The Ypsilanti Courier
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Board eyeing sewer improvements
Several funding options available for new sewer lines
By Dave Wak, Special Writer
PUBLISHED: January 25, 2007
The Augusta Township Board held a special meeting Jan. 16 to discuss improvements for the township's sewer system.
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Heads of the planning, utility and engineering departments made brief presentations focusing on how the township pursue repairing or replacing its antiquated sewage infrastructure.
Township Supervisor Kathy Jackson said the meeting was designed to bring the public and some board members up to speed on this issue.
Jackson said the sewer system is constantly in need of repair. While the aging system always had been a problem, it has become more important with housing increases in the area.
"We have a 30-year-old sewer system that's failing," Jackson said. "The township simply doesn't have the sewage infrastructure to support the new development."
Repairing existing lines would cost $4.5 million and installing new lines would run around $5.7 million.
The township had remained relatively rural until the late 1990s, township attorney Ken Schwartz said. That's when developers began to eye the area because of its rural character, good schools and because of its proximity to Ann Arbor and two major highways. In the early 2000s, there was a housing boom, but it has since cooled with the uncertain economy, Schwartz said.
The housing downturn brought up another issue for township officials. Officials had been completing sewer studies and setting aside sewage capacity for incoming development, but found that some developers were slow in paying back funds that the township had invested.
Several developers owe about $170,000, said Township Clerk Kathy Giszczak. She insisted the board needs to be more accountable for developer-related investments paid with taxpayer dollars.
Giszczak, Jackson and other board members said the township's planning for sewer infrastructure was 'piecemeal' and they needed to come up with a plan to address future needs, especially if the housing market heats up again.
"We don't have a plan to have a plan,' Trustee Bill Tobler said.
The township is considering several options to pay for the sewer lines. Local officials might issue 30-year bonds or form special assessment districts for possible development areas. The board has to decide how to proceed and how to split up the cost.
"We're not going to have easy decisions," Trustee Bill Manty said.
Township engineer Bill Craigemile said the $3,500 per-unit sewer connection fees were not nearly enough to pay for sewer repairs. He added that the utility department only had $1.2 million in reserves to pay for repairs and that money could be wiped out in an emergency.
Schwartz said the current housing slow-down was an ideal time for the township to consider improving its sewer lines. He said area developers weren't planning any major projects until 2009, which would give the township time to work on the problem.
"Even if we had no new development, we still have to make significant improvements (to sewer lines)," Schwartz said.
Dave Wak is an Ypsilanti resident and freelance writer for the The Ypsilanti Courier. He can be reached at dwak4@hotmail.com.
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