The Quinte Homebuilders Association sent a deputation to county council, urging them to continue with water infrastructure work.
Ruth Estwick, CEO of the Quinte Homebuilders Association, spoke during Tuesday’s council meeting to outline the association’s position. She explained their position that doing nothing, halting the water and wastewater projects, would increase costs to taxpayers and ratepayers in the long term.
Estwick said that without development charges from new properties, which needed water infrastructure expansion to add capacity for the new properties, taxpayers and water ratepayers would be saddled with the full burden of both upkeep and critical new facilities to maintain the system. She also said that delaying would cost the municipality funding through provincial and federal grants, which are often tied to housing production, and would no longer be offered as deadlines are missed and housing development stalls.
In closing out her presentation, she urged council to approve a water and wastewater financial strategy, complete a development charge study, and to communicate more with developers going forward.
Council accepted the deputation without comment.
