It’s going to be wild, before and after.
That’s the word from Jamison Brown of Wade Trim consulting, the firm working on downtown Lake Orion enhancements.
‘With the three projects all together, it’s going to make such an improvement downtown,? he said.
The three projects ? new paving and sewers, a new ‘streetscape? and Children’s Park renovations in the village ? have been in the works since last spring. They’re slated for completion by August 2010.
What the village council must do next is decide on exactly how to fund it.
The Downtown Development Authority (DDA) received nearly $520,000 in grant monies for the projects, and the village and DDA will contribute another $779,000 total.
The work, however, requires an additional $1.136 million.
To get it, council will examine two options: borrowing from the village’s water and sewer fund or borrowing from Orion Township.
‘Looking at the payment of a [water and sewer fund] note, we would be paying it back to the village, we would not be paying it to the township. That is something that is attractive, obviously. We would be paying ourselves the interest amount,? said Village Manager Paul Zelenak.
‘The attractiveness to the township promissory note is that we may not fall under specific levels we feel is appropriate for emergency levels for our water and sewer improvements,? he added.
If the DDA borrows from the village’s water and sewer fund, the village must first pay off a revenue bond, according to Financial Director Jan Adams.
?[Water and sewer] fund currently carries cash balances between $3.5 and $4 million,? said Adams. ‘If we were to fund this project and pay off our revenue bond, we would be expending about $2.2 million.?
The move would leave the fund’s cash balance between $1.3 and $1.8 million.
According to Adams, work that was done last year on downtown water mains cost around $1.1 million.
‘The key here for our water and sewer fund is that we certainly don’t want the cash amount in the fund to fall below a level that would jeopardize the bond that we have remaining,? she said. ‘And, of course, we don’t want it to fall lower than what we would need to make any necessary repairs, should we need to use the cash in the fund.?
Instead of borrowing from its water and sewer fund, the village is examining the option to borrow from Orion Township.
Township Supervisor Matt Gibb is in favor of the second option.
‘I know there’s a great affinity to say that interest can go to your water and sewer fund. To me, I don’t care where the interest goes, one way or another,? he said to the village council. ‘I’m concerned more about when will be the breaking point when the village and township, from a government stand point, finally say, ‘I’m going to let the other entity handle this component and trust, so that we can break down the government to government barrier to how we do these projects.??
Gibb also noted concerns for the DDA’s ability to repay a promissory note to the water and sewer fund, and the village’s requirement to pay off a revenue bond if it borrows from itself.
The $2.44-million renovation projects will include a totally new streetscape design that will be ‘greener,? safer and more aesthetically pleasing, according to Wade Trim consultants.
LED lighting will reduce electric bills and time between maintenance, according to Brown. The design will also incorporate reclaimed brick pavers and recycled benches and trashcans.
‘Overall, we think we’re really doing some great stuff to bring the level of ‘green? up, and that’s going to help make the streetscape marketable and something that will be a draw to the downtown,? said Brown.
He added that crosswalk ‘bump outs? at each intersection (see image) will make sidewalks safer and allow more ‘breathing room? for pedestrians.
For shade, the consultant said disease-resistant American elm trees will be at Flint Street and Broadway. The rest of downtown will feature bald cypress.
‘Big projects like this really require community effort,? said newly elected Village Council President Ken Van Portfliet. ‘Little things like ‘pardon our dust? and working with shop owners and keeping people coming down throughout the construction process. It’s going to take us all as a community to work through this together.?