A Brilliant Mind

Yes, he has a brilliant mind.

Gyula Kiss, Coldstream councillor is analytical and astute...qualifications that should be prerequisites for elected office.
But aren't, it seems.

Unmatched intelligence has its pitfalls.

Especially in a governance structure as complex (oft-called "dysfunctional") as Greater Vernon.
But don't rely on minutes of meetings from the monthly Greater Vernon Advisory Committee to shed light on the pitfalls encountered by Mr. Kiss.
Meeting minutes are purposely vague, and serve to hide what really transpires at meetings.

"The 162 ML treatment plant at Duteau is 47% larger than what the filtration plant would be able to use."  G.Kiss


The Greater Vernon Advisory Committee is at fault for the water miasma that faces the region.
And has faced the region for some time.
Gyula Kiss is only one member of that committee.

"The politicians had a poor understanding of the situation.   The plan they have might be the best plan under the sun but it is not funded.  If they wish to carry on with it they would have to find an alternative founding source. Would it be reasonable to expect that the Ratepayers, who rejected the borrowing of $70 million at an annual repayment schedule of $5 million would accept a direct annual payment of $10-14 million. The politicians may think that the plan is still alive the way it is but they must find financing. Except for charging $10-14 million annually (a household increase of about $400 or more) the only alternative would be Senior Governments grant." G.Kiss

Committee member Kiss has entered his seventh year on GVAC and finds himself almost alone in battling an entrenched bureaucracy that is decidedly too weak to admit mistakes have been made.
So they continue to throw good money after bad.

"I maintain that the system for agriculture should return to agriculture and all allocations should be honoured.  Domestic supply should be coming from Kalamalka and Okanagan Lakes.  It is that simple.  Had we started out from those principles we would have an unaltered VID (Vernon Irrigation System) working without any money spent on it and we would be using Okanagan Lake without filtration like Kelowna is doing.  Kelowna built the UV treatment plant in 2006-2007 for about $7 million and have no trouble at all,"  says Gyula Kiss.

"You go into any restaurant today and water

is all that people are talking about...people are leaving the area, moving, because of water prices.  Young families too."  Jack Gilroy, former Vernon councillor

Bureaucrats, with only one exception (Vernon Councillor Bob Spiers) are relying on the public to not do any research on the water topic.
However, to aid residents who wish to do that very thing--and they certainly should--this blog entry will provide a compendium of documents to give residents all the information they need to make informed decisions and contact their elected representative to demand change.

A recommended start point is this Power Point presentation of easy to read slides from the grassroots group Citizens for Changes to the Master Water Plan. 

Links to pertinent documents follow:

November 2014 Referendum Results are here and here.
The referendum said "NO", but perhaps Greater Vernon Water has this idea: 
"Perhaps we still have funding if we use increased water rates in the neighbourhood of $4-5 million annually ($165-205 annually per household) and carry on at a snail pace with the proposed projects. It will take 15-20 years but we could complete it." 

Water rate changes since 2003 are here.

Gyula Kiss' "water rate debate", based on his seven years of attempts to influence bureaucrats and officials--with logic--is here.

Duteau Creek water quality measurement reading is here.

Gyula Kiss' Water rate formulae here, which shows a true user pay system, based on fairness.


Irrigation water separated from domestic water (diversion) costs are here.
Councillor Kiss on fairness:

"I actually want all those people pay the same rate based on their consumption. As for golf courses that don't need treated water they should receive untreated water and pay untreated rates. I don't see why John Doe should subsidize me because I use lot more water in the summer. If I use 250 cubic meters I should pay for 250 cu m. If the brewery uses 5,000 cubic meters they should pay for 5,000 cu m. We all need treated domestic water. The separation we are promoting would help us achieve those goals.

Why are our rates so high?

Because we bungled the plan from the start. Wasted a lot of money for which we are responsible. Even if you don't look at anything else the 162 ML treatment plant at Duteau is 47% larger than what the filtration plant would be able to use. How much less would a 110 ML plant cost than the 162 did? Added to that waste is the diversion proposal costs (at the last link provided above) some of which have already been completed. Of course, the entire Duteau Creek Water Treatment Plant was an unnecessary expense.

And yes, untreated irrigation water should be sold at cost for whatever it is being used to irrigate."

Greater Vernon Water's Lavington separation Conceptual Engineering Report is here.

Greater Vernon Water's Master Water Plan (2012) is on the RDNO site here.

Link to the revised Greater Vernon Water's Master Water Plan (2002) is on the RDNO site here.


On equitable water costs, Gyula Kiss sums up:

"The principle is that we calculate the unit cost of domestic water to deliver to a customer. All customer must pay for 10 cubic meter per quarter at the going rate (this example is 1 cu m water costs $3.09 so all customers must pay $31 per quarter). If they use more water they have to multiply the volume of water used by $3.09 and that will be their quarterly bill. No smoke screens no mirrors. If you use 45 cu m you pay $139. If you use 100 cu m you pay $309.00. No exception (except for dialysis). This, in my opinion, would be fair and equitable."

The 2015 budget for Greater Vernon Water is here.

"Thinking people will understand what the majority of bureaucrats and GVAC members do not," offers Kia.

Think, folks.