By Shelby Stewart
Staff Writer
On Monday night, both Brandon and Groveland townships during their regular meetings, approved resolutions for the first phase of a multi-community sewer project. Funding for the project will come from the American Rescue Plan Act. The Village of Ortonville approved a similar resolution earlier this month.
The Brandon Township board voted 7-0 to pass the resolution that would allow $41,612 of the ARP funding the township received to be spent on the first phase of a sewer project. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, is a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill passed by Congress to speed up the country’s recovery from the economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing recession.
The funds account for 20.7 percent of the initial study fees to investigate the feasibility of bringing sewers to part of Brandon Township.
“There is going to be a grant that is supposed to be done next month where we should be able to get 50 percent of these funds back from Oakland County,” said Jason Rumball, Brandon Township Supervisor.

The project is being done in conjunction with Groveland and Holly townships, as well as the village of Ortonville.
The sewer line in question is planned to come down from Genesee County along Dixie Highway into Groveland Township for the major road and business district. The line would then come down Grange Hall Road to possibly serve the village of Ortonville and Brandon Township along M-15 for businesses and lake-front properties. This could ease septic and water contamination issues for residents and businesses in those areas.
This resolution only approves phase one for engineering and studies. It does not fully commit to the total project, which will be calculated at a later date.
Also on Monday, Groveland Township trustees voted 5-0 to approve about $50,000 from the ARP to extend the sewer service from Genesee County. The funds account for 20.7 percent of the initial study fees to investigate the feasibility of bringing sewers to the township.
“This is not coming out of our budgeted or surplus dollars,” said Bob DePalma, township supervisor. “They need to know all four communities want to do this sewer project first. If we don’t we’re never going to have any option to bring sewers to Brandon, Groveland or Holly.”
Key in the first phase of the project is to acquire sewer capacity in the Kearsley Creek Interceptor, proposed by the Genesee County Drain Commissioner to serve the communities. Phase 1 is making sure the Kearsley Creek plant has enough capacity to meet the needs of the communities.
In a letter from the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner, Jim Nash who is fully supportive of the project, said an estimated $200,000 is needed from the communities collectively to continue the preliminary work.
Nash emphasized that ARP funding is appropriate to spend on sewer infrastructure. He added that Oakland County has also received ARP funding which may be pursued to serve as matching funds.
The $600,000 in ARP funds deposited in September for the township could be used for sewer projects, said DePalma.
(David Fleet contributed to this story)