The Lake Orion Village Council would like the Orion Township Board to review the council’s reasons for not approving a hydrant maintenance agreement, and make the issue an agenda item for a future meeting.
The council reviewed the agreement from Fire Chief Jeff Key on July 10, and decided it mistakenly considered Insurance Services Office (ISO) guidelines as requirements, had no enforcing mechanism, and did not indicate when payment would be made.
‘The township is getting their checks from the fire department, but the village is not,? said President Pro-Tem Ken Van Portfliet. ‘We pay township taxes, we pay village taxes, so why can’t we get our money??
Through the township’s budget, the fire department annually pays $15 per hydrant to the township’s water and sewer department for maintenance.
The village’s department of public works maintains the hydrants on its water distribution system, and the township made partial payments to the village for hydrant maintenance, at the rate of $15 per hydrant for 1999-2001.
However, the village has not received payment from the township for 2002-2005.
Siver said he’d heard no response from Orion Township Supervisor Jerry Dywasuk on the issue.
‘It’s always one step forward, two steps back,? he said.
Village Manager Jo Ann Van Tassel, who recommended the council not approve the agreement, said she was ‘virtually certain? no member of the township board was aware of it, as drafted by Key.
‘We’re paying mills to the fire (department), same as the township, and we’re not getting ours back,? council member Doug Dendel said.