Utilites

Each year the Village sets its annual water and sewer rates by bylaw prior to issuing utility invoices. Currently, utility user-rates are calculated by establishing the annual fixed costs for general maintenance, operations and administration of the system, including inspections, repairs and weekly water sampling.

For 2011, water and sewer rates have increased 3%. Single family residences will pay a flat rate of $333.00/year, or $27.75/month for water and $441.01/year, or $36.75/month for sewer. Residences with a suite pay an additional half-share for both water and sewer.

Residents have the option to pay monthly, quarterly or annually. A 10% penalty will be added to such rates, rents and charges remaining unpaid after December 31st, 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: Dyking Taxes are administered by the Pemberton Valley Dyking District (and not the Village of Pemberton). Please visit www.pvdd.ca or call 604.894.6632 to find out how to submit payment for dyking taxes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What do Utility User-Rates pay for?
A. User-rates cover the cost of operating and maintaining Village sewer and water infrastructure.

Q. When should I pay my Utility invoice?
A. Payments must be received in the Village Office on or before December 31, 2010 to avoid penalties. Payments may also be made quarterly with post-dated cheques. Postmarks on mailed remittances will not be considered as date of payment.

Q. How can I pay my Utility Invoice?
A. You can pay your Utility invoice by cash, cheque, debit card, or through online banking with the following institutions: Bank of Montreal, Credit Union, Royal Bank, Scotia Bank, and Toronto Dominion. You cannot pay at your financial institution. If mailing a cheque, don't forget to write your account number on the cheque. Your account number can be found on your invoice.

Q. What should I do if I am being charged for a suite and I do not have one?
A. Please contact the Village to make arrangements for a Statutory Declaration and Inspection. There is no charge for this inspection and once completed your utilities account will be adjusted.

Q. My mortgage company pays my Property Taxes, will they pay my Utilities also?
A. No; your mortgage company will not pay your Utilities, even if they pay your property taxes. It is your responsibility to ensure Utility User-Rates are paid.

Q. What happens if I do not pay my Utilities?
A. A 10% penalty will be applied to unpaid Utility balances after December 31st. If, after midnight on December 31^st , any portion of your Utilities and/or penalty amount are still outstanding, this amount will be transferred to your Property Tax account as arrears. Property tax arrears are subject to a daily interest rate.

STATUTORY DECLARATION & INSPECTION PROGRAM

STATUTORY DECLARATION FORM Statutory Declarations can be mailed, faxed, emailed or dropped off in person to the appropriate Village number/address located at the bottom of this page.

QUICK SUMMARY

If you DO NOT have a secondary suite, please complete and return a Statutory Declaration to the Village Office.
Upon receiving your Statutory Declaration, we will contact you to schedule an Inspection.
Once the Village inspector confirms that no secondary suite exists, your water and sewer rates will be adjusted accordingly.
Other than payment of your utilities, no action is required if you do have a secondary suite.
Payment of the additional utility fee in no way legalizes the existence of a suite with respect to any covenant or Village Bylaws.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

The Village of Pemberton has implemented a program to better provide for fair and equitable apportionment of the cost of operating Village water and sewer utilities. The purpose of this program is to help us accurately identify those residences who DO NOT have secondary suites in order to ensure that these home owners continue to pay the lower single family water and sewer utility rate. For the purpose of this program, a secondary suite is defined as a self contained unit that is located within the same building as the principal use, and is provided with a separate entrance.

If you DO NOT have a secondary suite, please complete a Statutory Declaration and return it to the Village Office on or before December 31st. Statutory Declarations have been mailed to those property owners who are currently being billed at single family utility rates. An inspection will be scheduled of all residences where owners have submitted a Statutory Declaration.

If you HAVE a secondary suite, whether occupied or not, no action is required other than payment of your utilities once received. Please note that payment of the additional utility fee in no way legalizes the existence of a suite with respect to any covenant or Village zoning and building bylaws.

Once the Village has received your Statutory Declaration, we will contact you to schedule an inspection to confirm that no secondary suite exists. You will not be charged for the inspection, and the inspection will not cover any other issues beyond the confirmation that no suite exists.

Once the Village inspector confirms that no suite exists, water and sewer user fees for the property will be adjusted accordingly in our records and on your annual utilities bill.

If a Statutory Declaration is signed and the inspector discovers that a suite is in fact in existence, whether occupied or not, the property owner will be charged a water and sewer rate to reflect both the single family residence and the secondary suite, plus a penalty.

We are not using this program as a method of "cracking down" on non-conforming suites, but rather to ensure that the cost of additional demand on Village services created by secondary suites is shared fairly and equitably among those residences that have them.

Utilites

Last Updated on Thursday, July 28, 2011