Having Oxford Township municipal water available for fire suppression systems will no longer be free if a proposed ordinance amendment is approved.
At its 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 9 meeting, the township board will conduct its first reading of a proposed ordinance amendment that would charge future businesses and other facilities a onetime $1,500 connection fee to hookup to township water for fire suppression purposes.
‘I think that’s a fair price,? said Treasurer Joe Ferrari.
Currently, the township charges $6,075 per Residential Equivalent Unit to hookup to its system for domestic or commercial water use.
However, the municipality charges nothing to connect a separate, dedicated water line with the sole purpose of supplying a fire suppression system. The proposed $1,500 charge represents approximately one quarter of the $6,075 per REU connection fee.
Trustee Sue Bellairs thought the idea of charging a fourth was ‘high.?
Under the proposed ordinance amendment, those who use township water for fire suppression systems would also be assessed a $128-per-year capital charge to help pay off the township’s $10.7 million bond debt, incurred as a result of recent improvements to the municipal water system.
Unlike the onetime $1,500 charge, which would only apply to future fire suppression users, the $128 annual fee would be charged to both future and existing users.
It would be levied on top of the $128 per REU per year debt service fee all township customers already pay to have water available for other uses.
‘I don’t believe what the township is proposing to charge is going to be enough to dissuade someone from putting a sprinkler system in,? said Fire Chief Jack LeRoy. ‘It’s not such a high figure. It’s actually less than a lot of communities charge.?
LeRoy estimated there are probably between 20 and 30 businesses and other facilities within the township water district that currently rely on municipal water to supply their fire suppression systems.
The chief said ‘many insurance companies require larger buildings to be fire suppressed? as do building and fire codes.
‘Generally, buildings over 12,000 square feet, in all cases, can’t be built unless they have a sprinkler system or are divided up into smaller areas (separated by fire resistance rated walls),? he said. ‘We try to convince everyone that’s building a new building, no matter what size square footage it is, to sprinkle it because it’s to everyone’s advantage to have it done.?
Some existing fire suppression users include, but are not limited to, Kalloway’s Restaurant and Pub, Oxford Mills and Oxford Towne shopping centers, Meijer, Hubbard Spring, Chili’s, Oxford High School, Fire Station #2, Oxford Township Hall, Independence Village of Waterstone, Boulder Pointe, The Hills of Oxford and Hope Senior Apartments.
Even the Paint Creek Country Club’s clubhouse, which is located on Stanton Rd. in Orion Township, depends on Oxford Township water for its fire suppression system.
Supervisor Bill Dunn said it should not be up to township water customers to subsidize fire suppression for businesses and other facilities who currently pay no additional charge for the extra water line.
Dunn said having access to township water for fire suppression saves businesses the trouble and expense of installing an underground tank capable of holding thousands of gallons of water.
‘They’re saving on construction, materials, permits, engineering, you name it,? the supervisor said.
‘Some of our factories north of town aren’t on the water system and they’ve got tanks of 20,000 to 30,000 gallons on site,? LeRoy noted. ‘In some cases, they’ve spent a couple hundred thousand dollars just to get a sprinkler system into the building. If there’s a municipal system present, it’s much cheaper.?
All things considered, Dunn said spending an extra $128 per year is ‘not much for the ability to have a fire put out.?