Lacombe County is calling for mediation to resolve municipalites’ concerns with a proposed Sylvan Lake-to-Red Deer regional sewage line.
In a letter to the Sylvan Lake Regional Wastewater Commission, county manager Tim Timmons suggests a third party be called in to mediate and “help us find some common ground.”
A regional sewage line connecting the Town of Sylvan Lake and nearby summer villages to the City of Red Deer has been in the works for a decade. The project is expected to cost about $61 million.
The commission, comprised of representatives from municipalities that would use the line, is developing a business plan necessary to line up government funding.
However, concerns have been raised by rural municipalities with what has been proposed.
Timmons says in his letter the cost sharing proposed “seems to support individual priorities and interests rather than promote the collective goals of the commission which should be to protect the water quality of Sylvan Lake and provide a long-term, sustainable solution to the disposal and treatment of wastewater generated from the area.”
Lacombe County also contends that the voting system for governance and management costs is unfair because summer villages, which are providing five per cent of costs each, have the same number of votes as municipalities, such as Lacombe County, Red Deer County and Town of Sylvan Lake, which are providing 25 per cent.
Lacombe County is not alone in expressing concerns with the regional wastewater system business plan.
Red Deer County voted in December not to endorse the plan and instead discuss revising it with other commission members. The county was not happy it was expected to pay a share of the costs of a portion of the sewage line that does not benefit the county.
Mayor Jim Wood said the municipality is continuing to work with other members in the commission “recognizing that Red Deer County is going to pay our fair share.”
Wood said he’s not sure it’s time to bring in a mediator yet. “That might set the wrong tone.”
A main line from Sylvan Lake would be completed by 2019 and cost around $41 million.
A north shore line would be completed the same year and a south shore line would be finished in 2021. Those make up a secondary transmission system and would cost about $20 million.