by CONNIE TABBERT
Editor
COBDEN — Residential growth is important if Cobden businesses are to thrive and grow.
However, with the high cost of water and sewer rates in Cobden, business people are concerned that could hurt growth.
Ted Barron spoke about the concern at last night’s Whitewater Region’s corporate services committee meeting.
“We’re not alone in this in regards to looking at rate increases,” he said.
In a recent newspaper article, there was reference to 10 to 12 municipalities having trouble with water and sewer rates, he noted.
Mr. Barron doesn’t have to make the committee aware of the difficulties of high sewer and water rates, but, in order to promote growth and development throughout the municipality, the rates have to be such that people want to come into the village to start a business, promote a business or even just increase business.
He provided a report of water rates, using his own from the past several years. He noted from 2011 to 2015, there has been a 54 per cent increase in water rates. In 2011, he was paying $855 a year, with increases to $923, $1048, $1,143 to the current amount of $1,319.
The cost of living increase is only two per cent each year, Mr. Barron said.
“This is not a wake up call,” he said. “I know we say the same thing about taxes; we say the same thing about hydro rates; and I think what it all boils down to is, where does it end.
“We cannot, as a business person, try to bring other people in to start a business or buy a business,” he said. “It’s getting too difficult.”
He understands there is a water plant with infrastructure that has been in the ground since the 1940s that needs to be fixed.
With tongue in cheek, Mr. Barron questioned if all residents in the municipality could be asked to pay for water.
“I don’t think that would fly,” he said, adding, “I’m just teasing you with that.”
However, he added, “I’m waiting for the time the government, and it’s coming, it’s inevitable, is going to put a surcharge on everybody who uses water in the province of Ontario. So, we know we’re going to get well water charged, eventually.”
The high water rates are making it difficult for the little guy, Mr. Barron said.
Mr. Barron said for every problem, there is a solution and out of the negative comes a positive.
He knows the province is downloading onto the municipality, who must get the money from somewhere, and that is from the taxpayers, he said.
Treasurer Marsha Hawthorne said it’s understandable that costs keep rising which affects the users. However, she noted, there were no water and sewer rate increases between 2005 to 2010.
“Just to do those catchups has affected the rate,” she said. “Going forward, the forecasted sewer budget for six years down the road, there will continue to be a slight increase, but certainly nothing like it has been drastically in the last couple of years.”
The township has to provide clean, safe, water and sewer services to its users, she said. Council also wants the systems to pay for themselves, Ms. Hawthorne added.
Councillor Chris Olmstead noted there was no water rate increase in Cobden this year, which was a difficult decision to make. The water treatment plant is figured out, it’s now time to figure out the sewer treatment plant, he said. He noted the township is doing a $9 million upgrade to the sewer plant, but of that, $3 million has to come from the users.
“The biggest issue facing Cobden, over the last (years), since 1992, is zero growth,” Coun. Olmstead said. “The costs get downloaded, as you say, but those costs escalate every year.”
There are 460 hook-ups in Cobden to cover the $3 million expense, he said.
“It’s been 460 for the last 10 years, 15 years, 20 years,” Coun. Olmstead said. “The biggest issue is stagnant growth. There’s been zero growth in the region.”
If costs escalate every year, then it’s up to those same property owners to pay the rising costs, he said.
“Whereas, if you have growth, you are able to spread the increases out over the increased user base,” he said. “That is the single biggest issue facing Cobden over the last 20 years.”
Mr. Barron agreed. However, he heard that the plant built in the 1980s had the capability of adding 2,500 homes, but only 10 have been added.
Mayor Hal Johnson said the plant has been running at 15 per cent above its capabilities for the last 15 years. The new plant will allow for growth, he said.
“We are very active in trying to get more growth,” the mayor said. “If we get the growth, everybody here will benefit.
“It will not be seen right away.”
The costs have to be incurred prior to seeing growth, Mayor Johnson said.
“We’re trying very hard to keep it way down,” he said. “There was tremendous discussion before any of this went forward in the 2015 budget.”
Council is very open to anything that will help reduce costs, he said.
“Let’s sell homes,” he said, adding, “Let’s sell houses. Let’s get everybody, every day, doing their best to promote our region. That is key here to helping each other.
“It will not happen overnight.”
Mr. Barron noted in the 1950s, the population in Cobden was 1,030, and it’s still 1,030 in 2015.
When Opeongo High School was built, there were 1,125 students in 1968. It’s now down to the 400-student mark, he said.
“I don’t know what you guys and gals are doing to keep population up,” Mr. Barron said. “I gather you are not doing your job because we’re not putting kids in those schools. But, those kids that were in the school in that time period are now gone and we have to bring them back.”
Mr. Barron is hopeful that BEI, a local construction company who has development plans for Cobden, has the support of council.
“We need homes,” he said.
He said in Beachburg, many homes have been built, about 10 to 15 each year, for the last 30 years.
“There’s not a reason in the world that we can’t be over and above that,” he said.
There are people who work in Ottawa in one direction and the base and Chalk River in the other direction, he said.
“This is a gold mine waiting to happen,” Mr. Barron said.
Mayor Johnson said everybody is saying the same thing.
“It’s key that we move forward, that we’re all saying the same thing,” he said. “Let’s keep our kids here, let’s quit exporting our best.”
Coun. Olmstead noted that Beachburg has surpassed Cobden in residential units.
There are 403 residential units in Beachburg compared to 380 in Cobden.
People talk around development and no one understands that development is what happens when we’re able to keep schools and arenas full, he said, noting that Cobden’s school enrollment is down considerably.
“It’s an absolute necessity that we support any future residential development,” Coun. Olmstead said.
