Tumbleweed Distillery and Tasting Bar. (Richard McGuire photo)
The owners of a new liquor distillery on Lakeshore Drive – and several business and homeowners in that area – will be pleased to know Town of Osoyoos council has reversed a decision to delay the upgrading of a water distribution system.
At the March 6 meeting of town council, councillors supported a motion by Coun. C. J. Rhodes to delay spending $320,000 to provide access to the Town’s domestic water system for four unserviced lots and to provide fire protection to properties located near the Lakeshore Drive/Hwy. 3 intersection.
The project also included eliminating a dead end watermain on Bayview Crescent and providing water looping to the water distribution system in this area.
The contract also included a project for a water line to be installed at Osoyoos Secondary School that will enable the school to flush their reclaimed water irrigation lines to ensure sediment in the lines didn’t plug their irrigation sprinklers.
Rhodes asked for a 60-day delay in making a final decision on what he acknowledged was a much-needed infrastructure project, citing the unknown costs of policing in the 2017 budget after the recent federal census showed the Town of Osoyoos has surpassed 5,000 in population.
Under provincial statute, all towns that exceed 5,000 in population must pay 70 per cent of policing costs, instead of the traditional 30 per cent the Town of Osoyoos had been paying for decades.
When you consider taxpayers doled out just under $390,000 in policing costs, it’s expected the financial impact on local taxpayers in 2017 to pay for additional policing costs is going to be between $500,000 and $600,000, although roughly $230,000 has been put aside into a reserve fund to pay for future policing costs.
Rhodes said he couldn’t justify any significant funding expenditures until council discovers and discusses the severe impact increased policing costs are going to have on the 2017 budget.
He received majority consent to delay this project for 60 days.
However, at Monday’s regular meeting of council, Jim Dinwoodie, the town’s director of operational services, presented an upgraded staff report indicating this $320,000 should proceed as soon as possible.
“Under Mayor (Sue) McKortoff’s authority, this item has been brought back to town council since some new information has become available, which may influence council’s decision to delay awarding this contract,” said Dinwoodie.
The new information includes:
• Andrea Zaradic and Mike Green, the owners of Tumblewee Spirits Inc., sent an email correspondence to town staff and council … stating that their business operating permit from Interior Health Authority was dependent on their facility being connected to the Town of Osoyoos domestic water supply. If their business is not connected to town water in 2017, they will not be able to produce their product.
• Although it is possible for the operational services department to connect Tumbleweed Spirits to a temporary supply for town domestic water, this is not a recommended option as the temporary connection would involve receiving permission from another property owner to trespass with an overland hose and the purchase of this specialized hose and fittings for approximately $2,500 (two week delivery time),” said Dinwoodie. “This hose would be connected to an existing fire hydrant on 51st Street which would have to be operated by town water operators only on weekdays between the hours of 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. The possibility of this hose leaking and causing substantial damage to private property is a major concern for the Town of Osoyoos. As well, the town can’t guarantee the quality of this water source, which makes it highly unlikely to receive approval from Interior Health.
It should be noted that the contractor with the lowest bid on this project, Mike Johnson Excavating Ltd., has agreed to honour his bid price of just over $318,000 until May 1, said Dinwoodie.
These upgrades will enhance water quality and fire protection in the Lakeshore Drive/Hwy. 3 corridor and the project at the high school will lessen demand on the town’s domestic water system for irrigating sports playing fields at Osoyoos Secondary, he said.
McKortoff said this new information makes it clear to her that this project should proceed as quickly as possible.
“This is new information we really needed to look at,” she said.
Rhodes commented his intentions were good in asking for the two-month delay in approving this project two weeks ago, however, it’s now clear time is of the essence on this major infrastructure project.
Council voted unanimously to approve this project and work is expected to begin next week.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
