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As some of you may know, former Councilor Doug Newberry has recently moved to British Columbia. As a result, Dunnottar Council has called a By-Election for October 1, 2016 to fill the vacant position.

We at the Dunnottar Ratepayers Association are wondering why this By- Election could not have been called before the September long weekend as council knew that the councilor was planning a move as his home was up for sale for some time. We question the timing of this election which take places when seasonal cottagers have already shut down their places for the winter months.

In speaking to an Election's Representative within the government I was told that Dunnottar does not require a polling station in the City of Winnipeg. The Village of Dunnottar is also not required to send election notices to taxpayers, they only have to advertise in very local newspapers and voters have to request a mail-in ballot if they do not choose to drive to the Polling station in Dunnottar on October 1, 2016.

Hopefully seasonal residents will request their mail-in ballot or drive out to Dunnottar to vote on October 1, 2016.

For those unable to attend the polling station please consult the below article from The Interlake Spectator on how to vote.

Council has had a vacancy since Councillor Doug Newberry recently resigned and moved with his wife Laura to be closer to other family members in Cranbrook, B. C.

The by-election winner succeeding six-year veteran Newberry � will be elected at large by all Dunnottar voters since the village has no ward system. The successful candidate will join a five-person council whose current members are Mayor Rick Gamble and Councillors David Oberding. Bob Campbell and Rosalyn Howard.

Janice Thevenot, the village CAO, said the official nomination period for candidates will start in mid-August 42 days before the by-election. She said more details including information about an advance poll will soon appear on the village's website. David Lobban, Dunnottar's election officer, will be in charge of the vote which can be contested by village citizens 18 and older.

Dunnottar has held the line on councillor indemnities this year. Each councillor is paid $600 a month plus $50 to defray cell phone and internet bills. Councillor members may also receive approved expenses for attending conferences and meetings, although there are no set per diem rates.

Date for the by-election was set at council's regular July meeting last Wednesday.

In other business, council has:

Passed 10 amendments to update the village's zoning bylaw. The amendments, prepared for Dunnottar by the Selkirk-based Red River Planning District, make it easier and cheaper for residents and cottagers to add accessories to their properties.

For example, there will no longer be separation distances from principal residences when owners build decks, hot tubs and outdoor pools. Property owners will also be allowed to erect large tents for weddings and other events for a maximum of 14 days a year.

Officials of the Red River board said they are also updating and standardizing zoning bylaws in five other municipalities under their jurisdiction. The others are West St. Paul, East St. Paul, St. Andrews, St. Clements and Selkirk.

-Heard presentations from two residents complaining about council's inaction on enforcing bylaws. Linda Schram said little has been done since another citizen, Robin Mather, objected in June to trailers and four-wheelers being illegally used as homes in the Ponemah residential neighbourhood.

Council sent out letters to the Ponemah offenders after Mather's appearance, but Schram said most owners have ignored the order to move their trailers in 14 days.

- Brian Farley asked council to enforce building bylaws to combat a proliferation of plastic sheds being used as garages in the municipality. Council members agreed to investigate the two complaints and take the next necessary steps.

- What is the next step. It's getting close to September, Schram said.

- Agreed to a September meeting with Winnipeg Beach Council. The beach wants to renew its agreement to use the Dunnottar landfill.

- Received a $4,000 Hometown Manitoba grant so Dunnottar can add trees to the municipal office property at 44 Whytewold Rd. The trees will likely make their appearance in the spring.

- Agreed to pay $600 for a rabies shot for the municipality's animal control officer.

- Decided to tackle standing water in the municipality without explaining how water stands.

Note the highlighted extra costs asociated with their sewer which does not even mention on lot costs to the homeowner such as a holding tank, electrical hook up, excavation, etc.

I was recently contacted by a couple looking for a cottage lot at Sunset Beach, just north of the Grand Beach area. They were in shock at the sewer and related fees forwarded to them. The fees are as follows:

1. A required fee of $12,500.00 to pay for a low-pressure sewer system.

2. An option to amortize the $12,500.00 sewer fee over 20 years at $871.07 per year, making the actual cost of sewer fees $17,421.00 per lot.

THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING FEES:

3. A $1,500.00 Municipal Permit Fee required by the RM for trenching and hydro connection to on-lot septic pump.

4. The Permit Fee DOES NOT COVER trenching costs, electrical costs, on-lot septic pump costs or on-lot septic tank costs or any other electrical, hydro connection or like fees.

Do not let the pro-sewer lobby in Dunnottar continually downplay the true cost of sewers. The couple I spoke to at Sunset Beach said they were told that $25,000.00 to $30,000.00 were the expected sewer costs if they bought the lot and built a cottage. This couple have now suspended their cottage search in the Sunset Beach area partly due to these high sewer costs.

Yours Truly,

Ed Strauman,
President, Dunnottar Ratepayers Association

The Dunnottar Ratepayers Association has been made aware of a Winnipeg based development group showing interest in pursuing multi-family housing options from Gimli to Matlock.
The DRA has also learned the Dunnottar pro-sewer lobbyists are pursuing a MANDATORY sewer designation for Dunnottar. What this means, is there will be no options to fight the installation of a sewer system as the Province will simply rubber stamp the sewer installation with no public input. We assume the designation of Dunnottar's current pump-out system as a public utility by the Public Utility Board last March is a precursor to having the Province declare sewers mandatory for Dunnottar.
Remember, it was only last Spring that Dunnottar residents were blind-sided by the Public Utility Board ruling that Dunnottar was instituting a flat rate for sewage pick-up. The PUB hearing held last June in Dunnottar was held after the PUB made the decision. Ironically, the PUB told Dunnottar officials to do a better job of informing the public.
On November 27, 2015 I was invited by Mayor Gamble to a COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS MEETING. Supposedly, this committee was formed to save municipal operating funds and reduce environmental impacts in the area. With the meeting being only a few minutes old, a permanent resident also asked by Mayor Gamble to attend the meeting, stood up and said Dunnottar needs sewers.
It is obvious that the result of the July 2012 sewer referendum means nothing to those who want to pursue sewers at any cost in Dunnottar. Remember, sewers are needed to allow development in Dunnottar. Is this what people want for the pristine park-like setting of Dunnottar?
I have recently been contacted by other Ratepayer Associations saying they have concerns about sewer costs and development in their areas. In talking to Ratepayers in West St. Paul and St. Malo, Manitoba, I was given figures between $20,000.00 to $30,000.00 for sewer installation costs.

We, at the DRA, are committed to keep Dunnottar residents informed on local issues.

Dunnottar Council sets by-election date

In other business, council has: