Editor:
Re: Resident lobbies Burnaby to stop ‘unethical’ $33K fee, NOW News
Let's start with straight facts.
Burnaby charged some homeowners with a fee for uncontracted work they had never ordered, from which they don't individually benefit, and which was not done on their (but municipal) property.
Homeowners were not even informed about this fee. Yet the fee accrues yearly interest at an arbitrary rates.
That much for fairness.
The response of Mr. Helmus, Burnaby's assistant director of engineering, is incongruous. The fee is payable not only upon major home upgrades, but also when selling the house, which will no doubt reflect in the selling price. Quoting ecological or climate concerns is interesting when Burnaby plans on cutting down a Burnaby forest.
However, it also suggest public interests for which have been usually used public funds. Homeowners have already substantially contributed to those funds.
And finally, ironically, Mr. Helmus is concerned about unfairness towards the homeowners who paid for improvements before. Could he give one example of a homeowner who paid individually for public improvement without being asked before Burnaby's 2017 unfair and highly questionable decision?
Michal Adler, Burnaby
