Open letter to Kincardine council:
RE: "Kincardine defers decision on giving Inverhuron water and sewer project second chance at funding"
 

I’m writing you as a taxpayer, a permanent resident at Inverhuron and a concerned citizen.

I was stunned listening to the discussion around applying for a grant for the Inverhuron water/sewer project. Since I did pay and hook up to the municipal water in 2005 and since we were doing renovations, the Ontario Ministry of Health required “two” septic tanks on our property. By the time B.M. Ross and Associates (municipal engineer) interviewed me regarding the sewers, my system was only a few years old.

I could easily say that the major problem that has developed, health-wise and environmentally, on Inverhuron Beach doesn’t affect me since my property is up-to-date and could go without the sewers. However, as a concerned citizen, I have a responsibility to speak up about this issue.

Having followed all the preparation and work behind this project over the past seven years, I have become more aware of the variety of, and old, systems that are being used on our beach and the potential of an accident waiting to happen. It is imperative for the future of our beach that the municipality move with some responsibility about preserving one of the most beautiful beaches in the area.

If we don’t move on applying for the grant, we could lose this window of opportunity to move forward, and without knowing the amount of grant we would be given, we won’t know how much all of this would cost us. People need this to go forward for the safety of the beach in the future, for my children and grandchildren. We have been here for more than 50 years, my children raised on this beach year after year, and now my grandchildren who spend the whole summer, every summer, with me.

I was extremely shocked, at weekend events, the talk that was going around. I personally spoke to (councillor) Randy Roppel to tone down his remarks saying he’s not for water and never was for the water. Okay for Tiverton, but I told him he is not living at Inverhuron and addressing our issue. Then, at our Annual Ratepayers' Meeting, he changed his tune and told us that he is not against the water.   

We’re finding councillors are saying what they think we want to hear. Another councillor was asked why she voted against applying for the grant and had the gall to tell us that she voted against because councillors Laura Haight and Maureen Couture were too aggressive in their presentation. Another councillor implied he hadn’t even read the report.    

This is not acceptable behavior by supposed responsible councillors representing the taxpayer. The mayor and deputy mayor are coming across as having their own agenda for decisions regarding this issue.

To close, I want to go on record as being a supporter of this project and sincerely hope councillors will rethink this recommendation and realize that this is a major issue that needs to be addressed now.

I express my thanks to councillors Haight and Couture who are willing to consult on this project and who are working so hard to help us to move forward.

Respectfully,

Kathy Kilmer
Inverhuron