Future ownership of the utilities at the Bruce Energy Centre near Tiverton was the topic of a special meeting of Kincardine Council.
Bruce Power wants to focus on generating electricity, and not providing a sewage system to the Bruce Energy Centre like it currently does.
Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs Dwight Willett says industrial parks aren’t their core business, and they’d rather have employees working on the site, instead of nearby.
The company wants to transfer — not sell ownership of the sewage system to the Municipality of Kincardine.
It’s estimated that over 900 thousand dollars in repairs will be needed to the system over the next seven to 10 years.
But Bruce Power is promising at least 300 thousand dollars in “seed money” to help the municipality take it over.
However, Councillor Mike Leggett, Chair of the Economic Development Committee says having the sewage system under municipal control will save money.
He says right now, Bruce Power contracts the operation out to the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA), but it would cost 110 thousand dollars less each year by having municipal employees run it instead.
He says that will give the municipality control over utility costs at the industrial park.
Councillor Guy Anderson is skeptical about the plan and wants to be sure an operating surplus is guaranteed.
Councillor Randy Roppel says taxpayers already helped pay for the Bruce Energy Centre once — during the 1980’s when it was developed by the former Ontario Hydro and originally used surplus steam from the power plant.
Today, Bruce Power burns oil to generate the steam — something it wants to stop doing.
Mayor Larry Kraemer says staff will be giving council more financial details to examine before a decision is made at the next council meeting, on October 7.
Kraemer thinks taking over the Bruce Energy Centre sewer system will provide new infrastructure for the north end of the municipality and help attract new investment to the industrial park.
In addition to the sewage system, there is also a non-potable water supply to the Bruce Energy Centre, along with a water tower.
Private wells supply drinking water.