Victoria Park Lake Update

Very interesting 35 minutes at the meeting to discuss the Victoria Park Lake situation last night.

I say 35 minutes, because that was the amount of time that the working group took to go through the details and answer the relevant questions.

All very helpful, informative and concise. Nice work guys.

After that, it became a lot of taxpayers complaining about how their money's spent... who wants to listen to that?

But here's the deal... last year, the City of Kitchener agreed that the lake needed a 16 Million dollar clean up and restoration recommended in an environmental assessment that was performed by a third party.

The approved recommendation was the dredging and design improvements to the lake itself, as well as changing the existing stormwater drainage system from concrete tunnels to wetlands. (this would eliminate the problem in the future, because the wetlands absorb the sediment, instead of the concrete which allows it to flow into the lake).

Then, the city changed the timeline from being reasonable... to being ridiculous... starting it in 2019!!!

Then, the neighbourhood lost their mind...

Then, the city staffers came back and said, oh yeah, you're right... let's stick to the original timeline (starting in 2011) - but we don't know how to pay for it.

Then, they figured out 3 $$ options, 2 they didn't feel were "sustainable" and 1 that allows them to charge a "stormwater usage rate" for all properties (commercial and residential) to manage the stormwater system... something they've been trying to implement for years.

Hmmm, interesting. Townhall meeting next Monday at 7... to discuss the issue with the city...

and Monday January 18th, 7pm for the City Hall Council Meeting and formal decision.

Have an opinion? Voice it here ... or at one of the meetings.

To see more details, go HERE.

To read the Records take on the meeting, go HERE.

Wanna sign the online petition, to encourage

the city to find the money and start? Go HERE.

H.