Brandon Twp.- Postcards returned to the township recently regarding the issue of sewers appear to have a minority of residents expressing the sentiment, ‘Wish you were here.?
Last month, the township mailed out a letter and postage paid return postcards to 1,195 residents and businesses along the M-15 corridor and around Bald Eagle Lake and Lake Louise, questioning whether they were interested in sewers.
To date, the township has received 559 responses, 47 percent of the total mailed, with 361 ‘no? votes, or 64 percent, to 198 ‘yes? votes, or 35 percent.
Township Supervisor Ron Lapp said it is great to get a response from the community and is hoping for more postcards to be returned by March 16.
‘We really want to get a feeling for what the people think,? said Lapp. ‘I think the economy is driving the opposition. I don’t blame them. Times are tough.?
The straw poll of township residents was first proposed at a Jan. 30 wastewater treatment plant study session between village and township officials.
Village officials are ready to pursue a location for a wastewater treatment plant, possibly land recently purchased by the township, and need a plant that would accomodate at least 1,000 units for the village. The township would need about 3,500 units for the proposed sewer district, but Lapp said at the study session he was uncertain if township residents were currently ready to commit to sewers. Engineers for the village have said it would not be feasible to build a plant large enough only for the village and then expand it to four times its size at a later date.
‘Why should we spend a pile of money on engineers to get this ready for a public hearing if I have a very good benchmark from these postcards that the proposal would be defeated?? asked Lapp, who plans to bring the results of the postcards to the township board soon.
The board will then make a decision on whether to have engineers study the design of a sewer system for the M-15 corridor and areas around the two lakes. The rest of the township would not be affected.