NEWSLETTER — July, 2005

 This Newsletter is produced and distributed by the Bluewater Shoreline Residents’ Association (BSRA), an umbrella group of residents/beach/cottage/subdivision associations, as a service to the shoreline residents in Hay West and Stanley West Wards. It is funded by the Member Associations, its Affiliate Associations and Individuals. For information on membership, please contact the Membership Secretary, Jim Chapman, at (519) 235-1644 or (519) 565-5303, or by e-mail at this email link . BSRA’s Postal address is BSRA, GMB #411, RR 2, Zurich ON N0M 2T0. BSRA’s web site is www.bsra.ca , and its e-mail address is BSRA information .

Critter Cautions in Cottage Country
Wildlife May be Extending Habitat
It was with some surprise that your intrepid Editor found some strange animal excrement on his lawn in Stanley West Ward in mid-June, which was later identified as likely to be bear scat. This discovery occurred the day after a nearby midnight animal “spat”. On enquiring from the Ministry of Natural Resources Biologist for Huron Perth about the possibility of bears along the Bluewater shoreline, we were advised that it would not be unlikely that bears could be found in this area. The bear population appears to be growing, and therefore is likely extending its forage range. Other sources noted the cancellation of the Fall bear hunt as a factor, and still others noted several bear sightings reported in the Kincardine paper.
Information was also received about a sighting of a “cougar” in the South end of Hay West Ward, and the MNR Biologist advised that in about the last decade there have been about 50 sightings of “cougars” or large “cats” reported, but there has been no photographic evidence or biological evidence from which a DNA study could confirm the identity. It is thought that these sightings are likely to be of pet escapees, and because they are accustomed to humans, their behaviour may be unpredictable. It is also thought that this is not likely a rejuvenation of the native Eastern Cougar, which was believed to have died out about a century ago, but escapees of an imported species, likely South American.
This “heads up” information is provided so that BSRA members will be aware of this development and exercise due diligence, especially with children, pets and guests at night. Special care should be taken with food and food garbage, both of which attract wild animals, especially hungry bears. As noted in past Newsletters, caution is also advised, especially in the evenings, so as to avoid mosquitos, deer ticks and other disease-carrying “critters”, and this is just a reminder.

Swimming Cautions Consolidated
The scientific studies accomplished by BSRA in co-operation with Bluewater municipality have been ground-breaking in their impact, and this has been recognized even by the Ontario Minister of the Environment. For BSRA members, the elaborate and controversial posting of days-old reports of E. coli readings has been superseded by the scientifically sound common sense approach, that if the turbidity of the water is low enough that you can see your toes in knee-deep water, then there is a low likelihood of bottom sediments being stirred up enough to release dormant pathogens, and can be considered “safe”. These very tiny critters can also cause problems, and children and guests should be reminded what to do. Above all, warn everyone to stay out of the ravine water, as it is most likely contaminated, and can cause illness.

Water and Wastewater Rates Review
Why Review the Rates at This Time?
Several factors have prompted a review of water and sewage disposal rates in Bluewater, but the main incentive for review is probably the fallout from the Walkerton tragedy which resulted in 7 deaths and thousands of ill citizens because of the “criminal negligence” of two water system employees. This tragedy prompted new requirements from the Provincial Government, notably the Sustainable Water and Systems Act of 2002, which mandated more stringent operating procedures, etc. These, in turn, resulted in higher costs, (sometimes significantly so), than previously, and so costs to the municipalities, including Bluewater, have risen significantly higher. At the same time, the Bluewater contract with Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) is coming up for renewal, (and tendering), and so the costs issue should be settled prior to any new contract. Thus, now is an appropriate time to deal with the topic of rates.
Bluewater Council initiated a review, using B.M. Ross and Associates as consultants, and a plan was prepared. The “Water and Wastewater Rates Review” was presented to the ratepayers of Bluewater on June 11, with a question-and-answer period following. The 19-page Review was distributed, and interested ratepayers could likely still get a copy at the Municipal Office in Zurich. Although the Review covered both Water and Wastewater rates, including proposed rate increases, we will only deal with the water rates in this item, as the BSRA area does not yet have any sewage system.

