The city's planning committee has agreed to provide water service to a property located more than two kilometres beyond the urban boundary. The plan to extend a 6-8 inch water pipe to Carluke is expected to be ratified at next Wednesday's council meeting.

The pipe extension overrides rules in three official plans - the regional one, plus both Glanbrook and Ancaster, since the pipe passes through both of these former municipalities. It is intended to provide municipal water to Oakrun Bakery owned by John Voortman.

Flamborough councillor Dave Braden called the proposal "against all the rules" and described the supporting staff recommendation as embarrassing. "What this proposal is asking us to do is to say 'look in spite of the fact that we've already agreed for 30 years not to service outside the boundary, let us do it one time, and then let us agree that we're never going to do it again, and that this isn't going to promote more development there'," declared Braden. "That's what we call doublespeak."

But the proposal drew high praise from Ancaster councillor Murray Ferguson who argued that it promoted business retention. "This business has been in business for 25 years this year; they pay significant realty tax; they employ 390 people," Ferguson said, noting that the owners "have been courted by other municipalities because of the water situation."

All three official plans clearly prohibit extending water or sewer services outside the urban boundary. The staff report consequently recommends amendments to each, but stresses that this is one-time exception. The bakery currently trucks in water to meet its 30,000 gallon daily use. They will pay the full costs of the pipe extension.

At the end of his comments, Braden issued a warning "that on this specific issue, if you have received donations, in particular above and beyond the $750 limit, that probably you vacate the chamber." This was apparently a reference to allegations now before the courts that the Voortman family and businesses made excessive donations to Mayor Di Ianni's election campaign last fall.

You can review the staff report at
http://www.city.hamilton.on.ca/Clerk/
agendas-minutes-reports/Planning-Economic-
Development/2004/Sept21/PD04250.pdf. A transcript of the councillor comments on this issue can be found on the CATCH website here.