Rosedale Council: On the Road to Financial Recovery

At the top of the September meeting of the RM of Rosedale, Councillors heard a presentation from Way to Go Consulting regarding a water rate study they commissioned for the communities of Kelwood and Eden. While for Eden the recommendation was to put a capital plan in place and then review rates again in 2026, as the rates are sufficient for the time being, in Kelwood the water rates are not covering the costs. The recommendation, in brief, is to increase rates incrementally over the next three years. Even with the rate increases, the overall rate for Kelwood would still be only in the lower middle when compared to rates across the province.

As with last month, Council also dug deeply into their responsibilities when it comes to providing approaches and culverts to residents. The need to come up with a policy and not discuss each request as it comes in was reiterated, although without such a policy currently in place they continue to have to consider each request individually. Historically, Council has provided these to homeowners but the volume and the cost is prohibitive at this point. The conversation around this subject is ongoing.

Also covered at this meeting were the deficit recovery plan, municipal road repairs, tax prepayment discounts, hiring of a new foreman, and policy for maintaining undeveloped roads.