3-26-2019 BOT Sewers-Up!

 

NNT Postcard 20190326 Address side orange 395w281h

Going into tonight's discussion of the 8 or $9 million dollar sewer system decision, the powers that sneak provided only a 17 page packet.

 

Our additions, from Township Attorney Paul Burns' January 8th report to the Board: 

Also, this: a summation of 160 studies demonstrating the NET cost to communities of adding residential development:

 

Supervisor Chockley's power point presentation, not in the packet

NNT Postcard 20190326 Message side orange 394w281h

 

Two huge items were added to the packet, literally the 3-26-2019 morning of this hugely impactful board meeting.

 

What's in this late addition?  We've made it easy to read the items:

 

On the Township website: 

Apparently, the Draft 2019 Master Plan has replaced the Master Plan currently in effect.  

No matter, Northfield Township's 2012 Master Plan is viewable as a slideshow here on SlideShare.  You can download the 2012 Master Plan here.  Did you know we invested over $35,183 making that plan?

It's been slightly revised; I'll dig up the links.

 

Since the old Master Plan has been replaced, here's our new Municipal Service Expansion Policy, on page 35

Municipal Service Expansion Policies

The Township has made a significant investment in building the capacity, quality and reliability of the sewer systemsto serve existing areas of the Township. In 2015, the Township commissioned the Wastewater Treatment Plant(WWTP) Capacity Evaluation Report to study the capital needs of the existing sanitary collection system and identifyimprovements necessary at the wastewater treatment plant to meet expected growth. The Report recommends theconstruction of an equalization basin to store and equalize peak wastewater flows. In the interim, the Township hasincreased the sewer tap fees for businesses that were not previously identified. For future municipal service expansion,it is recommended that the Township carefully consider the following general guidelines:

 

1. In order to promote orderly growth within the Township, only areas adjacent to and contiguous to the currentmunicipal service boundary should be considered as the preferred area for expansion of services. The“leapfrogging” of Township areas to provide municipal services which create an island of services within theTownship should be strongly disfavored. The idea of contiguous development requires that municipal servicesexpand from one fully-developed area to the next adjacent area.

 

2. The Township shall implement the resulting policy of the 2015 capacity study. Any expansion shall be bound bycapital improvements needs identified in that study.

 

3. Where expansion of facilities is proposed the Township should follow the recent practice of passing the costs ofexpansion on to those reaping the benefits of that expansion through special assessment districts, REU charges,and other similar mechanisms.

 

4. As a part of this policy, the Township should adopt a formal municipal service expansion procedure. In addition tothe general policies, municipal sewer service should not be extended beyond those areas planned for mediumdensity residential.