MILFORD – Camp Mack Executive Director Gene Hollenberg approached Milford town officials Monday stating he wanted to “get the conversation started again” about tying into the town’s sewer system and a lively debate ensued.
Hollenberg said he called the clerk’s office and was advised to put his request in letter form and present it to the council. Council President Doug Ruch asked Hollenberg if he wanted to share that request.
Hollenberg said, “We started a conversation awhile ago and I was hoping to continue that.”
The proposal was to have a 3-inch pipe to run along Camp Mack Road at least to the entrance of Camp Mack. Camp Mack would convert all of its current septic to Milford wastewater treatment, commit to flush the lines as requested until there is enough regular usage to keep the lines flowing, and contribute funds for this purpose “with no consideration other than our desire to help move this process along.”
Ruch asked Hollenberg if they had their design people look at a more direct route to the lift station. Hollenberg replied that they didn’t have engineers. He also said an advantage for having the sewer line go down Mack Road is to help keep the lake clean because eventually those septic systems are going to fail.
“For us it’s important that the whole neighborhood is healthy and contributing to the lake community,” he said. “It also helps the town of Milford build up usage.”
Council Member Joellen Free said, “A year ago we had interest from about 12 other people.”
Hollenberg replied that he was told they needed 19 to keep the lines open but, “We have more water than we know what to do with so it’s not an issue for us to flush the lines until we get that many.”
A resident, Ken Long, asked the council what was the amount that the camp had offered.
Hollenberg replied $100,000. Long then referenced an online article stating that Camp Mack had raised over $542,000 and a feasibility study by the town showed it would cost $265,000.
“If you’re willing to pay, shouldn’t you pay your fair share?” Long asked Hollenberg.
Town attorney Jay Rigdon interrupted the continued exchange between Hollenberg and Long by asking Hollenberg if he had an attorney. He suggested the camp director obtain legal representation and make the offer through legal counsel.
“Regardless of the feasibility study, it’d be more prudent to make an offer through legal counsel,” Rigdon said.
Long commented that the camp had publicly announced they were raising $1.1 million for improvements at the camp so he didn’t see why the town should bear the expense of extending the sewer line. “I don’t believe the possibility of future revenue should be the deciding factor, either,” he said.
Rigdon said it would have to be a positive for the town. Another resident addressed Ruch asking if there would be enough of an advantage for the town, stating that it seemed like a lot of money.
Ruch replied, “It needs to make good sense for the town.”
Hollenberg was going to take Rigdon’s advice and make the offer through legal counsel so no action was taken at the meeting.
After the meeting Ruch explained about 18 months ago a feasibility study was done providing a basic cost. “More importantly it showed if there was room for growth at the plant and there is,” he said. He said some people with properties on Camp Mack Road were in favor of it and others were against it. Ruch said that Long lived in town.
Wastewater Rate Increase
In a somewhat related matter, Free shared the council is looking into increasing wastewater rates. She said in 2016 a rate study was done by H J Umbaugh & Associates and it recommended they raise rates from $40.20 to $45.
“We chose to go less with $43.12, but with no success we still ran in the red,” she said.
In 2018 another study was done and “It was even worse – in that study it said it would take $50.07 to get us out of the hole,” she said.
Free said she thought maybe they could land somewhere between the current $43.12 and $50.07. She said Mark Brubaker, wastewater treatment plant superintendent, needed more help at the plant.
“We cannot keep kicking this can down the road any further,” she said. “We’ve also lost major utility customers.”
She mentioned the loss of the laundromat, car wash and recently the nursing home, amounting to a revenue loss of $50,000 to $60,000. Free said as much as she and the other council members didn’t want to raise rates, the town “couldn’t continue to run in the red for six-seven years.”
She suggested a rate increase to $46.50 and using other funds such as County Economic Development Income Tax for capital improvements.
Ruch asked Rigdon how to proceed and he said they needed to have Umbaugh prepare an ordinance, advertise rates and have a public hearing.
The council approved having an ordinance prepared by the next meeting.
