The City of West Kelowna announced unofficial results indicate that residents prefer long-term borrowing to design, build and finance the Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant (RVWTP).
City staff said less than 250 petition-against forms out of the 8,267 properties in the area service were submitted to city hall before the 4 p.m. deadline on Friday, Oct. 2. Official results will be provided during a regular council meeting later this month, which will also outline the next steps.
The Council Initiative - Subject to Petition Against was a legislative process that occurred until 4 p.m. on Oct. 2 to determine if more than 50 per cent of local area service property owners opposed the recommended long-term borrowing model.
The city mailed out 8,267 petition-against packages to property owners in early September. Those who agreed with the long-term borrowing model did not have to take any action.
Staff will contact property owners in 2022 with further information about parcel tax transition, payment options and other details.
If adopted, the RVWTP users will see an increase of $34 on their fees. Currently, property owners pay $116 annually for the plant. In 2022, the total of $150 will be shifted from water bills onto a parcel tax, which will allow some residents to defer their taxes.
If residents want to pay a lump sum instead of long-term borrowing, they can pay a one-time payment of $2,815 in 2022.
For more information on the project, visit the city’s website.
READ: Work on Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant progresses, boil water notices ensue