The Town of Olds and the Mountain View Regional Water Services Commission reached an understanding about third-party water licences at a meeting on Sept. 14.
The Town of Olds and the Mountain View Regional Water Services Commission reached an understanding about third-party water licences at a meeting on Sept. 14.
Town officials took issue with a policy passed by the commission in May stating that no municipality shall enter into third party agreements to sell water outside their boundaries without first getting the approval of the commission to do so. Town officials took the position that the policy interfered with the town’s right to sell water or control economic development within the community.
Norm McInnis, the town’s chief administrative officer, said the Sept. 14 meeting went well, with some original misunderstanding of the updated policy now cleared up.
"There was some misunderstanding on both sides, and I think we’re all on the same page now. The rewriting of the policy was explained to us and some background information (was shared) that certainly provided some additional clarity. The Town of Olds has really got no problem with the policy and we can work within it," he said.
McInnis said part of the confusion stemmed from him not understanding that the commission owns the town’s water licence and grants the town the right to use the licence. But the commission must still approve any agreements between the town and a third party that the town might want to negotiate with. In disputing the issue, town officials had argued that any agreement between the town and a third party need only be between them.
"When the commission has said that they need to approve any agreement that we have outside of our boundaries, their right to say that comes from the fact that they own the water licence," McInnis said.
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