By Kevin Sabo For the Advance
The County of Paintearth Council was approached by county residents to allow a reduced or at cost water tie-in for a rural property at the June 5 meeting.
Alison Schauer represented her husband Todd and herself at the June 5 council meeting. The request comes as the couple seeks to develop the property with a residence for an adult child and as a future home site for themselves.
The issue at hand is the neighbours, who tied in to the water pipeline when it originally went through the area, were given the tie-in for cost. Now that the pipeline construction has moved in to other areas, the current policy says that the site-owner must pay for the work in full themselves.
“We would not have pursued it if we hadn’t seen that consideration was already made,” said Schauer in reference to the neighbours getting their tie-in done at a discount.
Coun. Wiart commented that “we may as well throw the policy out if we allow this.”
Another factor in the request is there has been confusion surrounding the applied for permit. The original permit was originally requested as a commercial permit because the Schauers were requesting a tie in for a staff residence, however that plan was changed, and a residential permit was requested.
Coun. Glazier made a motion to deny the request for exemption and fees are to remain the standard as laid out in Bylaw 639-15 schedule “A”. The motion was passed unanimously.