Sometimes making decisions at the local government level can be like placing a bet on the Stanley Cup playoffs. You have to look at a team’s performance, its past history, obstacles it may have to overcome and the odds of a decent financial return on the wager. It can be a conservative pick like the Pittsburgh Penguins or maybe it’s an unknown like the Vegas Golden Knights. Okotoks town council has gone the Golden Knights route as it opted to go out on its own to control water and wastewater effective at the end of 2019, eschewing what will be a 14-year working relationship with EPCOR. EPCOR has been like Washington Caps coach Barry Trotz. Trotz had a successful career with the Nashville Predators for 15 years before not being asked back — nothing flashy, never winning the big one, but right on track. EPCOR’s had an impressive track record with Okotoks. It was able to complete a proposed Cadillac $24-million upgrade to the water treatment plant to a more Malibu-like $11-million product. A government contract coming 54 per cent under budget is practically Hollywood fantasy. Coun. Ed Sands and Mayor Bill Robertson — the only two current members of council when EPCOR signed on in 2005 — voted conservatively, and possibly wisely, to stay the course. The others rolled the dice and opted to drop EPCOR. It’s a risky bet, especially when they are playing with taxpayers’ money. Town representatives have stated there are opportunities to save money by going it alone. The strategy is the funds saved will go towards improvements of between $24-million and $35-million. Hopefully, council is right because EPCOR has a winning record on upgrades in Okotoks. The gamble may be spot on. But if the proposed savings dry up, Okotokians might not consider it water under the bridge when they go to the polls in 2021.
