Mayor concerned about water treatment, sewage plants in flood plain

“If something goes wrong and we do get a flood and it knocks out our sewage treatment plant, well, that’s going to affect the whole city. So do we have to build a cement wall around, three feet high to protect it? And if we do, let’s start that process in getting the funding.”

He said this applies to the water treatment plant as well; the City can’t have something at risk that will affect the whole city.

Once administration presents its report to council, Dionne said they will proceed from there.

The one-in-500 year flood plain is a standard the Province of Saskatchewan has adopted and through the Statements of Provincial Interest has mandated municipalities to adopt into their Official Community Plans. The flood plain policy would ban development in the floodway – the area most prone to flooding – and would put restrictions on developments in the flood fringe.

But the restrictions put on home developments wouldn’t apply to the water treatment or sewage treatment plants.

“They’re essential services, they’re an emergency. So, if we have to do an expansion on the secondary treatment plant in the flood zone, that’s allowed.”

Dionne, however, does not support the one-in-500 year flood plain policy, and he feels it’s an arbitrary figure.

“But, if that’s what it is, then we better protect our two biggest assets that could affect the whole city.”

While the one-in-500 year standard had been used in some form before it was incorporated into the Statements of Provincial Interest in the last few years, it only recently came to light for the mayor.

“Because before, it wasn’t the issue, but now, what really brought it into [being]an issue is the one-in-500. Now that we’re going to our community plan, that has to be dealt with. “

Dionne said he thinks the Official Community Plan (OCP) will face difficulties when it makes it to council as long as it has the one-in-500 year flood plain policy in it.

He isn’t the only member of council voicing their objections to the one-in-500 year flood plain.

Coun. Don Cody voiced his objections to the one-in-500 year flood plain on Monday. He questioned how and when the data used was taken. He said he’ll be protecting the people he represents in his ward.

“I don’t think that we’ve adequately looked at that issue well enough. I think it’s governments pushing something on to us that may never … happen.”

Cody also plans to raise concerns about the potential for diking along the river as a flood prevention measure. He said he bought his property on River Street for the view, not to have a dike put right in front of the property. And there are a lot of properties around his that are in an identical position, he added.

During the council meeting, he said the City was “caving” to the province on the flood plain.

“I don’t think that we are putting our best foot forward with regards to protecting the citizens,” he explained after the meeting.

Cody said he doesn’t see any evidence that administration has told the province that it’s taking the side of the citizens and if this is the case, then the City is caving in to the government.

“And if they do that, I think that’s very unfortunate for the citizens of the City of Prince Albert.”

The City plans to host an OCP open house in the foyer of City Hall on April 30 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. It will also host a second flood plain meeting on May 7 at Riverside School, starting at 7 p.m.

tjames@panow.com

On Twitter: @thiajames

by Thia James

Mayor concerned about water treatment, sewage plants in flood plain

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