Mr. Mark Hernandez is joined by Oliver Moir, and provides a brief background to the Drainage report as appended to the agenda. He outlines the technical and assessment related concerns from the delegation who are present at the meeting but acknowledges that the Meeting to Consider is specifically related to issues of a technical nature. Any issues relating to assessment are heard and dealt with at the sitting of the Court of Revision.
In relation to the technical question posed by the delegates on if the yard catch basin is necessary, the Drainage Engineer submits that during the time of construction, they can review the replacement of the yard catch basin and consider an alternate means such as providing a swale, or land grading in place of the yard catch basin, if the delegation is amenable. He does not recommend removing the catch basin from the Drainage Report and indicates that at the time of construction, the Engineer/Superintendent can provide instruction to the contractor regarding the yard catch basin. As a result of the realignment of the drain, costs for the proposed works are being assessed to the entire drain.
He mentions another concern of the delegation, where a parcel is listed as a non-agricultural property, but should be listed as agricultural along with inconsistencies with ratios in the construction assessment schedule, future maintenance schedule; and how the reduction of area in one parcel from information gathered at the Public Information Centre subsequently changed in the report ratios for other parcels which resulted in an increase for that parcel's benefit assessment as it relates to front footage adjacent to the drain and the lineal portion of their benefit liability. Mr. Hernandez recommends an adjustment to the frontage benefit to be aligned with the other properties.
The Mayor opens the floor for questions from the Members.
A Member inquires about the catch basin privately installed and the burden of cost to the property owner. Mr. Hernandez explains that cost burden is a result of the relocation of the drain and not the responsibility of the landowner, and these costs are shared by the entire watershed.