A newly established watchdog committee comprised mainly of Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) members has concerns over the potential public-private partnership (P3) to fund upgrades at Portage la Prairie's Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF).

At last night's city council meeting, Portage P3 Waste Water Watch committee member and WPCF employee Aaron Stechesen expressed concerns about a lack of public consultation and education about P3 funding before voting to pursue it. Council voted in September to move forward in exploring P3 funding for work mandated at the WPCF that could cost in excess of $100-million.

"Our committee is looking into why the decision was made to pursue the P3 privatization of the WPCF with very little input from the public," Stechesen says. "It was a very large, very expensive decision. We understand why it was made, but we don't think the public was consulted enough or informed enough."

Portage la Prairie Mayor Irvine Ferris."I don't even think most people even know what a P3 is."

However, Mayor Irvine Ferris says there was not a lack of consultation, as the P3 funding possibility had been up for public discussion when council first started working with a business case advisor in June 2015 to study ways to pursue funding.

"This had been out in the public for probably a year," Mayor Ferris says. "It had been discussed here and there, and there was certainly a lot of discussion the night the decision was made at council ... so there has been a lot of exchange of ideas and information."

Stechesen says the Portage P3 Waste Water Watch Committee wants further dialogue on the question of P3 funding, and will hold a public town hall meeting Nov. 29. He urged council to attend.

"We're not saying this expansion should not take place, it absolutely has too." Stechesen says. "But I don't know how many people know what a P3 is.

“Is it good? Is it bad? Does it mean 15 people from the city could be laid off?," Stechesen continues. "What are the implications for the city for a very big project?"

Mayor Ferris says there will certainly be some representation of council at the Nov. 29 meeting. But the process moves forward regardless. The city is still working to secure agreements with the provincial and federal governments, Mayor Ferris says, before proceeding with issuing tenders for P3 work.

"The next step is securing commitment from our two senior partners, the federal and provincial governments, which we don't have yet," Ferris says. "This is a huge project, way in excess of $100-million."

"When we have our two partners at the table, then it will go out for tenders."

According to past reports, the City would ensure all current employees remain in their positions in any P3 agreement, or be re-assigned to another city position if the employee is unwilling to work for the private sector. The City would continue to own the WPCF and be responsible for setting water rates.

The Nov. 29 meeting is open for anyone to attend. It begins at 7 p.m. at the MNP building on the Island.