Councillor Niesh responds to Water charge petition debate on social media

The recent on line petition quest to put a hold on the water utility portion of the recent utility tax bill delivered to Prince Rupert residents has caught the eye of one Prince Rupert City Councillor, that as Councillor Wade Niesh weighed in over the weekend following an update on the petition progress.

The councillor taking to the replies on the Prince Rupert Community Bulletin board to note that at this time there are no water advisories in place and the water is safe for consumption.  

Mr. Niesh Aading to the recent notes from Mayor Herb Pond as to the large disruption to the community ahead once the water line replacement. program does into full motion.

The main thrust of the petition has been to put a focus how many residents have been purchasing bottled water over the last few years; that following the frequent notices and advisories towards the city's water supply and that made for a pair of replies from the City Councillor. 

The conversation at one point was one which even included the City of Prince Rupert's Communication office.

The full exchange between Councillor Niesh and those reading and commenting on  the social media thread can be reviewed here.

The commentary from the Councillor is seemingly the first public acknowledgment of the petition that was launched on February 20th. The topic was not one for the City Councillors or Mayor Pond at their last council session of February 26th.

As for the Petition, as of this morning  the online document has gained 357 signatures, with their next target set for 500 signatures. 

You can review the background to the online petition here.

More notes on the city's infrastructure work can be explored through our archive page.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review.