The proliferation of lake improvement boards has led to a proposed state Senate bill which, if passed, would require more direct administrative involvement from local municipalities.
The lake boards are what Springfield Township Supervisor Collin Walls calls ‘quasi-governmental? agencies. With five members ? including representatives of the municipality, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, the Oakland County Drain Commission and lakefront owners ? lake boards have the authority to conduct public hearings and levy assessments from property owners to pay for lake improvements.
‘They all came to be, at least in Springfield, for similar reasons,? Walls said. ‘The lakes reached a condition of putrification or weed growth, which is usually the same. The residents were unable to take care of it in a voluntary manner.?
Recent events have led to concern about administration of lake boards. At present, state law does not specifically address issues such as record keeping. In Oakland County, the drain commission handled many administrative functions until late 2002 and early 2003 at no charge to the residents, Walls said.
Now, there seems to be little consistency in administration. Of the four lake boards in Springfield Township, three of the four have records kept by board secretaries, but only one has records available at a public place. The fourth has official files kept in the Grand Rapids offices of a hired consultant.
When residents have questions about lake issues, they often contact the township hall, where officials likely may not have appropriate records available, Walls said. Financial dealings appear to be equally varied, with lake boards handling their own bank accounts and only one asking for township assistance.
Independence Township also has four lake boards within it’s boundaries. Treasurer Jim Wenger said his office handles finances for only one since the drain commission withdrew their administrative services.
‘Not all lake boards work the same,? Wenger said. ‘In terms of local treasurers, that’s been a new responsibility.?
‘The [current] statute is unclear. It gives no direction whatsoever as to the day-to-day operations of a lake board,? Walls said. ‘Everybody’s doing it differently.?
Enter Senate Bill 1266, a proposal spearheaded by County Commissioner Bill Bullard and sponsored by Senator Mike Bishop. If adopted, the bill would replace the DEQ representative (who officials say never attend meetings anyway) with another municipality representative. The bill also requires one of the township representatives to serve as the board secretary, and the treasurer of the municipality to keep all financial records and sign all expenditure vouchers.
This places additional burden on the township staff, but Walls said, ‘The unanimous opinion is we should charge for it.?
Township officials discussed the issue briefly at their October board meeting, but agreed more research is needed.
‘There are things that need to be thought through before we do it,? Walls said, nonetheless admitting, ‘It was motivated by the fact that it wasn’t working.?
Local governments already have procedures for establishing special assessment districts for specific improvement projects, and Springfield Township this past year approved such a district for work on Softwater Lake.
So why have a separate entity for lake projects?
‘There may be some township officials trying to understand the same thing at this point,? Walls said.
Clarkston City Manager Art Pappas said his office already serves as treasurer for the Mill Pond lake improvement board, but the board pays its own bills.
‘We deposit the money into bank accounts,? Pappas said. ‘They have their own secretary.?