A. Public Meetings on Project Alternatives

B. The Formal Public Hearing
1. Public Hearing Advertisement
2. Public Hearing Transcript
3. Comments Received and Answered

C. Adoption of the Project Plan

2005
Through funding from the Joyce Foundation, Northwest Michigan Onsite Wastewater Task Force commenced a community consensus wastewater planning project to determine if the EPA Voluntary Model of Responsible Management for onsite systems could be implemented in northwest Michigan.

Benzie County, having the highest number of holding tank systems, and having previously found the cost of a centralized municipal sanitary sewer for a portion of Crystal Lake to be financially and politically unacceptable, was chosen as the test site.

A 2 day meeting of community stakeholders, together with other communities considering onsite system management was convened. A work plan was developed.

Originally Benzonia Township alone committed but adjacent municipal entities were invited to join a larger service area.

2006
Due to the sensibilities of not holding community meetings until all seasonal residents were able to attend, the first was held in July following a concerted public information campaign which included press and radio media annnouncements as well as a mailing to all developed property owners in Benzonia Township.

By summer of 2006, an opportunity for funding of a onsite replacement program had become available through Strategic Water Quality Initiative Funds [SWQIF] from State of MI, a low interest (1.62% over 20 years) grants and loan program for system replacement with NWMOWTF able to provide ‘value engineering’ consulting and technical assistance for a grant application as part of the Joyce funded pilot project if the community wished to proceed.

As a result of that first meeting, it was the consensus of those present to proceed with planning based on watershed rather than political boundaries.

Area residents were again notified of a second meeting which was held in August. Case studies of individual and community options from similar areas were shown.

By now a SWQIF planning grant was available and residents were canvassed as how they wished to proceed. In order for a consortium of municiplaities to join together, a proposal was submitted to Benzie County asking them to act as the sponsor of a S2 application to allow county wide planning.

Due to time constraints, the S2 Planning Grant proposal was submitted on behalf of Benzonia and Lake Townships who formed an Interlocal Government Agreement to proceed. Benzonia Township agreed to become the Fiscal agent and entered into a Contract For Services with Northwest Michigan Onsite Wastewater Task Force 501(c)3, to write the grant, administer the process and conduct the service area survey and feasibility work necessary for an eventual Project Plan submittal. A 10% cash match was required which was funded via NWMOWTF's Joyce Foundation Responsible Management Entity Pilot Project Grant.

At the beginning of December, 2006, an S2 Planning Grant was awarded of $45,000 with NWMOWTF contributing the required $4.500.00 in matching funds plus additional pre-planning technical services.
A three page Project Summary ( 1, 2, 3 )was mailed to all owners of devloped property in both Benzonia and Lake Townships, which resulted in creation of an email ListServ of 172 interested parties and an additional 22 with US Mail only.

At this point it became obvious that the real challenge was going to be contacting all eligible property owners. 45 pieces of mail were retunred as undeliverable with no current or corrected address available to Benzie County Equalization Department. Although the local Frankfort Record Patriot was a consistent supporter of printing notices and project updates, as was Interlochen Public Radio, other local news papers did not run the submitted press releases despite many calls and requests.

Both Townships included information in their citizen newsletters and by these and 'word of mouth' property owner commitments increased to 185.

2007
During January - April, a comprehensive survey and gathering of geographic, topographic, environmental and geological soils data ensued. Property owners were kept informed via the email ListServ and by mail. Meetings were held among the Township, Health Department and MDEQ advisors to keep the Project on track for a June Public Hearing.

Thanks to the invaluable assistance of Benzie County's IT services, a comprehensive GIS layer map was prepared to identify the Parcel ID's with known or suspected onsite issues and match that with the individuals who had committed to participate. A template was created to help property owners consider if this was the best option for them based on how they currently use their residences and their plans for the future.

