The Main Street redevelopment program is nearing completion....finally! It's been a long summer, especially for the Main Street merchants who have had to put up with the construction all summer. There are a few things remaining to be done yet. The safety railings, mostly along the north side, have to be installed. That's the biggest thing, I think. I see that they were working on that today.
Looking at the street today, I recall what it looked like in the mid 1970s when I came on Beiseker Council for the first time. We've come a long way! I can honestly say I'm proud of the new look of our Main Street now!
This water is heating up to boiling! The Kneehill Regional Water Services Commission (KRWSC) has a new name now! It was made official just a couple of weeks ago. It is now the Aqua 7 Regional Water Services Commission (A7RWSC).
No matter what we call it, it's still in deep financial difficulty. The commission has never been allowed to sell the water it originally had predicted for reasons mostly out of its control! Additional provincial assistance which was verbally promised on many occassions was never forthcoming! The commission is now mired down in debt and deficets. The price of water to the participating municipalities is one of the highest in the province. The people of Beiseker are paying dearly for water!
Our Mayor Rowe wants to turn off the A7RWSC valve and return to our well at the beginning of 2012. That has major difficulties, too!
- We would have to go through the process of having our well re-certified to be used by the municipality. That could take months! Our well water was never filtered because it never needed to be. It was treated at the resevoir before it was sent out to residents. That would have to be re-examined and tested to make sure that water was still clear coming out of the well.
- We would have to do some winter excavation to physically separate the two water systems near our water storage resevoir.
- I believe we would have to impose heavy water restrictions on Beiseker residents. It would be cheap water but there would be less of it!
- It would be soft water so our residents would have to uninstall or turn off their water softeners.
- We would still have to pay our share of the debt for installing the regional system but we would no longer buy their water. That would put a huge strain on the remaining communities on the system! Some of those municipalities do not have the option of using well water again. That extra strain may be enough to put the regional system into financial freefall!
I can understand Mayor Rowe's frustration with the problems, We've all been talking to the provincial government about these issues and finincial difficulties for almost TEN years now and nothing has happened. Other projects of this nature have received far greater funding that we did. When Mayor Rowe makes his motion to shut off the A7RWSC taps, I really don't know how I will vote! Do I vote to turn on the well (if it is feasible) to save the Village those huge water bills? My first consideration must be to Beiseker ratepayers but would that really serve their best interests? It's a tough one!
I cannot believe that a caring and effective provincial government would allow this situation to continue into the future. But I've been saying that for years now, too.
Let me know what you think. And consider writing another letter to the
provincial government, maybe to our new
Premier Redford!
BEISEKER HAS HIT THE WALL ON THIS WATER CRISIS! SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE!
We have curb along Chinook Crescent! Looks good too! This project is not going as fast as we at Council had figured! I think because it's such a "small" project that we may get shunted down the priority list. Council has asked the contractors to make sure the folks along there have a sidewalk to walk on this winter even if it means putting down a temporary asphalt one until spring. We've had many good weather days lately but the street was deserted of any workers. Let's hope they can get more of the project done before the snow flies!