Some Background About Our Water System(s)
The water system installed in Hay West Ward, (then Hay Township), was originally paid for by the users, and a surplus was generated to pay for future repairs and renewals. However, water meters were not installed on the individual properties. In Stanley West Ward, (then Stanley Township), the system was likewise paid for by its users, who were required to pay for remote-reading water meters as well. Nonetheless, a surplus was also generated, a significant portion of which was used up in a very few years in replacing the existing set of water meters with a new set of water meters, said to be more accurate, and perhaps more importantly from a long-term cost-savings viewpoint, which could be read electronically from each property’s roadside. Not long after amalgamation, these two systems were lumped together with the Bayfield systems for administrative purposes, but this discussion will focus on the BSRA area.

The Case for Metered Water
Stanley West residents will recall this Newsletter reporting some time ago that about $20,000 of water was wasted by one resident who decided to let a tap in his cottage run all winter, to prevent the lines from freezing, instead of draining his water system. Eventually his septic system failed to cope with all the water running into it, which then overflowed down the bank. As water readings were not being taken then at each property, there was no meter evidence to prove this water usage, and so $20,000 or so was charged to the Stanley water system account, further depleting the surplus. This incident points up one reason for the real need for actually using water meters to effectively measure water use. Another major reason for metering water use, and charging for actual use, is the incentive this provides to conserve water where possible, thus reducing production costs, while at the same time reducing water flow into sewage systems, (septic tanks and sewage lagoons), thereby further reducing operating costs. Common sense, as well as the inherent fairness, encourage metering.
This rationale for metering the individual household’s water supply also provides a rationale for having a two-part water rate, with one part of the charge being for the householder’s share of operating the system the household is on, and the rest of the charge being for the water actually used. Thus, there is a strong incentive for investing in water meters in Hay West, and the good news is that as of May 31, 2005, there was a surplus of $521,003.18 in the Hay West water reserve account, subject to authorized expenditures of $140,229, leaving $380,774.18 available as a true reserve. This should be sufficient to cover the cost of water meters in Hay West.

New Water Rates Proposed
In the aftermath of the Walkerton tragedy, and the resulting higher costs of providing water, there is little doubt that water rates will need to rise. In the “Lakeshore” system, (Hay, Stanley and Bayfield Wards), the total operating revenue for this system is now about $290,000, and the actual expenses last year were $269,000. It is foreseen that the operating costs will soon be $300,000. In addition, a repair allowance of $75,000 and a reserve allowance of $75,000 for future capital costs bring the total being sought to $450,000 for the “Lakeshore” system. It is proposed that a flat rate of $280 annually per household be set for the “Lakeshore system”.. For those in Hay West, this is an increase of 107%, and in Stanley West, (where meters are already installed), the increase is 124%, or more than double the current rate. While it is incontestable that an increase is needed, the amount of an increase, the method of charging for the water, the possible inclusion of a requirement for metering the water, the possibility of a two-part rate, etc., are all to be considered by Bluewater Council in making its decisions.

One Rate for All?
Two small water systems in Bluewater associated with new subdivisions have been particularly hard hit by Ontario’s new requirements for frequent water testing and system updates, so that the operating costs in 2004 were nearly ten times the operating revenue. This situation has caused a large operating deficit to accumulate already. There are also complications with development contracts. For obvious reasons, there is some pressure to set a single annual water rate throughout Bluewater. An engineering report at the June 27 meeting of Bluewater Council noted that, for a flat water rate for the whole of Bluewater, and depending on the rate of repayment of accumulated debt, a flat rate of between $339 and $396 per residential customer is forecast. In comparison, residential water rates in other nearby municipalities range from $162 to $414 per year.

Public Input
The meeting on June 11 mentioned above was the one meeting at which the public could make presentations on this issue, but if you wish to make your preferences known to your representatives on Council, (we each have four of them elected to represent us, and six more to represent the interests of all taxpayers and other residents of Bluewater), call the Municipal Office at (519) 236-4351 or (519) 565-5212 for contact information, or see www.bsra.ca. for a link.

