Richter continually with intolerable disrespect for doing her job the right way and for asking the tough and right questions.
Richter for Mayor in 2008. It's time for a change. The right change.
Anon, your comments that Richter seems to be the only one that does ALL of her homework on issues like this rings loud and clear. I don't think anyone could be more clear that what Kim says in this thread. What's wrong with the other members of council, that they have not agreed with Richter on this?
I have also been subjected to a hard sell of the plan by another township councilor, which makes me very curious, when given all of the KNOWN information. If someone says to a person, "Sign this, and I'll explain later", only a sucker would sign it. That's how I look at this poor axcuse for a workable plan.
Next: Did anyone feel as I did, that the questionaire at the 2 meetings was deceptively laid out?
Lastly: I feel very strongly that the provincial government (ag department in particular) have their dirty fingerprints all over the water management plan.
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