Sumpter moves forward in problem of misplaced water line

The Sumpter Township Board of Trustees voted 5-2 to pay Hennessey Engineers up to $25,000 to design and go out for bids for the relocation of 1,000 feet of a water line put in the wrong place in 1978 and discovered during Washtenaw County’s recent ditch project on Rawsonville Road.
Voting against the expenditure were Trustees Peggy Morgan and Don LaPorte who said they wanted to wait on spending township money until it was determined who made the error in placement of the line and who should pay for replacement.
This was at the two-hour-and-36-minute workshop/regular meeting of the board of trustees on Sept. 12, that began with almost an hour of discussion of the issue with Wayne County Commissioner Al Haidous.
The total cost of moving the water line is more in the area of $400,000 after the initial planning is done, Trustee LaPorte said, noting that “this is an old project coming back to bite.”
During the discussions on the line it was noted that the township couldn’t have put in the line where it was without the approval of Wayne County.
Commissioner Haidous said he wants to get everything in writing on the 1978 project.
Trustee Matthew Oddy said the water line problem is not what has shut down Rawsonville Road and Washtenaw County is working elsewhere in that area. The water line is an emergency, he said, since the line is now only covered by a small amount of earth and if a car goes in the ditch it could hit the water line and cut off safe water service to users.
Haidous asked to set up a meeting to get more information. Trustee Oddy said Haidous should set up the meeting for information and, “If we have to do this, we will do it.”
LaPorte said the township should see if there’s a project file from 1978 lying around somewhere and he was advised they have found a drawing from Wade Trim from 1978, with no information on inspections and that will be given to Haidous.
While he was there, Haidous also was asked questions about cutting the brush along the roadways, the condition of the roads in winter, and the closed bridge on Kozma Road.
In other business at the Sept. 12 meetings, the board:
• Was informed that Republic Waste has sold its Sumpter contract for waste pickup to Priority Waste as of Oct. 1 and the service will not change. The item will be on the board’s Oct. 26 agenda for approval. Township attorney Rob Young said he would like to see a change in the proposed agreement to say Republic still stands behind the agreement and will work to get it in place;
• Approved the position descriptions and inventory for township management and employee direction and use, with removal of the new executive assistant clerk, which was yet to be considered by the board. This document was prepared by Township Manager Anthony Burdick;
• Removed from the agenda approval of the grinder pump purchase program that was originally approved in 2019 because the attached planned in-house pump repair program needed more information;
• Approved an additional purchase of 20 grinder pumps in 2023 and up to 60 pumps per year for each year 2024 through 2027 at a current cost of $2,900 each;
• Sent the fence bids for Martinsville Cemetery back to the two bidders for clarification of the bids about the scope of the project;
• Approved the Board of Review alternate dates;
• Approved an appreciation lunch for township employees on Sept. 13 in the board meeting room;
• Approved issuing a purchase order for the fire department’s new engine from West Shore Fire for a total amount of $445,000;
• Approved the Washtenaw County Mutual Aid Agreement language, with an effective date to be determined;
• Approved the recommendation of Hennessey Engineers to award the sewer lining project to Monchilov Sewer Service and conduct inspections and administration at a total cost of $118,240.60;
• Tabled the proposal by Manager Burdick to post for resumes the position of executive assistant clerk that would report to the township manager;
• Approved the tree-cutting bid of $5,500 from TNT Tree Service for work at Martinsville Cemetery;
• Heard a long report from Finance Director Scott Holtz and Deputy Clerk Karen Armatis about work being done at the Martinsville Cemetery. They reported all the veterans’ graves now have flag holders and they found markers for decendents of a person who came over on the Mayflower. They also said bids are in for ground-penetrating radar and for a smaller mower for maintenance. It was noted most of the cemetery records were destroyed in the township’s fire in the 1980s;
• Was informed by Burdick that Supervisor Tim Bowman has a recommendation for a proposed dock to replace the deteriorating dock he removed at Sherwood Pond of 30’ wide x 24’ into the pond or 12’x30’. He also would like a canoe and kayak launch, as well, with it all estimated at $80,000 to $85,000. It will be on the Sept. 26 board agends for consideration;
• Heard Burdick announce that language for the fire millage is being prepared and Parks and Recreation is now slated to meet quarterly, like the planning commission, with meetings being set for strategy for events and other things; and
• Heard resident Mary Ban tell of a senior citizen friend of hers who is legally blind who got a letter and then had two men come to her door. She kept the screen door locked and her dog barked a lot. They didn’t give their names and she didn’t see a badge, but they had a clipboard. They said they were from the assessor’s office and asked about the things her nephew had for a garage sale that had been delayed by the weather. The woman said the men were snooping around on her property to raise her taxes. The woman, who has a master’s degree and whose husband died of COVID, asked them why they didn’t just use Google Earth to see her property. Ban was told the woman should call the township and the men should be identifying themselves.