Kippens -
A long-standing disagreement between Kippens town officials and Kippens residents Pat and Delores Brennan regarding the installation of a septic system on their property at 448A Kippens Rd. has finally been resolved.
The Brennans were denied permission to install a septic system back in 2004 because they built their house without a permit. Despite several appeals, each town council since then has refused to change its mind on the issue and the Brennans did not get their permit.
However, the new council under Mayor Cator Best that took office in late September seemed to look at the matter in a different way.
"I want to deal with issues in a timely manner as they come up and try to handle them to everyone's satisfaction," Best said. "This issue has been kicking around for a long while, and with a majority at a private meeting we voted on giving the Brennan's permission to put in a sewer system."
That meeting took place last month with the Brennan's, along with Best and town councillors John Dawson, Wayne Simon and Debbie Brake-Patten.
They offered the Brennans permission to install a sewer system - pending Department of Health certification - and to hook into the town's water supply, provided they pay a fine for building without a permit.
Best said there are times when a town council has to use its discretion and he feels this is one of them.
"This thing has been on the go for years and something should have been done in the early going ... There is no reason this day and age that anyone should be living without proper water and sewer. We had a look at the Brennans property and they have more than enough space to put in a septic system," he said.
Approval for the septic system should be ratified at the next Kippens council meeting on Nov. 12.
Delores Brennan said they are very pleased council seen fit to give them the approval.
"It took us five years to get this done as we've been at it since 2004," she said. "We now have the new sewer system installed and we're awaiting a Department of Health inspection."
The Brennans are installing the waterline on Monday.
Brennan said it's a long wait that has finally come to an end. She and her husband have been consistent in attending any council meetings at which they asked to have their permit request put on the agenda.
Pat Brennan ran for council on two occasions, in a by-election and in the recent general election, but was unsuccessful in gaining a seat on council.
