Guide to Service Agreements - FCM

UNIT 23
92 – Service Agreement Toolkit
Service agreements and
cost-sharing projects
Water and sewer
Gitanmaax First Nation and the Village of
Hazelton have been working together since
the 1970s and are joint owners of the water
and sewer systems that serve both communities.
The water and wastewater system is
divided, with Gitanmaax First Nation managing
and owning the operations of the water
treatment plant on the reserve, and the Village
of Hazelton managing and owning the
operations of the sanitary sewer treatment
plant on municipal land. They currently have
an informal water and sewer agreement in
place. These communities also cost share on
extraordinary maintenance costs and capital
improvements and are currently negotiating
an agreement for a water treatment plant
upgrade.
Fire Protection
The two communities also work together on
several other community services, including
a jointly run volunteer fire department. Each
community owns its own fire trucks, and
they both share fire protection services using
22 trained volunteer fire fighters. The department
is operated by two fire Chiefs with
one Chief from each jurisdiction. This allows
both communities to offer opportunities for
the residents to work in fire protection services
and ensures both communities feel a
sense of ownership in providing the service.
Transit
Gitanmaax First Nation and the Village of
Hazelton also work on joint projects with
the District of New Hazelton and other
First Nations in the Hazelton area. They
are participants in a multi-party agreement
for regional transit services that serve the
local First Nations, municipalities and
outlying areas.
Recreation
The communities are also considering the
possibility of jointly funding and operating
a new arena that would serve the region in
conjunction with several other local government
entities and a non-profit association.
Other shared services
In addition to various service agreements
and cost-sharing initiatives, the two communities
provide services to their residents.
Services include a local hospital, one high
school, several elementary schools, retail
stores, restaurants and a museum. With
numerous connections established between
the two communities, effective communication
between community administrations
is not only essential, it is also critical for
effective service provision.
Challenges
Communication
The administrations from Gitanmaax First
Nation and the Village of Hazelton have a
joint management committee that meets
on issues as they arise, although they strive
to meet at least quarterly to maintain open
lines of communication. The Gitanmaax
First Nation also meets monthly with
three other Gitksan communities to share
information. In addition, each community
holds its own meetings to plan events and
share information. Although Gitanmaax First
Nation and the Village of Hazelton strive to
keep in touch regularly, it can be challenging
having the same council members attend all
meetings.
Long-term challenges include learning to
work through cultural differences in processes
and management styles and adapting
to changes in personnel. A change in administration
can sometimes change the focus of
priorities for a community and it may take
time to develop a new working relationship.