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BILLET D`ETAT FOR 20-09-2006
Date: 19th September, 2006Members of the States:
I have the honour to inform you that the Meeting of the States will be held at 5:30 pm on Wednesday 20th September 2006. This will be preceded by the People"s Meeting, which will be held on Wednesday 13th September 2006 at 7:00 pm in the Island Hall.
Sir Norman Browse
President
Item l Chief Pleas
Item ll The States Water Supply (Rates of Charge) (Alderney) Ordinance 2006
The following letter has been received from Mr Pengilley, Chairman of the General Services Committee:- "As reported in November last year an increase in the Water Rates of at least 9% was required (RPI over the previous two years since the last increase) in order to cover the estimated operating deficit in 2006 of £35,600. However the General Services Committee, being mindful of the other increasing costs faced by householders and businesses, decided to limit the increase to 5% in the knowledge that a further increase would be necessary in the foreseeable future.
Since that time the revised budget for 2006 is predicting an even greater deficit, in the region of £100,000 by the end of 2006. This is mainly due to :-
(::) Increased electricity costs £20,000
(::) Additional consultancy fees in excess of £30,000
(::) Repairs to La Trigale Tank of £9,300
(::) Loss of revenue due to water restrictions of approx £13,000
In order to address the situation it is clear that a higher than RPI increase is required, and the Committee is therefore proposing an increase of approximately 10% with effect from the quarter commencing 30th September 2006. This will produce an extra £7,000 in the current year, and £28,000 in a full year. Elsewhere in this Billet is a report on the need to spend considerable sums on improved water treatment facilities as a first stage of a four year program. If approved this program will reduce the Board"s reserves and lead to a borrowing requirement in future years. It is thus inevitable that further above RPI increases will be necessary for several years to come. The Committee is aware that even with the proposed increase, Water Rates in Alderney would still remain considerably cheaper than in the other islands.
It is unfortunate that this increase comes at a time when water restrictions are in place, but as mentioned above the restrictions have exacerbated the financial situation further. The Water Board appreciates the water saving measures that the public have adopted and hopes for their continued support.
The States is therefore asked to approve the attached draft Ordinance entitled "The States Water Supply (Rates of Charge)(Alderney) Ordinance 2006" which will bring the 10% increase into effect from the quarter commencing 30th September 2006
B A E Pengilley
Chairman"
The States is asked to approve "The States Water Supply (Rates of Charge)(Alderney) Ordinance 2006".
Item lll Alderney Potable Water Supply Scheme
The following letter has been received from Mr Pengilley, Chairman of the General Services Committee: In November 2005, following some problems with the water treatment processes over the summer of 2005, the General Services Committee, acting as the Water Board, appointed Mott MacDonald, a firm of leading Water Treatment Consulting Engineers, to review the whole of the treatment and testing process and to provide a Report, assessing the existing treatment facilities.
In March 2006, the Committee considered a substantial report from Mott MacDonald which not only detailed all of the Board"s existing assets and plant, with comments about deficiencies, but also outlined possible methods for both improving the existing plant and equipment and additions / replacements required in the mid to long term to ensure that the Island"s water supply would continue to be of an acceptable standard.
These suggested improvements were of a form sustainable by the Island, both technically and financially.
The Committee also approved at this time a proposal from the Consultants to proceed with an extended and more rigorous testing regime and further investigations in order to analyse and cost the options for improvement put forward in the first report.
The Committee also at this time authorised the purchase of specialised testing equipment, which the Consultants trained the Water Board staff to use.
At its meeting of 22nd August 2006, the Committee considered a further report from the Consultants giving recommendations for detailed measures and costings to improve the existing plant at the 3 main treatment sites - Bonne Terre, Battery Quarry and Trigale tank.
The major measures recommended were: -
1. Installation of automatic chlorine dosing equipment, which would include the dosing equipment, flow meters etc.
2. The installation of turbidity meters on the raw water supply.
3. Installation of electronic level controls and automatic warning equipment to warn the standby operatives of a plant malfunction.
This report also looked in more detail at the available methods to increase the robustness of the systems to ensure that the Island"s water continued to be wholesome and of an acceptable standard. A further report giving comprehensive recommendations on these proposals will be considered by the General Services Committee later this year.
The total cost to implement the recommendations to the existing plant, as listed above, is estimated at £110,000, using specialist suppliers and installers, although it is hoped that this cost can be reduced by the use of Water Board personnel to carry out some tasks. This amount of money is available in the Water Board Reserves, which have been built up by prudent control of expenditure over the last few years.
I must however stress that the expenditure required to complete the improvements to the Board"s plant is likely to be substantially more than is available from the Board"s reserves, and will have to be provided for by increases in water rates.
I shall be obliged if you could place this matter before the States at its next meeting with an appropriate proposition.
