By Joseph Goral
Staff Writer
jgoral@mihomepaper.com
LAKE ORION — The Village of Lake Orion received notice of final award from the federal government on the status of their EPA grant for the sanitary sewer pump station improvement project on April 25, giving them final award approval in the amount of $1.75 million for the first phase of the project, according to Village Manager Darwin McClary.
Village Council Member Michael Lamb said he calculated the award will save each household between $1,000 to $1,200 by getting the grant.
McClary said the village was originally approved by congress for an additional $750,000 in funding for phases two and three this year, but the congressional community project funding program was eliminated altogether due to budget issues at the federal government level. Still, the village reapplied in March for funding for phases two and three in the amount of $8.6 million
McClary added the village will likely receive formal notification in March or April next year on the funding request.
The total construction cost for all three phases of the sewer pump project was listed as $10,938,260 in village documents last year. As of October, the village plans to repay the bonds through water and sewer user fees from residents.
Jeff Aronoff, of Miller Canfield, the bond company representing the village, said in October the rates and charges for the water and sewer system secure the bonds. The bonds will be offered on the capital markets through a competitive sale, he said.
“Under state law you are required to … accept the bid that produces the lowest true interest cost to the village,” Aronoff told village council in October. “That will all be done at the staff level, so the last action taken by the council here in connection with these bonds would be the adoption of this ordinance.”
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