During their recent monthly meeting, the Orrock Board of Supervisors discussed an issue with a septic line. A resident on 166 ½ St. decided to replace their septic line without consulting the township. This process involved tearing up a public road. The line was also not placed correctly.
The supervisors had the road patched up for the winter so there won’t be an issue for the plows. However, the property owner will have to pay for the damages and to properly replace the septic line. They also planned to ask the landowner to put the money for repairs in escrow immediately and stipulate that the project needs to be done by June 15.
Sheriff report
Sgt. Luke McLean gave the monthly report for the sheriff’s office. Traffic stops so far this year are up over the previous year, which means it is about at the normal level seen in previous years. McLean noted that it’s deer season, and encourages residents to slow down, especially during morning commutes and when traveling in the late evening.
There have been some incidents of illegal dumping in Orrock and Big Lake Twp. McLean asked that any residents who spot suspicious vehicles to call the sheriff’s office so they can respond.
Finally, McLean discussed some thefts occurring in Zimmerman involving individuals taking items from unlocked cars at night. While these types of crimes have not been seen outside of Zimmerman yet, McLean encouraged residents to keep their doors locked in the evening hours and bring valuables indoors.
Town Hall Expansion Project
During last month’s meeting, Supervisor Gregg Felber expressed concerns about whether an archeological survey, among other items, would be needed in order to move forward with the town hall expansion. Town clerk Chris Weber found that it was not necessary. Meanwhile, the expansion committee reached out to several architect companies for bids and recommended the board approve moving forward with an architect. The board opted to make a motion to allow the committee to continue negotiations and enter into a contract with the company before the next board meeting.
The supervisors reminded the audience that this whole project will come from ARPA funding and not from local taxes from the town levy.
In Other Business,the Board:
• Approved an IUP for a boat repair business to be run from a citizen’s residence;
• Recommended the county appoint Supervisor Bryan Adams to the planning and zoning committee once again, with Gregg Felber as an alternate;
• Authorized the clerk to order replacement pads for the AED machine at town hall;
• Received results of the 2020 census, with Orrock having 3,544 residents;
• Decided to extend their COVID-19 response in allowing board members to attend the meeting via Zoom, as it has worked well for allowing board members to attend even when sick (they will be allowed to do so until the government official declares the pandemic is over);
• Looked into working with Midco to bring broadband coverage to Orrock;
• Discussed finishing up road projects for the year and planning for next year;
• Reminded the audience that the November meeting will be one week earlier than usual, on the 17th, due to Thanksgiving.
