The Leland Township board unanimously approved a resolution Sunset Shores amendment to establish a special assessment district (SAD), as well as award bids for the project, on Monday night at its regular meeting.
A public hearing on the Sunset Shores roll was also approved and set for Jan. 13, 2025 at 6 p.m.
Resolution R-24-13 Sunset Shores amendment to the original R-17-18 establishing the SAD was tabled at the board’s November meeting in order to gather the final bits of information to complete it. Based on estimates from Jozwiak Consulting, the total projected cost in 2024 to establish the community sewer system is roughly $1,202,532, which is an increase of 19% from the 2021 total cost estimate of $1,012,700. Construction costs make up the majority of the expenses at $746,560, along with property and acquisition titles estimated at $161,013, and engineering, staking, and inspections at $138,769.
“The work has been ongoing… We have all the easements, we have all the permits, we’re going through the process at this point, and we still have the majority of the homeowners who are interested and want to go through with it,” said Leland Township Supervisor Clint Mitchell. “From the township’s perspective, we have a quarter million dollars in this and we’d like to use that to actually improve parks and roads and that sort of thing… All we can do is just follow the proper process and that’s what we’re doing, we’re not rushing anything.”
Jozwiak Consulting also prepared a bid tabulation highlighting the highest and lowest sewer project bid estimates. The township approved going with the lowest bids, which include AJ’s Excavating completing the force main for $268,950 and Team Elmer’s completing the drain field for $318,795. The low bid for the secondary treatment, which is required by EGLE (Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy) will be completed by the company Pumping Service, LLC for a total of $158,814. Those three estimates add up to the total project construction costs of $746,560. The project would take about six to eight weeks to complete and is anticipated to begin in the spring.
Leland Township initially approved creation of a Special Assessment District in 2017, but the project has struggled to move forward due to various factors since. According to the resolution, the sewer project is part of public improvements that are “in the best interests of the township.“ Current and past boards have pursued establishing a SAD for years for the Sunset Shores community that would act as a local collection system, “including force mains to remove wastewater and effluent from individual septic tanks and pump chambers…” On the Sunset Shores SAD roll, there are approximately 33 parcels recorded. The cost per parcel is currently projected at $36,440, with additional costs bringing the total for a parcel at about $50,000. The township expects to reimburse itself for capital expenditures with proceeds of bonds issued to pay all or a portion of the cost of the project.
