Brandon Twp.- Township officials will not sell land to the village for a wastewater treatment facility, but they are willing to give it, with some strings attached.
The township board approved by a 7-0 vote at their June 4 meeting a memorandum of agreement between the Charter Township of Brandon and the Village of Ortonville.
‘We’re not interested in selling property to the village, but we are interested in moving forward cooperatively,? said Township Supervisor Ron Lapp. ‘We need to make sure we don’t compromise the township.?
Major points of the proposed agreement include establishment of a Brandon Ortonville Sewage Authority (BOSA) for the purpose of ‘collecting, conveying, treating and disposing of municipal sanitary sewage.? BOSA board members would consist of equal representation from the township and village and would meet at least four times per year.
The BOSA would also ‘layout a property agreement for the use of the Charter Township of Brandon’s property for a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and conveyance system that will eventually provide sanitary sewer service to the designated sewer district, which includes the Village of Ortonville and portions of the Charter Township of Brandon.?
The property that the village and township is interested in is a 66.1 acre parcel, located off M-15 and adjacent to Brandon High School, that the township purchased last year for $1,955,000, using fire department funds. The primary reason given for purchasing the land was to build a new fire hall to replace Fire Station #1.
However, the potential use of some of the land for a wastewater treatment plant has often been cited. With this in mind, Village Manager Ed Coy sent a letter to the township board on behalf of village council members April 23, offering to buy 3.6 acres of the property for a watewater treatment facility at a price of $25,625 per surveyed acre with the price to include easements acquired from the township. The deal would have been dependent upon the village receiving a permit from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, as well as a majority of yes votes when the issue is put before voters in an election currently planned for Nov. 6.
Lapp says a stand alone plant for the village is the opposite of what the township wants.
‘Why would we do something to exclude us?? he asked. ‘We’re willing to do whatever we can to assist them. We’ll give (the property) with some stipulations. I don’t think that’s unreasonable. This will give them a starting point, but we want to make sure we’re in the mix.?
The township conducted a straw poll of residents in a proposed sewer district along the M-15 corridor and around Bald Eagle Lake and Lake Louise following a joint study session on sewers with the village in January. Of 1,195 postage-paid postcards sent out to gauge interest in sewers, 661 postcards were returned. Of those, 58.8 percent, or 416 postcards, said ‘no? to sewers, whereas 245, or 42.2 percent, said ‘yes.?
Township officials used the poll to help them determine the township is not ready for sewers at this time. However, village officials have said repeatedly the village needs sewers now, citing failing septic systems and e.coli in Kearsley Creek.
At the January study session, a wastewater treatment plant that could be expanded to meet the township’s needs in the future was discussed. The village needs a wastewater treatment system large enough for about 1,000 units. The township estimates it would need about 3,500 units.
Village engineers at the study session said it would not be feasible to build a system that would need to be expanded more than double. However, Lapp says the township will not approve giving the village land for a wastewater treatment plant unless such a plant can accomodate the township when they are ready to tie in.
‘We need to move forward and get the language right,? said Lapp, who noted costs would need to be negotiated. ‘We need to make sure the board is functional and taxpayers? money is spent efficiently. We’ll think it through. It may take longer, but isn’t it better to do it right the first time??
Village Manager Ed Coy said he would have no comment until after reviewing the agreement further, presenting it to the village council and consulting with the village attorney and engineers.