If Empire and Glen Arbor townships merge their fire departments, adding living quarters to the Empire fire hall may not be an option.

Empire Township supervisor Bill Bolton said Tuesday the fire hall and Empire Area Museum building share a septic tank and a 450-square-foot drainfield. Bolton said he talked with Clay McNitt, an official with the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department, about the possibility of adding living quarters for two to four people at the fire hall.

“Clay said the existing drainfield is inadequate and we would need to have something around 1,200 square feet,” Bolton said, at the monthly township board meeting.

The two townships merged their Emergency Medical Services (EMS) units three years ago and have begun discussions on doing the same with the fire departments. Bolton said Empire personnel discussed using a nearby residence as the living quarters, but that idea was squashed by the Glen Arbor officials.

Bolton said he would contact McNitt this week and ask him to make an on-site visit and see what options are available to the township.

In other business during its half-hour meeting, the Township Board:

• Unanimously readopted the Aquatic Nuisances Ordinance as recommended by township attorney Richard Figura. The board had adopted the ordinance last month, but a delay in publishing the adoption notice in a local newspaper of record required the board to adopt it again.

The ordinance will help the Glen Lake Association in its ongoing efforts to keep invasive species out of Glen Lake, Brooks and Fisher lakes, and the Crystal River. Since 1994, the association has maintained a boat washing station at the state Department of Natural Resources boat launch on Day Forest Road. Some Traverse City-based boat rental companies, however, weren’t complying with the voluntary program.

Under the new ordinance, it is illegal to transport any non-native invasive species of aquatic plants or animals on or in watercraft entering the Glen Lake/Crystal River watershed. The dumping of fishing bait or water from other lakes or aquariums is prohibited. Violators may be fined up to $500 per incident if found guilty of the civil infraction. The Glen Arbor Township Board adopted the same ordinance last month as well.