By Mary Drier
Staff Writer
AKRON — Fresh drinking water has been approved for parts of another township.
At the last meeting, Akron Township officials selected an engineer and set the assessments for their two water projects which total about $1,072,000.
Water Project A goes North of Vassar Road, includes four subdivisions, and ends with Sun Glow Subdivision. There are about 90 assessable parcels in this section of the project. The approximate cost of Water District A is $763,000.
Water Project B goes to the Paradise Lakes Subdivision. There are about 10 assessable parcels in that project. The approximate cost of Water District B is about $337,000.
At the March 20 hearing on the project, the board set the assessment cost per parcel at $5,200 for both Project A and Project B.
To help fund the proposed projects, the township qualified for a $380,000 grant and a $690,000 loan for about for 40 years from U.S. Department of Agriculture – Rural Development.
Also, the board awarded the $648,614 contract for the Akron Township Water Project to Sterling Excavating of West Branch
Akron’s project connects to Wisner Township’s recently completed water project which brought fresh drinking water from Bay County to parts of the township.
Akron Township officials have been studying the water projects for over two years. They have been working with Civil Engineering Consultants, which is the same company that helped Wisner Township with its water project.
A municipal water system is wanted because several residences in Akron Township have to truck water in to store in a holding tank to use because their water is undrinkable. Wisner Township residents had to do the same until their water project was approved and completed.
Some Akron residents objected to the project and its assessment. There is a 30-day window from when the special assessment was set for residents to file an appeal with the Michigan Tax Tribunal, but to do so, they had to gave notice of their objection at the March meeting.
In other money matters: the 2014 – 2015 budget was set with revenues projected at $759,452 and expenses estimated at $757,360. Roadside Maintenance was hired to do mow the roadsides twice during the season.
Mary Drier is a staff writer for the Tuscola County Advertiser. She can be reached at drier@tcadvertiser.com.