Thursday, December 10, 2009

You say Lagoon....I say the Math smells....

Look it Christmas so I'm not going to take a shot at these guys again over this lagoon issue but I'm going leave you with this math to digest.... the cost to remove and reinstate the lagoon site back to marketable land is roughly $1.6 million and the cost to develop a new waste treatment plant to service the Community under the current Department of Environment standards including lift stations and site services is in the order of $18 t0 $20 million for a total project cost of around $20 million.... at best the reinstated land at today's market value might garner $1.2 million so you're more than likely into this replacement lagoon project for about $18 million dollars which is no small chicken feed for any Community particularly one as small as Stratford... about $300 a year to each taxpayer should cover the capital debt.... but the trouble with most lagoons is they smell anyway no matter how much money you throw at them and all you have to do is drive by Charlottetown's newly renovated one and you'll find this out... so no matter where they put the replacement lagoon there's still the possibility they'll be stuck with the odours so it might be a lot more practical to try and work with the site they already have... yes they could try to do a deal with Charlottetown but that's still pricey and then there's the likelihood that it might kick-start the discussion for municipal consolidation with the City.... lots to think about going into the new year and if nothing else the public meetings should be interesting.... if you asked Island taxpayers who live outside Stratford whether the Province Government should contribute $6 million and the Federal Government contribute $6 million to fix up a "perceived" smell that only is apparent a couple of months a year is my guess is they wouldn't be on board... if the Town were to pay the full toll themselves then my guess is it would be tough sell on Stratford taxpayers who moved there for the lower taxes...
Stratford commits to fixing sewage lagoons
Thursday, December 10, 2009
CBC News
The municipal council in Stratford, P.E.I., voted Wednesday night to move forward with a plan to fix the smelly sewage lagoons at the town's entrance.
Mayor Kevin Jenkins said the lagoons must be fixed to rid them of their smell and make way for any future waterfront development.
"We are committed to doing something with the plants. Pretty much everyone that we've talked to, as far as economic development on the waterfront, has raised the lagoons as an issue," Jenkins said.
"Our economic development committee has recognized that and we are really committed to doing something with the lagoons in the long term. It's a big project in terms of dollars, in terms of technology. It's not something that's going to happen today."
Last month, council received a report offering four options for the town, three that would upgrade the lagoons and one that would simply see the sewage pumped across the Hillsborough River to Charlottetown.
Jenkins said council will review those options over the next few months before deciding its next move

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Yeah, you're right .... leave the smelly lagoons right where they are , at the gateway to the Town and Eastern PEI ..... why would sensible people ever support moving this heritage site? As always, your wisdom is impeccable.