B A E Pengilley
Chairman"
The States is asked to approve the expenditure of up to £110,000 for the first phase of improvements to the Water Board process plant, this amount to be met from Water Board Capital Reserves.
Item lV The Traffic Offences (Fixed Penalties) (Amendment) (Alderney) Ordinance, 2006
The following letter has been received from Mr Pengilley, Chairman of the General Services Committee:- "The Traffic Offences (Fixed Penalties) (Alderney) Ordinances, 1970 to 1990, enables certain traffic offences to be dealt with by way of payment of a fixed penalty rather than by the bringing of court proceedings. The prescribed fixed penalty has remained unchanged, at £10, since 1990. The Traffic Offences (Fixed Penalties) (Amendment) (Alderney) Ordinance, 2006 will, if approved, increase the fixed penalty to £20. I attach a copy.
I will be obliged if you place the Traffic Offences (Fixed Penalties) (Amendment) (Alderney) Ordinance, 2006 before the States at its next Meeting together with an appropriate proposition.
B A E Pengilley
Chairman"
The States is asked to approve "The Traffic Offences (Fixed Penalties) (Amendment) (Alderney) (Ordinance), 2006".
Item V The Export Control (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2006
The following letter has been received from Sir Norman Browse, President of the States of Alderney: "Please find enclosed a letter from the Bailiff, dated 15th August 2006 seeking approval of the above law.
I would therefore be obliged if you would debate this matter at your meeting on 20th September 2006 and give your approval as set out in that letter.
Sir Norman Browse
President "
The States is asked to approve " The Export Control (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2006"
(Note: A copy of the Projet de Loi may be seen in the States Office, Island Hall and the Library.)
Item Vl The Preferred Debts, Désastre Proceedings and Miscellaneous Provisions (Guernsey and Alderney) Law, 2006
The following letter has been received from Sir Norman Browse, President of the States of Alderney: "Please find enclosed a letter from the Bailiff, dated 15th August 2006 seeking approval of the above law.
I would therefore be obliged if you would debate this matter at your meeting on 20th September 2006 and give your approval as set out in that letter.
Sir Norman Browse
President "
The States is asked to approve " The Preferred Debts, Désastre Proceedings and Miscellaneous Provisions (Guernsey and Alderney) Law, 2006 ".
(Note: A copy of the Projet de Loi may be seen in the States Office, Island Hall and the Library.)
Item VIl Ordinary Elections
The following letter has been received from Colonel Walter, Chairman of the Policy and Finance Committee:- "Section 28(1) of the Government of Alderney Law provides that the States shall in 2004 and in every second year thereafter appoint a day, not earlier than the 14th November and not later than the 14th December in that year (or such other dates as the States may appoint by Ordinance) on which an ordinary election shall be held for the purpose of electing members of the States in place of the members whose term of office expire in that year. There is a convention that polling takes place on a Saturday. The options for an appointed day in 2006 are, therefore, the 18th or 25th November or 2nd or 9th of December. In view of the proposal that this year"s election be followed by a pilot plebiscite to gauge public opinion as to who should be appointed to sit in the Guernsey States of Deliberation a date in November seems more appropriate. As there will be a States meeting on the 22nd November it seems better to appoint a date after that. It is recommended that the States appoint 25th November as polling day.
Section 5(1) of the States of Alderney Election Procedure Ordinance, 1987 provides that when the States have appointed a day for an election under the Law the Clerk shall give notice, in such manner as he thinks fit, of the period and times during which nominations of candidates will be received by him. By virtue of section 52(5) of the Government of Alderney Law, 2004 the Chief Executive is "the Clerk" and in any event, he is as Chief Executive, the returning officer under the Law. However there must be a resolution of the States as section 6(3) of the Ordinance requires that nominations must be delivered during office hours in such period as the States may resolve in respect of any particular election, being a period of at least seven days, ending not less than ten days before the day appointed for that election. Past practice has been to receive nominations up to 4.00p.m. on the Tuesday of the week before the week of the election - which leaves ten full days before the date of the election.
Polling must take place at such a place as the States may resolve should be the polling room; see section 7(1) of the Ordinance. Traditionally, the Members" Room at Island Hall has been the polling room, with the count taking place in the Anne French Room. It would seem appropriate to revert to this now that Island Hall has been refurbished.
I will be grateful if you could place the questions of an election date, a date and time for close of nominations and where polling shall take place before the States at its next meeting together with an appropriate proposition.
P F Walter
Chairman"
The States is asked to approve the polling arrangements for the Ordinary Elections 2006: -
That Nominations will be received during
the seven days ending at 4.00 pm on Tuesday, 14th November 2006
That the Polling day be Saturday, 25th November 2006
That the Polling Room be the Members" Room, Island Hall.
Item Vlll Questions and Reports
Issued Friday 8th September 2006
