Elmwood is told rate hike could help fund plant.

Sewer users in Elmwood Township may be asked to incur a rate increase to help pay for construction of a second municipal sewage treatment plant in Grand Traverse County.

Attorney Michael Houlihan attended the Township Board meeting last week to explain renewed plans by the Grand Traverse Board of Public Works to build a treatment plant off Hoch Road. The present plant, which serves the City of Traverse City and adjacent townships including Elmwood, is located off Aalberg Road. Both sites are near the Boardman River.

Houlihan specifically mentioned a change in policy outlining the conditions for hiring a consultant to guide the project. “We don’t really want the same person (hired as a consultant) to say, yes you need to build a new sewage plant, and yes, I want to build it for you,” Houlihan said.

Critics blamed a collapsed wall in the recently built public works’ septage treatment plant on a lack of checks and balances in its construction.

The regional septage plant treats waste pumped from home treatment systems and transported by private operators, while the public works' sewer plant treats waste generated at buildings connected through an underground system of pipes.

A jump in sewage treated at the existing plant, which has the capacity for 1,044 more residential hook-ups or “benefits,” has prompted the DPW to renew discussions toward construction of a second plant.

Theoretically, Elmwood Township has 77 unassigned “benefits,” but Houlihan said Elmwood sewage has incurred spikes in concentration.

“Elmwood was over its capacity for two months…” he told the board. “The stronger the waste is, the less capacity you have.”

He said water-saving measures including low-flow flush toilets may be one cause. Also possible: recent sewer pipe flushing.

He expects the DPW to hire a company to study the system’s future needs on a township-by-township basis as its next step. The present plant has a capacity of 3.5 million gallons of waste per day; up to 2 million more gallons per day could be needed.

Funds to build the new plant will be drawn from sewer system users, including those in Elmwood, who eventually will likely be asked to foot higher bills, Houlihan added.

In 2006, Elmwood Township passed on rate increases of 86 percent to users, who had enjoyed several years of flat rates.

In other action at the two-hour meeting, the Township Board:

• Contracted with the Land Information Access Association to take over filming and broadcasting Elmwood meetings on Channel 2.

• Reappointed two members of the Planning Commission, the only residents to reapply for the positions after old resumes were discarded. Commissioner Steve VanZoeren was appointed to fill the remaining one year of a term vacated by Don Schubert, who resigned. Treasurer Debbie Street and trustee Terry Lautner were opposed. And commission chair Jeff Aprill was appointed to a term ending in May, 2011, with Lautner also opposed. Jeff Howell, a trustee who represented the Township Board on the commission, did not reapply.

• Voted to continue a 3 percent fee collected by Elmwood Township when property taxes are paid during two weeks starting after the taxes are due and ending when the township turns collection duties over to the Leelanau County treasurer. Opposed were township treasurer Street and clerk Connie Preston.

• Preston informed the board that a township decision would need to be made at its next regular meeting should the board seek to place a request for a fire millage on the Nov. 4 General Election ballot. Following the defeat of two millages last year, township officials discussed trying again in the next election cycle. However, the deadline has come and gone for a proposal to be placed on the August Primary Election ballot.

• Heard differing philosophies from members of the audience about township spending. John Stanek, a former township trustee, outlined a litany of what he termed excessive expenditures by the board, including $261,604 in expenses to prepare a Zoning Ordinance that has yet to be approved, $327,753 to station a county deputy since 2004 in the township and more than $82,000 to an attorney to defend the township in four lawsuits.

Pei-shan VanZoeren, however, praised the board for voting the previous night to spend up to $10,000 to hire experts who will help determine if the township can enforce a recently adopted zoning ordinance amendment to stop a proposed electrical substation.

“At the risk of seeming ungrateful, I believe the taxpayers are tired of hearing these words,” said VanZoeren of complaints against spending. “We are asking to defend the zoning law.”