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Days after election, position opens up on board

Water commissioner Art Wilkowski handily defeated challenger David Niles on election day to retain his position on the board, but Niles may end up with a seat on the board anyway, thanks to the surprise resignation of Lorne Nielson who has recommended Niles as his replacement.

“I hope to have defined an approach for the water board and people voted for that,” Wilkowski said, focusing on what for many was the line between Niles and Wilkowski ­ sewers.

On November 4 voters came out two to one in favor of Wilkowski, who won 231 votes to Niles’ 113. Water commissioner Madeleine Anderson, running unopposed, earned 253 votes.

While Niles, an at-large member of the Economic Development Committee’s infrastructure task group, favored an active sewer development program led by the water district, Wilkowski felt the district needed to be more passive and let property owners take the lead.

“I would encourage any group of property owners who want sewers to organize themselves and step forward,” Wilkowski said. He said that rather than the district instigating a sewer system for a given area, property owners could petition the district to form a Utility Local Improvement District. With the support of more than half the property owners in the area the district was legally mandated to pursue sewers appropriate for the needs of that area. “From my reading of state laws the people who use the system pay for it except for what we get from grants,” Wilkowski said, adding water district manager Dan Bourks was available to explain the ULID process to interested property owners.

“I’m not against sewers, I’m trying to eliminate objections to sewers,”

Wilkowski said, explaining the ULID process allowed property owners a greater degree of flexibility and choice. “If you eliminate community objections you can deal with the problem and go forward.”

At the November 17 special meeting of the water district board commissioners discussed a number of areas they needed to focus planning efforts. “Maybe we need to look at prioritizing things ­ a conservation program, the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) water contract, rates.” Wilkowski said. His fellow commissioners agreed. Nielson specifically asked Bourks if the rising cost of water due to a strengthening Canadian dollar could mean higher water rates were needed. “We need to review that,” Bourks said.

Both Nielson and Wilkowski suggested a professional financial planner be hired to do a comprehensive rate study and to look at changing the rate structure as much as raising rates. ‘We’ve never had one done before,” Nielson said. “It’s a fundamental structure, as essential as the pipes in the ground,” Wilkowski agreed.

Commissioners also wanted to begin planning for discussions with the GVRD about the contract to purchase water from that agency, which will expire in 2037. “We’re going to have to revisit it before 25 years or we’ll be out of water,” Nielson said. Bourks said it was perhaps more important to look at alternate sources of summer irrigation water for the golf course. “We’re good for another 10 or 15 years domestically but the golf course changed the picture dramatically,” he said. Commissioner Madeleine Anderson also suggested they could look at increasing the storage capability for the water district to help even out demand peaks, and reminded fellow commissioners the conservation plan discussed at their last meeting would be part of the equation for managing water supply.

While sewers were the big election issue they were not discussed, since commissioners Lorne Neilson and Madeleine Anderson had voted in September to table the whole sewer question until January.

Nielson announced to the board that it could expect his official resignation by the next meeting. “My life is too busy right now, with my young family and my business” he said in a later interview. “The water board is facing some major decisions and I just don’t have the time and energy to do the job properly.”

Nielson said he was endorsing Niles for the position primarily because he had expressed interest in the job by running against Wilkowski. “He would add a nice balance to the board right now,” he added.

Commissioners will accept Nielson’s resignation at their December 10 meeting. The commissioners have three months to appoint his replacement.

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