EPC wants pipe-thawing rebates backdated to Dec. 1, 2013
CBC News | Posted: March 25, 2014 4:50 PM | Last Updated: March 25, 2014
Winnipeg homeowners with frozen pipes could get a break from the city — a break going back nearly four months.
Members of the executive policy committee (EPC) voted Tuesday to waive the $305 fee the city charges to thaw pipes and to offer rebates going back as far as Dec. 1, 2013.
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It goes before city council for a final vote on Wednesday.
Talk about offering rebates began earlier this month when city officials announced March 10 that it would no longer charges the thawing fee. However, anyone who had their pipes thawed before that day would not get reimbursed.
That set of a chorus of angry comments from people who were out $305 because they missed the cut.
The following day, city officials announced they would offer rebates to people who paid the fee as far back as Feb. 28.
On March 13, Coun. Paula Havixbeck called on the city to backdate the rebates to Jan. 1. She put that motion forth at an EPC meeting March 19.
The motion was discussed at the EPC meeting last week when members ultimately decided to have administration report back on the feasibility and cost of offering more rebates.
With those answers in hand, EPC voted Wednesday to reimburse people even further than what Havixbeck had been seeking.
| Frozen pipe statistics | |
| No. of frozen water pipe reports since November 2013 | 2,180 |
| No. of properties on the list for city thawing service | 1,359 |
| No. of properties with city-installed temporary hose lines | 637 |
| No. of properties identified as being at risk of frozen pipes | 6,312 |
| SOURCE: City of Winnipeg | |