Tuesday’s Bancroft council meeting will see councillors debate a motion to turn off the public water tap at Millenium Park. Councillor Mary Kavanagh has brought the motion forward and has asked that procedural by-laws be suspended so the issue can be voted on immediately. However in conversation with Moose FM this afternoon Kavanagh was asked directly if she wants the tap turned off.
Kavanagh says residents believe the town is giving water away for free while they face a rate hike. The actual bill for the water tap at Millennium Park last year was just shy of $1,100. That amounts to under $1 per household. Kavanagh says she wants the cost to taxpayers made public tomorrow and says she could defer the vote to next week. Meanwhile, Councilor Bill Kilpatrick made the water tap issue known on social media late last week and staged protests over the weekend to draw attention to Tuesday’s motion. Kilpatrick says that tap and the water that runs from it helps residents with frozen pipes, and cottagers who have their water shut off.
Kavanagh has also asked that procedural by-laws be suspended on her motion that all land the town owns and that has not been declared a surplus be identified and sold. There are 12 properties on the list including the town office and the Life Labs building. Both motions will be debated during tomorrow’s council meeting at Club 580.