Minutes after being sworn in, the new Queen Charlotte/Skidegate Landing Management Committee heard a plea for help from resident Duncan White. He wants the committee to help pay for replacing his mother's sewer pump, and he's been interested in the issue for a long time.
He began by handing out copies of a letter he wrote in 1987. It asks the Sewer and Water Commission to take responsibility for maintaining the pumps required at about 20 residences because they are below sewer line level.
"When I originally wrote this letter it was a philosophical issue, but now it is a pragmatic issue," said Mr. White, who went on to explain that his mother, a senior on a fixed income, recently paid $1,500 for repairs, then replacement of her sewer pump.
Mr. White's argument, both in 1987, and at the January 8 meeting, is that certain residents had sewer pump maintenance costs foisted upon them so that the community could enjoy a cheaper sewer system. Therefore, he argued, the community should assist those residents by having the commission, (now turned into the management committee), help with the cost of repair and replacement.
Newly chair Ron McKee suggested the matter be considered at the next meeting, to give the new members time to acquaint themselves with the issue.