LAKES AREA SEWER AUTHORITY(LASA) UPDATE - July 28, 2010

Lakes Area Sewer Authority Meeting Schedule

IMPORTANT LINKS:

Report from Chairman, Gerald Melko

• Plans for the sewage collection system were completed in February and the engineering firm of Wightman & Associates continued to work on the plan for the waste water treatment plant. Bond anticipation notes for $660,000 were sold with an interest cost of only 1.9% to cover expenses until the final bond sale and closing which would be later in the summer.

• In March a meeting was held with the Township Treasurers from Marcellus, Volinia and Porter Townships along with the LASA Treasurer and the Township Assessors to discuss collection and tracking of special assessments for the sewer district. The first draft of the Sewer Ordinance was completed and reviewed.

• The completed Sewer Ordinance, a thirty seven page document, was adopted by the LASA Board in April and passed on to the townships for their approval and adoption. A review of the waste water treatment plant main building with control rooms, filtering area, laboratory and office space was approved.

• May saw the finalization of wording on the agreement with the Village of Marcellus for the purchase of land at their Sewage Lagoon Area for the LASA waste water treatment plant. On May 30, 2009 a pre–construction meeting was held at the Marcellus Elementary school for property owners and residents in the Special Assessment District. Information was presented on project status and timeline. Construction coordination issues were address such as road access, sewer main and lift station locations, sewer lead locations, sewer connection and area restoration after project completion. A status presentation was also made to the Big Fish Lake Property Owners association at their May meeting.

• Freedom of Information Act policies and procedures were presented to the LASA Board in June and adopted by the Authority. Request for construction bids were posted in the Kalamazoo newspaper and on the Wightman & Associates web site along with direct mail to prospective bidders. Design plans were completed and made available for contractor’s examination. Presentations were made to the Finch and Gravel Lake Associations.

• Bidding on the construction contracts continued throughout the month of July. All property easements were received and reviewed by the proper agencies. Rural Community Action Agency (RCAP) conducted an inspection of each Township town hall to be sure they comply with Federal standards (a requirement of USDA funding and grants). A house lead location letter was sent to each Lake Association for posting on web sites or general distribution. A project status report was made to the Big Fish Lake POA at their mid summer meeting. On July 30, 2009 a bid opening was held during a special meeting of the Cass County Board of Public Works.

• Project status reports were presented to the Gravel and Big Fish Lake Associations at their August meetings. Contracts for the gravity collection system were awarded to Kamphuis Pipeline Co. of Grand Rapids, Michigan for $2,798,345.00. Balkema Excavating Inc. of Kalamazoo, Michigan received the contract for the lift stations and force main lines for a bid of $1,778,170.00. The waste water treatment plant will be built by Davis Construction of Grand Rapids, Michigan at a cost of $4,064,342.00. After all necessary resolutions were passed by the Townships of Marcellus, Porter and Volinia, The Village of Marcellus, the Lakes Area Sewer Authority, the Cass County Board of Public Works and the Cass County Board of Commissioners, USDA Rural Development released the loan and grants monies totaling $10,833,000 on August 25, 2009. Now construction can begin.

• A pre-construction meeting was held September 2, 2009 for all involved contractors, suppliers, utilities, and drain and road commissions. Movement of supplies and equipment will begin immediately. Construction at the plant site and in the lakes area will start September 14, 2009. First areas of construction will be at lift station #12 at the east end of Finch Lake and lift station #1 in the south east corner of Gravel Lake. Please check the Wightman & Associates web site at www.wightman-assoc.com LASA project for latest construction updates.

• Although some construction may already be under way, a ground breaking ceremony is planned for 11:00 a.m. Saturday, September 19, 2009 at the Porter Township Hall (Van Buren County) located at 88040 M-40, Lawton, Michigan

Gerald Melko - email

Chairman, Lakes Area Sewer Authority

September 3, 2009

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ)

Frequently Asked Questions - TOP

Q: A sanitary sewer line is going past my home. Can the local unit of government require me to hook up to the sanitary sewer?

A: Yes, a city, village, or township may require a home owner to connect to an available public sanitary sewer if the sewer passes not more than 200 feet from the home. Public sanitary sewer systems are essential to the health, safety, and welfare of the people of the state. Septic tank disposal systems are subject to failure due to soil conditions or other reasons. Failure and even potential failure of septic tank systems present a threat to public health and to the quality of waters of the state. Therefore, local units of government have the authority to require a homeowner to connect to the sanitary sewer at the earliest, reasonable date. The state law that enables to the local unit of government is Section 333.12753 of the Public Health Code, 1978 PA 368, as amended. Local units of government most commonly embody this requirement within their local ordinances. Homeowners that want to resolve concerns related to the connection should work with their local unit of government. General questions can also be directed to the State of Michigan’s Environmental Assistance Center at 1-800-662-9278.

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) will not discriminate against any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, religion, age, national origin, color, marital status, disability, or political beliefs.

Questions or concerns should be directed to the MDEQ Office of Human Resources, PO Box 30473, Lansing, MI 48909.

The authority is comprised of representatives from Marcellus, Porter, and Volinia Townships. From Gravel Lake, we have Harry Laski and Chris Oxley (Porter Township Trustee) involved. The rest of the authority includes, Gerry Melko - Chairman, John Grib - Secretary (Marcellus Township Supervisor), Paul Boshoven, Nate Bitely (Porter Township Supervisor), and Wendy Elsey (Volinia Township Supervisor). This authority is responsible for the progress and organization of our sewer project.

The authority has been meeting since July, 2007. The following is a list of their meeting minutes in PDF Format.