Policing in Bluewater
You will recall that in reaction to the reduction in federal transfer payments, the Provincial Government downloaded the cost of municipal policing to those municipalities without a police force, like Bluewater, which then had to sign contracts with the OPP for the services they wanted. Thus, every “chargeable event” in Bluewater is billed to the municipality, and paid for from your taxes. In simple terms, the fewer the events, the lower the taxes. It is important to note that under the contract, the OPP enforces federal and provincial laws, but not municipal by-laws. For this reason, Bluewater has continued to use its own By-law Enforcement Officers, who are charged with enforcing dog by-laws, noise by-laws, etc. The Officers are Brad Dietrich at (519) 236-4351 X235 or (519) 565-5212 X235, and Randy Lovie at X225 at these same numbers.
At a recent Council meeting, an OPP sergeant reviewed some of the ways that the costs of policing are driven up. He noted that it is police policy that there be a physical response, normally by cruiser, to the source of every 911 call. When someone calls 911 to enquire about the condition of the roads, for instance, an officer must respond to the caller’s telephone location, and this response is charged to Bluewater. Obviously, calls for such routine reasons should be made to the Goderich OPP detachment, which holds the contract for Bluewater, during business hours at (519) 524-8314, or out of business hours at 1- (800) 310-1122. These two telephone numbers should be displayed near the phone you use, but can also be found in the telephone book’s white pages under Ontario Provincial Police. Misdialled calls to 411, (people misremembering the Directory Assistance number, and calling 911 instead), also drive up costs, as do false alarms from security systems, usually for businesses, that are set off by birds, lightning or other causes, if the system calls 911 automatically. Responses to accidents on Bluewater’s two Provincial Highways are charged to the Province, while accidents on County, Municipal and private roads, (as well as off-road), in Bluewarer, are charged to Bluewater taxpayers.
Here is another example given to the Council of generating high costs. Because of the need to find missing persons quickly, when a call is received by the OPP to locate a missing person, officers “swarm” to the site in case the missing person is ill or in distress, and the more searchers there are, the more quickly the lost is likely to be found safe. A recent call in Bluewater about a freshly abandoned vehicle brought a swarm of officers, and in such cases, the terrain or wooded nature of the landscape may prompt the officers on the ground to call in a helicopter, as happened. The costs for all of these services were billed directly to Bluewater because the event occurred here. Even where a social services agency calls the OPP to report a patient, client or detainee missing from their care, and a “swarm” of officers is sent to the scene, Bluewater is billed, not the social services agency charged with ensuring that the client or patient or detainee does not wander off out of their custody. Thus, although not all police costs can be avoided, the actions of Bluewater residents can control policing costs to a certain extent, while still having access to police services when needed. Thus the budget of $630,241 for this year for policing Bluewater is a significant expense to taxpayers, and care should be taken not to abuse the services that are so important to all of us.
Some time ago, information was given out by the OPP that they could not effectively enforce keeping ATVs off the beaches, and this was duly reported in the Newsletter. It was reported at the recent general meeting of BSRA that there are still problems with ATVs. The OPP (Goderich Detachment) advises that where the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources has posted a beach with a legal sign that ATVs are prohibited on that beach, and a violation occurs, then the OPP can charge the violator with trespassing. Alternatively, where an ATV is being driven dangerously, the driver, (or the owner if the driver is unlicensed), can be charged accordingly. However, the complainant must be able to identify the machine, (preferably by its registration), and the driver so that the case will hold up in court.
Research by one of our BSRA members questions some official assumptions about ATVs, and some interesting background material has been made available. Clearly, further research and action are indicated, and the Newsletter will supply further information when available.

Effect of Re-Assessment on Lakefront Property Taxes
This is a continuing concern for BSRA members, especially lakefront owners, and it is recognized that this problem is best approached on a provincial level. The lead organization in this, if not the only one, is the Waterfront Ratepayers After Fair Taxation (WRAFT). As noted at the General Meeting on June 18, the BSRA Executive Committee recommends that each constituent association of BSRA join WRAFT to provide fiscal support for its activities on our behalf. Contact WRAFT at 131 Bloor St W., Suite 200, Box 263, Toronto ON M5S 1R8. E-mail: wraft@sympatico.ca. Website: www.wraft.com.
 

John Gillespie, President                                          Compiled by Doug Banks, Newsletter Editor