The Clarkston City Council continued discussion about their sewer agreement with Independence Township at their March 27 meeting ? trying to find out exactly what they will get for their money.
Director of the Independence Township Department of Public Works Linda Richardson was on hand at request of the council to answer questions about the agreement originally discussed by the council at their March 13 meeting.
The new maintenance agreement, if signed, would increase the amount village residents pay per quarter per REU to the township by $15.42 over the next three years for operation and maintenance of the city’s sewer system. The increase would result in village residents paying the same amount as township residents, updating the previous agreement created in 1981 which required city residents to pay $4.52 per quarter per REU.
‘We clearly need to step up to the plate as far as the rates are concerned,? said council member Kristy Ottman. ?(The township) was gracious implementing the increase over three years.?
Council members expressed concern about what would happen if there was a ‘catastrophic? event requiring repair and exactly what defined such an event.
‘We need clarification on what is a repair versus a catastrophic event,? said council member Steve Wylie. ‘If you’re paying for something, you want to understand what you’re getting.?
Richardson told the council the total $19.52 covered routine maintenance and daily operation of the sewer system.
Some confusion persisted around whether or not routine maintenance covered relining of sewer pipes. Gary Tressel of Hubbel Roth and Clark said he felt at a previous meeting with the city and DPW in February presentations agreed the maintenance fees would cover relining the pipes. He also indicated that as a whole the city’s sewer system was in good shape.
Richardson, however, said the lining service was not covered by the maintenance fees in the new agreement.
Another seemingly cloudy area grew from a discussion at the previous council meeting attended by Independence Township supervisor Dave Wagner. Following that meeting, some council members thought the money paid by village residents not used for maintenance would accumulate in a separate account and be available for catastrophic breakdowns in the system after Wagner’s comments at the meeting..
The council questioned Richardson if that was possible.
‘We can do it that way,? said Richardson. ‘Then we’ll have to put on an administration fee and I know that’s something you want to get away from.?
At the end of the discussion, the council asked Richardson to determine what percentage of the sewer maintenance was conducted on the city versus township and to provide greater detail in the exact services provided under regular operation and maintenance.
The discussion of increased sewage rates stemmed from a Feb. 24 meeting between Mayor Sharron Catallo, City Manager Art Pappas, Richardson, Wagner, and Hubbell, Roth and Clark, Inc.’s Randal Ford and Gary Tressel.