The Kneehill Regional Water Services Commission board is hosting a meeting at the Acme Community Centre, Aug. 30, and the public is urged to attend.
Last summer, the board requested that the Province conduct a financial review of the Commission. The review was completed and resulted in further investigation. During the meeting, which will take place at 7 p.m., the auditor, appointed by Alberta Municipal Affairs, will present the report based on the investigation.
“The provincial government did an investigation on the Kneehill Water Commission because we have been losing money through no fault of our own,” said Ray Courtman, Beiseker councillor and Commission board member.
“They want to present us with the results.”
Courtman said the board is annoyed that it is not being presented with the information prior to the public meeting.
“It is totally ridiculous and absolutely inappropriate,” said Courtman, who has served on the board for nine years.
“They seem to be labouring on a number of points of misinformation and I would like to be able to address them.”
According to Courtman, the Commission is trying to lower the cost of water for residents in the seven municipalities that use the line, including Rocky View County, Kneehill County, the Town of Irricana, and the Villages of Acme, Beiseker, Carbon and Linden. The Commission has sought to include more customers along the line, but repeated attempts have failed, said Courtman.
“The Province has sat back and helped us very little at all and now they are looking for something to blame,” said Courtman.
“I suggest they look in the mirror.”
According to Beiseker Mayor Bruce Rowe, Tim Ell, the Municipal Affairs auditor, was set to present the report to the board last month, but cancelled at the last minute.
“What they are doing is meeting with the water commission board roughly an hour before the public meeting,” said Rowe. “I don’t know what to read into that, but I don’t think it will be good news for them (the board). I think they have something up their sleeve.”
Rowe urges the public to come out to find out what the report says and to inquire into their high water rates.
Gerry Wittstock, chair of the Kneehill Commission, is anxious to see what the report contains. According to Wittstock the report was due in December.
“Municipal Affairs decided they wanted to investigate the runnings of the Kneehill Commission, and we welcome that investigation,” said Wittstock. “We would like to see what is in that report.”
“We will hear it an hour before the public hears it, but I sure wouldn’t mind a bit of a heads up so we could do some research of our own,” he added. “They have issues with the way the board was being run, I assume. The board is doing what the board was supposed to do.”
Wittstock cautions the public about getting its hopes up in regards to reducing the water rates.
“They (the Province) have already stated a number of times that they aren’t going to help out with the water rates,” he said.
