The Leland Township Board asked the township Sewer Commission to expand a study for providing sewer service to 125 residences along the southwest shore of north Lake Leelanau.

At its meeting Tuesday, the board discussed a proposal from the Sewer Commission to hire the engineering firm Gosling Czubak to conduct a study that would determine how much it would cost to lay pipe and hook up 125 homes along the Lake Leelanau shoreline. Sewer administrator Steve Patmore said the study would cost $3,700.

The township is waiting approval from the state Department of Environmental Quality to expand the number of drainfield beds at the township’s wastewater treatment facility, which is located at the Provemont Pond Natural Area. The DEQ said the area at Provemont Pond where the township would like to add up to six additional drainfields would work for that purpose, but has not formally given approval.

If all the parcels in the existing sewer district that have not already hooked into the system were to do so, the township would be short 80 Residential Equivalent Units (REU). A REU is the amount of waste a household produces in one day. Supervisor Harry Larkin said if the township added two new drainfields, shortfall problem would be resolved.

Patmore said the sewer commission’s future use committee is looking at where the township’s sewer needs will be. One area under consideration is the southwest shoreline area of north Lake Leelanau, along M-204 from Duck Lake Corners to Popp Road – the location that would be the focus of the Gosling Czubak study.

However, treasurer Mike Kirt and clerk Jane Keen said they would not support funding the study in its recommended form. Keen said she would like to see the study expanded to look at whether the area of Lake Leelanau shoreline in question should have its own system, like the one at the Bay Hill development. Keen said she’s not sure the existing township system is the best way to handle all future sewer needs.

Lake Leelanau resident Steve Mikowski said if residents along the Lake Leelanau shoreline want a sewer system, they should follow the petition system just like the public did in 1989 to get the existing system. “If the people along the south shoreline want to pursue this, they should do the work of putting a request together and submitting a petition,” he said.

Sewer Commission chairman Wayne Wunderlich said the shoreline area should have been included in the original sewer district. He said the commission would have no problem expanding the study to include building an alternate system instead of the existing township treatment facility.

In a related matter, the board approved a request from Kirt to borrow up to $135,000 from Huntington Bank to cover the difference between revenues and expenditures in paying off bonds for the township sewer system. Kirt said each of the last five years the township borrowed money early in the fiscal year to cover the lag between when revenues come in and expenses go out. He said the bank would most likely charge 4.4 percent interest on the short-term loan, which would be paid back by fees generated from system users.

In other business, the board:

• Approved a five-year agreement with OMI Services to provide maintenance for the township sewer system at cost of $63,180.

• Approved a new contract with Tim Cypher to remain the township Zoning Administrator. His overall base salary remains at $15,500, and the cost for land division applications increase from $10 an hour to $40. He will now charge $25 an hour for special land use application reviews.

• Approved setting the amount paid for mileage for township employees and officials at the current rate allowed by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service: 50.5 cents per mile.

• Approved a recommendation by Kirt to charge Suttons Bay Public Schools $2.50 per parcel to conduct summer tax collection for 2008.

• Approved a temporary vendor’s license for a Leelanau Farmer’s Market for June to October 2008. The Leland market will be held on Thursdays from 8 a.m. to noon in the parking lot on River Street across from the Bluebird Restaurant.

• Authorized the Leland Michigan Chamber of Commerce to hold the Leland Wine and Food Festival on June 14 in the Leland Harbor area.

• Approved the appointment of Vince Fleck as the township Planning Commission representative on the township Zoning Board of Appeals. He replaces Richard Plamondon, who resigned from the Planning Commission last fall. The board also appointed Jon Stimson to a full member of the ZBA and appointed former planning commission member Steve Clem to the township fire board.