Ortonville- Half of all registered voters in the village showed up to the Old Town Hall to cast their ballots Tuesday and overwhelmingly defeated a bond proposal for a wastewater treatment system.
The final count was 486 no votes, or 88.20 percent, to 65 yes votes, or 11.80 percent. The 551 votes cast equals a 50 percent voter turnout, which Brandon Township Clerk Candee Allen called a ‘good? turnout, though lower than expected.
‘I was actually thinking we would have gotten between 75 to 80 percent? this was a huge issue for people and their money,? said Allen. ‘We had several phone calls and people that stopped in that couldn’t vote because they live outside the village limits. It just shows how people are dedicated and want to use their right to vote.?
If the ballot proposal had passed, village officials would have entered into a contract with Oakland County for the issuance of bonds in the amount of an estimated $20,000,000 toward the acquisition and construction of sewage disposal facilities. Approval would enable village officials to levy a special assessment of approximately $25,550 on each resident in the village, and more on school facilities and certain commercial properties. Village officials had planned to seek a federal loan to spread payments for residents over the course of 40 years, but interest would still have accrued, making potential overall costs higher. A quarterly usage fee would also have been charged to residents and the high expense outraged residents, who first began voicing dissent back in February.
On Nov. 3, they solidified their objections.
‘I voted absolutely against sewers,? said Linda Duman. ‘It’s too much money and it will break people. The schools and library were built on wetlands. Nobody in my neighborhood needs sewers. My solution is, keep your septics up-to-date and pumped. Use preventive maintenance. We pay enough taxes.?
Other voters agreed that sewers in the village are needed, but the proposed system is too costly and so they voted no.
‘I think we need sewers, but not the way they are trying to put them in,? said Frank Olson. ‘The grinder pump system is high maintenance. It’s not affordable and I would have to move. I don’t want the plant in my town, either. We should hook in to Detroit or Flint’s system.?
Mike Berezowsky voted no because he feels sewers should be a more regional solution, shared by not only village residents, but also those in Brandon Township and anywhere else that could potentially be polluting the Kearsley Creek.
‘I felt both side were trying to frighten us and it was very costly,? he said. ‘I think the issue will be back in three or four years.?
Alisha Collin agrees with Berezowsky that the issue will not go away, which is why she voted yes.
‘I feel at some point they will bring sewers to the village and I would rather have it done when it’s still under our control than when it is not,? she said.
The defeat of this sewer proposal does not put the issue to rest.
The village has debated sewers for decades, with proponents of a wastewater treatment system citing pollution of the creek, a lack of business growth, and failing septic systems. Over the course of the past few years, village officials took steps to bring the village closer to getting sewer infrastructure, including purchasing property for a wastewater treatment system, conducting studies, and obtaining DEQ permits.
‘Whether the community is faced with a mandate six months from now or six years from now, we will be better prepared to face that situation because of the groundwork that has been laid by this council and the community as a whole over the last few years,? said Village Council President Wayne Wills, who was not surprised at the outcome of the vote. ‘Without financial assistance at any level, be it federal, state or county, our community is at an extreme financial disadvantage from that standpoint alone. It is an awful lot for individuals to handle. It is disappointing that we were not able, at least at this point, to find additional resources to offset the high costs of such an endeavor… The village has needed sewers for years and will continue to need them.?
Village Manager John Lyons said it was unfortunate the village did not pass the proposal, although he understands the cost was too high for village residents.
‘The no vote does not in any way, shape or form stop sewers, because we need them? that fact does not change,? he said. ‘We have to sit down and discuss what the next step is and move forward. My original idea was to do it in smaller stages, but rural development wanted us to do the entire village for the 40-year finance. We can do phases, starting with the downtown and areas where the lots are too small (for new septic fields when old ones fail).?
Neither Lyons nor Wills had any plans to put the sewer issue on the council’s next meeting agenda. Lyons said he believes the council needs to think about it and not rush into anything.
‘The issue of of needing the sewers doesn’t go away? we’ll have to sit down and discuss what the next step is and move forward.?