Some Sicamous property owners unable to hook up to sewer may be given reprieve from non-compliance fines.
District of Sicamous council recently amended its Sewer Rates and Regulations Bylaw to give its corporate officer the ability to waive the non-compliance rate for property owners who, because of “extraordinary measures and/or excessive costs,” are unable to connect to municipal sewer.
Sicamous corporate officer says there is no particular definition for “extraordinary measures;” determination of qualification is at the corporate officer’s discretion.
Bennett says there is approximately 80 properties in the district that have not yet connected to municipal sewer.
“At this point we are in the process of reviewing the properties to identify which ones would be considered – there are about six or seven properties,” said Bennett in an email.
Council amended the same bylaw in November, revising the previous non-compliance fee rate, which started at $457 and doubled annually over a three-year period. With the amended bylaw, non-compliant property owners on the east side of channel, whose connection deadline was Nov. 30, 2015, must pay $914 for the years 2017 and 2018, and $1,828 in 2019. Non-compliant property owners on the west side of the channel facing a Dec. 1 deadline would have to pay $457 in 2017, $914 in 2018 and 2019 and $1,828 in 2020.