INSIDE: Ye Olde Sardis Secondary principal gets the last laugh Pg. 7 June 18, 2010
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and field athletes compete 13 Track 1985-
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LOCAL NEWS, SPORTS, WEATHER & ENTERTAINMENT chilliwacktimes.com
City is willing to soften HST blow BY PAUL J. HENDERSON phenderson@chilliwacktimes.com
T
Paul J. Henderson/TIMES
Chilliwack MLA John Les received applause when he told Metro Vancouver representatives Wednesday that local residents aren’t interested in incineration.
‘Wrong dog and pony show’
BY PAUL J. HENDERSON phenderson@chilliwacktimes.com
M
e t r o Va n c o u v e r politicians and bureaucrats faced a cold reception from Chilliwack residents and Fraser Valley politicians Wednesday night at the consultation meeting into Metro’s draft waste management plan. “You brought the wrong dog and pony show,” Mayor Sharon Gaetz said to the panel, which included Delta mayor and Metro Chair Lois Jackson, and Port Coquitlam
Politicians and citizens make it loud and clear that waste-to-energy not wanted in the valley mayor and waste management committee chair Greg Moore. Gaetz added that even though Metro was involved in the successful fight against the SE2 power project five years ago, things have changed. “What will you say when SE3 comes knocking?” she asked. “I’m afraid you’ll have to be silent because you’ve lost credibility.” The meeting was the latest in the
ongoing consultation meetings Metro has held to present its plan, which at its heart is a proposal to build a waste-to-energy ( WTE) incineration facility rather than continue to truck garbage to the Cache Creek landfill. Opponents of the plan from across the Lower Mainland point to the unique funnel-like airshed in the Fraser Valley that simply cannot take more point sources of
air pollution. Before the public meeting and during the open house, Zero Waste B.C. organized a small rally in front of the Best Western in Chilliwack where the meeting was held. John Vissers led the rally and introduced speakers that included Gaetz, Abbotsford Coun. Patricia Ross, Ben West from the Wilderness
he Harmonized Sales Tax will hit parks and recreation users in Chilliwack, but a new city bylaw will soften the blow by phasing in cost increases over time. The bylaw came to council at the last meeting and was designed to change fees at city-owned facilities starting July 1 for the 2010/2011, 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 years. A staff report to council said the fee changes are based on finding a balance between “full cost recovery and current market rates.” “The most significant impact to the bylaw this year, affecting both the city and our customers is the implementation of the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST),” the staff report said. The city has always collected five per cent GST, but the HST would mean a seven per cent bump in costs to users if passed on. Many events, such as Loonie/ Toonie special events, have GST included in the cost, so some other rates will go up nominally to make up for the extra seven and 14 cents that won’t be charged to users. “If the city were to soften the blow to our customers, by absorbing some or of all of the HST impact, the costs to the city would be up to $20,000 per year until the full cost of HST were passed along to consumers,” staff said. An example of an increase users will see to help offset the increased costs is a reduction in the punch card discount for skate programs, which will be the cost of nine regular drop-ins (10 for the price of nine), rather than the current offer of 12 for the price of 10.
See WASTE, Page 30
See more HST news on page 3.
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