A one year site license for Google EarthPro was purchased which allowed the integration of GIS parcel information with current satelite imagery. Soils maps and contour topography can be combined to give a three dimensional 'real life' 360º view of the challenges of servicing this area.

The SWQIF process has either been extremely difficult, or quite straightforward, to explain to property owners.
Case One, Case Two, Case Three.

Based on the excellent site and system records maintained by Benzie Leelanau District Health Department, each project participating owner was contacted and told what their otpions were for onsite collection and treatment. Because of the amendment to the Benzie Code, some are now allowed to opt for a pressure distributed mound system. It has become obvious, from the level of angry response from some owners that we still have an education challenge to convey why this is only possible now, not when their only prior option was to switch to a holding tank system, or that the holding tank, if functioning can become part of the collection system and is therefore not a wasted expense. (BLDHD achieved a rating of 'Excellent' in Strengths and Weaknesses of Great Lakes Onsite Sewage System Regulatory Programs [3.6mb]Authors: Kathleen E. Halvorsen, Hugh S. Gorman, and Kristine Bradof. Michigan Technological University. August 2004. Funded by the Joyce Foundation)

B. The Formal Public Hearing
1. Public Hearing Advertisement: was published on 4 occasions in local newspaper plus distributed to the ListServ.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The Townships of Benzonia and Lake, having previously entered into a Interlocal Government Agreement, will hold a public hearing on the proposed septic system upgrade project for the purpose of receiving comments from interested persons.

The hearing will be held at 7:00 p.m. on June 22, 2007 at the following location: 6051 Frankfort Highway, Benzonia, MI 49616, Conference Rooms A & B. (Benzie Community Resource Center)

The purpose of the proposed project is to upgrade failed and substandard septic systems.

Project construction will involve replacement of existing substandard on-site and holding tank systems with properly designed and maintained individual and cluster on-site septic systems.

Impacts of the proposed project include improved treatment of existing on-site systems, long term reduction of the number of holding tank systems, reduction of residence costs and reduction of surface water and groundwater impacts by substandard systems.

The estimated cost to users for the proposed project will be in a range that will vary according to the specific on-site solution. General estimates will be from $5,000 to $30,000 per user.

Copies of the plan detailing the proposed project are available for inspection at the following location(s):
Benzonia Township Offices, 1020 Michigan Avenue, Benzonia, MI 49616
Lake Township Offices, 5153 Scenic Highway, Honor, MI 49640
Benzie-Leelanau District Health Dept., 6051 Frankfort Hwy., Benzonia, MI 49616
Darcy Library of Beulah, 7238 Commercial, Beulah, MI 49617
Benzonia Public Library, 891 Michigan Avenue, Benzonia, MI 49616

Written comments received before the hearing record is closed on June 22, 2007 will receive responses in the final project plan. Written comments should be sent to:
Benzonia Township, Att: Clerk, P.O. Box 224, Benzonia, MI 49616
Lake Township Offices, 5153 Scenic Highway, Honor, MI 49640

2. Public Hearing Transcript

Written version

Audio version:

Click here to listen to a streamed MP3 file 1hr.: 31 mb) The Public Hearing was video taped and is available for loan via the BLDHD. Audio is best heard using headphones.

Shown here are:
left: James Sheets Benzonia Township Supervisor and right: Bill Robinson Lake Township Supervisor, with Pat Laarman of the Benzie/Grand Traverse League of Women Voters who facilitated the Public Hearing.

Two written letters were received.
Platte Lake Improvement Association: The concerns and requests raised in this letter were addressed within the Project Plan itself because of prior communications.
David and Mary Lynn Decker.

C. Adoption of the Project Plan
Subsequently a Joint Special Meeting was held on Wednesday June 27, 2007 of Benzonia and Lake Townships who each voted unanimously to accept the SWQIF Project Plan and submit it in support of a loan request of $6.75m to replace approximately 185 substandard or poorly performing onsite wastewater systems.

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©2007 NWMOWTF