When it is time for the Chatham-Kent Public Utilities Commision to vote on the future of Wallaceburg drinking water source, the fate will rest in the hands of seven elected officials across Chatham-Kent.
Four of those individuals were in attendance on Tuesday at the UAW Hall in Wallaceburg for the third public meeting for the environmental assessment spearheaded by Stantec Consulting.
Chatham Coun. Brock McGregor is currently in the first year of his first term on council, and his first serving on the PUC.
McGregor told the Sydenham Current it’s really apparent that many Wallaceburg residents are passionate about this issue.
“They really want to be informed and be part of that decision making process,” he said. “I think it’s a good sign to see that much civic engagement and certainly being on the Public Utilities Commission, a big part of making that decision is hearing public input and making sure that people are informed about what’s going on, where the study is at and what the process is like.”
South Kent Coun. Trevor Thompson, who is also serving his first term on council and the PUC, told the Sydenham Current it was a passionate meeting on Tuesday.
“I didn’t expect anything less going into Wallaceburg,” he said. “When you talk about Wallaceburg you do think of the passion that people have for the community.”
Thompson said when the new council member started with the PUC, they took a tour of the Wallaceburg Water Treatment plant.
“Just to try and get a sense because in the next four years this is really going to be the big issue for the PUC and for Wallaceburg, the water treatment and what exactly we do.”
Thompson said he hadn’t read too much about the issue before attending Tuesday’s meeting.
“I went to the meeting for two reasons; one, to find out information for myself and two; to find out what the people of Wallaceburg want. I think I accomplished great things on both fronts. The people at the meeting, it was pretty clear. They want their Water Treatment Plant rebuilt. That will be the number one choice.”
McGregor said a few things stood out for him during the meeting.
“Certainly the level of engagement, the amount of work that some community members have put behind making themselves informed and drumming up some community support,” he said. “I think people had some issues with the amount of engagement they were allowed to have at the start of the process, so I think that it was well presented.
McGregor added he was impressed to see the PUC add more public input opportunities, beyond what is required.
McGregor said he is happy an evaluation committee is being formed as well.
“We don’t know everybody that is on it yet but involving councillor Wesley and some Wallaceburg residents in having some advisory input into the project as it goes forward.”
Thompson said he is going to look to have some questions answered moving forward.
“Questions in regards to the costing and how they came to their conclusions, especially over 40 years,” he said.
“I put a lot of faith into a 10-year costing but a 40-year, I don’t put any faith into at all. That’s like a weather forecast two or three months out. I would like more information on how exactly they came up with the numbers they came up with as opposed to just seeing the really high level. There are issues like that and things like that will come back to the PUC. How much work the Water Treatment Plant needs and things like that.”
Thompson said he believes this will be the hardest decision to make during this term.
“To me this is the hardest thing we will struggle with over the next four years. That is council, that is PUC, that is anything. I think this is the biggest issue facing Chatham-Kent right now and it is a Chatham-Kent issue and I take all of that into consideration.”
Thompson added: “The needs and wants of Wallaceburg are obviously at the forefront, but also it is important the needs of every single water user in the Municipality. All the way from Whealty to Ridgetown and back out to Wallaceburg. So it going to be a struggle. I haven’t made up my mind, I don’t have all the answers yet, but there is dollars and cents and there is passion. Both are important and you have to weigh the two together. I think in your mind you have to decide which gets more weight. The passion, the wants or the dollars and cents.”
McGregor agreed this will be a difficult decision.
“Starting out on the PUC this term, it was pretty apparent from the outset that this was probably going to be the issue that they gave the most attention, that would be the most controversial. So I think that is something we have been getting up to speed on, really been looking for that public input and trying to get some background information.”
McGregor said coming to a decision will be a balancing act.
“A big part of finding that balance is being involved throughout the process. To think that you can make an informed unbiased decision just sitting down and reading reports or reading a summary of output, isn’t really realistic. I think a big part of finding that balance is being informed at every step of the process and really seeing how the process takes shape, how the process changes as we go along,” he said.
“I think that the decision really becomes a culmination of all that work together which at the end of the day, it’s still going to be a difficult decision but I think in having some confidence in making that decision you need to be involved right from day one, until the day the report hits the table and we have to vote.”
Wallaceburg Coun. Jeff Wesley, also a PUC member, said he has full confidence in the new councillors and PUC members.
“I think they are pretty studious, they know what they are doing, they have studied the issues,” Wesley said. “I am impressed with them all.”
East Kent Coun. David Vandamme was in attendance on Tuesday, but could not be reached for comment.
Mayor Randy Hope, West Kent Coun. Bryon Fluker and North Kent Coun. Leon Leclair are the remaining PUC members and were not in attendance at the Tuesday meeting.
The preferred solution from Stantec Consulting is expected to go to the PUC in September or October.
– Photo credit: Trevor Thompson, Chatham Voice; Brock McGregor, Twitter.
