New utility plan: Councillors reject mayor’s promise

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This article was published 17/07/2009 (5923 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG — LEFT-of-centre city councillors are rejecting Mayor Sam Katz’s promise to clarify Winnipeg’s utility proposal in time for a vote at city council next week.

On July 22, councillors will debate a plan to replace Winnipeg’s water-and-waste department with a new stand-alone utility that will assume responsibility for water, sewer, garbage and recycling services; extend services to neighbouring municipalities; and possibly produce green power.

After Katz’s cabinet unanimously approved the proposal on Wednesday, the mayor promised to bring forward on the floor of council a number of amendments to the business plan. The plan calls for a private engineering firm to play some form of partnership role in completing up to $1 billion worth of sewage-treatment upgrades and combined-sewer replacements, but the language has confused councillors, senior city officials and the public.

River Heights Coun. John Orlikow and Fort Rouge Coun. Jenny Gerbasi have now prepared a motion to delay the utility vote until the next council meeting in September to allow officials time to clean up the proposal and build in what they describe as more safeguards.

The south Winnipeg councillors want the new business plan to ensure an arm’s-length utility would not raise water-and-sewer rates above current city rate-increase estimates. They also want elected officials to serve on the utility’s board and are demanding to see a draft of the proposed agency’s articles of incorporation.

"I think the utility concept has good merits to it, but this one has some structural flaws," Orlikow said on Thursday. "I think we can address those flaws and still have a utility."

Katz, however, is not willing to delay the utility vote. "After months of work from the public service, several public meetings, a council seminar and the opportunity for councillors to discuss any concerns with the public service at any time, we’d hope councillors are prepared to move forward," the mayor said in a statement.

But the mayor also faces opposition from within his cabinet. Charleswood Coun. Bill Clement has said he will vote against the utility if it is allowed to create user fees for garbage pickup. He also said he can’t support the plan if it continues to call for the provincial Public Utilities Board to set water-and-sewer rates.

The latter demand will be difficult for Katz to address, as even utility opponents like the idea of Public Utilities Board scrutiny. The P.U.B. has proven to be a very effective monitor of Manitoba Hydro. A plethora of unions, lobby groups and other left-of-centre organizations also oppose the utility.

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca