FALL RIVER: Barry Dalrymple is angry that two projects of importance to Fall River never came to regional council before his term ended.
With HRM regional council not having the water extension boundary or proposed senior’s housing development on the final council meeting agenda last month, it could make it go past the federal government’s cutoff date. The feds and province have both put funding into the project, but the feds have a deadline of March 2018 for it to be underway or completed.
Councillor Barry Dalrymple said he was told by HRM CAO Jacques Dube that the water report could come up at the Nov. 8 council meeting—or the very least at one they hold during the month. However, with new councillors who need to get up to speed on the issue that could impact timelines. The other report he wanted brought to council before the final meeting was on the proposed senior’s development project on the Carr Farm property.
“Trust me, unbelievable frustration with our departments,” said Dalrymple on Oct. 9. “There’s no excuse that these reports were not at council before my term as councillor was over. Absolutely no excuse.
“I made the motions a long time ago, and the issue and problems were known well before I made the motions.”
He didn’t mince words at how he feels about the delay.
“Neither one of the reports are as complex as our HRM departments are making them,” said Dalrymple. “For instance, extending the water service boundary it’s clearly in the process and policies. To extend the boundary all you have to do is show that there’s a water quantity or water quality problem.
“As I said to them right from the get go, before my time HRM built that bloody rec centre (the Gordon R. Snow Community Centre) and fire hall. With no water. With no water still today. It still doesn’t have any viable source of water.
He wondered why a report wasn’t done on this.
“How hard is it then to put in an initiation report that we have a fire station and rec centre with no water, therefore you satisfy both of the issues and its automatic that you extend the water service boundary?” he asked, visibly angered. “This report has been months and months and months and according to the final council meeting they tell me the report isn’t even close. It’ll come sometime in November.
“I think that’s just pure insanity.”
Dalrymple said the problem with that is the federal and provincial government are offering a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” for Fall River of $6 million in funding for water, and it comes with a deadline. That deadline is March 2018.
“That’s only a year-and-a-half away,” he said. “This motion was only to initiate the process, then you have to go through the whole process. That takes a long time.”
He said the seniors development is tied into bringing water down the Fall River road because the multi-unit buildings can’t be built without city water.
“It’s very clear on the application that our staff have said it can’t happen unless they have city water,” he said. “They are inter-twinned, but again the motion is to allow the process to start so HRM and the community can come together with public meetings.
“The community has a helluva lot to say here and a helluva lot at stake.”
Dalrymple said the longer nothing gets down about extending the water boundary, the more the federal and provincial funding could get washed away.
“The opportunity to do something and bring city water is here and we have departments that are dicking around,” said Dalrymple. “Not getting to have these two come to council before my term was done leaves a bad taste.”
phealey@enfieldweeklypress.com