The room was full to bursting as over 300 Wellington residents piled into an auditorium at the Wellington Community Centre on Thursday night to hear about plans to expand Wellington’s water and wastewater infrastructure, and provide some feedback.
The question and answer session was expanded into a town hall style meeting after a deputation by area resident, Dorothy Bothwell, at Tuesday’s council meeting.
The meeting consisted of an info room with experts on hand to answer questions as residents viewed prepared material about the projects. An auditorium was set up for a presentation followed by a public Q&A where residents could approach the mic and ask their questions publicly to a panel of municipal employees and consultants.
The public Q&A was hosted by Mayor Steve Ferguson, with the panel consisting of Prince Edward County CAO Marcia Wallace, joined by Director of finance and IT Amanda Carter, Manager of planning Michael Michaud, Director of development services Peter Moyer, and David MacPherson, Manager of Engineering.
The panel was also joined by two outside consultants whose companies had helped with plans for the project.
The plan detailed expansions to the Wellington area water and wastewater systems, including new water and wastewater treatment plants, and a new main trunk water line. The current budget for the plan as approved by council is $79 million. Seventy-five per cent of funds needed were to be paid for via development charges with the remaining 25% paid through water bills.
The new developments coming over many years are expected to be mostly residential.
The need for expanded services was made clear when CAO Marcia Wallace said during the Q&A that the water system in Wellington has hit its absolute capacity limit and that no new construction can be connected to it outside those already planned and approved.
Residents were not happy with the plan as presented, commonly asking the panel what would happen if they build the infrastructure, but the new developments the expanded infrastructure is meant to serve don’t materialize or development charges don’t raise enough funds. Other concerns raised were potential impacts of the project on already-high water bills and a lack of engagement with the public on the plan.
Municipal staff reassured residents that their goal was to keep water prices the same or reduce them, and that the plan was intended to save money in the long term.
Mayor Steve Ferguson, who served as host during the public Q&A, was happy with how the meeting went.
“There’s a lot of misinformation, speculation and other stuff that’s circulating,” said Mayor Ferguson. “Obviously, in something of this magnitude or complexity, we have to make sure that we are providing the information that people need.”
Currently the main trunk water line has gone to tender, while environmental assessments are continuing on other parts of the plan.
