Dear Editor:
This letter is in response to the June 1 Ponoka News article, “Council offers tax credit to 38th Street residents.”
Town council has once again demonstrated they don’t know the issues, they don’t care about the issues or they are simply content to rip off these citizens.
• They are refunding 10 metres of water main at $410 per metre plus engineering for a total of $4,801. The lines they refer to are stub lines attached to the water connections that were installed on 38th Street for future development at a cost of $77,000. The town has acknowledged, in writing, these water connections are not for the benefit of 38th Street property owners. Council is refunding about six per cent of the $77,000 the residents should not be paying for in the first place.
Coun. Doug Gill was quoted as saying,” I think this would be a fair and equitable settlement…we need to close the file and move on.”
Fair and equitable it is clearly not.
• The town is refunding the cost of 10 metres of water main. Their own documentation shows three metres of water line was installed on 46th Avenue, eight metres plus 13 metres was installed on 40th Avenue, and 20 metres plus 15 metres was installed on 42nd Avenue for a total of 59 metres. How did they arrive at only 10 metres? What about the other 49 metres?
• CAO Brad Watson was quoted as stating, “The water and sewer lines are project-specific and no flankage credit will be considered.” Does anyone know of an installation of a sewer and water line that was not project-specific. The town is ignoring their own flankage policy and is cheating these citizens, some of whom are seniors.
One of the residents on 38th Street has already paid for part of this flankage on 40th Avenue and now it is being charged for a second time. Looping the 39th Street water line on 42nd Avenue has also been paid for and now is being charged for a second time. When these obvious discrepancies are brought to council’s attention, they simply ignore the matter.
• Coun. John Jacobs seems to want the three councillors living on 38th Street to solve the problem. Why not Jacob, Gill and Mayor Larry Henkelman, they are the ones who created the mess.
• The news article stated the engineering was $95,600 and construction $521,214. Town documents show the engineering was $97,429 (or more) and the construction cost was $430,084. 38th Street residents are paying $65,541 for engineering. The Ponoka taxpayers are paying the extra $32,000 for 38th Street engineering, with no explanation or concern from council.
Council now intends to close the file and move on. Another job well done?
Nick Kohlman