By Joel van der Veen

CRAIK — They say they feel unappreciated, disrespected and pushed aside, and quite frankly, they’re ready to move on.

Members of Craik’s water task force confirmed last week that they have decided to step down, nine months after joining forces to combat the town’s ongoing issues with potable water.

The six-member group formed last July following an extended water outage, pooling their experience and efforts with the ultimate goal of ending the drinking water advisory that has been in place in the Town of Craik since August 2010.

Last week, several members of the group said they have decided to resign, citing long-standing frustrations with the town and its council.

“It’s apparent that they don’t want us in there,” said member Dermot McCaw.

“There’s no sense in pressing forward if there’s no co-operation,” said Mark Wegner.

Speaking at a gathering with several of his colleagues on Wednesday, Kim Bakken said, “We’re done, as far as I can see.”

Four of the six members — including McCaw, Wegner, Bakken and town councillor Charla Edwards — were gathered to discuss the activities of the last several months, as well as working towards a formal statement to council. (Two other members, Shayne Stubbington and Jason Hay, were not present.)

Members maintain that their efforts, including repairs and maintenance on the old and new water plants, have saved the town thousands of dollars.

However, the council and the task force have grown divided over several issues, including the plants’ ongoing maintenance, funds collected for the water plant, and plans for moving forward.

McCaw said the relationship between council and the task force has deteriorated significantly since Feb. 11, when he and Wegner visited council to present a proposal for the town’s restructuring into an organized hamlet.

The two offered the idea as a possible solution to the town’s growing infrastructure concerns — including, but not limited to, the water plant — contending that Craik has limited resources to deal with those problems.

Wegner estimated that the town will be on the hook for at least $2 million in infrastructure upgrades and repairs in the next few years, due in part to poor maintenance of existing systems.

Council held a special meeting on the subject on Feb. 25, but ultimately did not make a motion on the matter.

Instead, they issued a statement to the effect that the town council could not move ahead with restructuring on its own momentum, based on their interpretation of The Municipalities Act.

Since then, communication between the town, the council and the task force has been limited, according to all sides, and disagreements have mounted.

For the full story, please see the May 2 edition of The Davidson Leader.