By Sterling McGinn
The Pentland Township Board has voted to approve an agreement with Hubbell, Roth and Clark for engineering services for the proposed sewer lagoon project that will lead to the eventual disconnect from the Village of Newberry wastewater treatment plant.
The decision was made at a special meeting of the board, which took place on March 25, where board members held a video call with Jamie Burton, an engineer with the firm.
Hubbell, Roth and Clark Inc. is headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan with additional offices throughout the state. They provide engineering services, mainly utility upgrades, road designs and water/wastewater treatment plant construction, to villages, cities, townships, industrial jobs and private groups.
Pentland Township had previously worked with engineer Jeff Mudroch from Sidock Group; however, the board had not received a copy of the project request submission and had not heard if the request was approved by Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). He was also expected to send updates every couple of weeks, which did not happen.
At the regular monthly meeting on March 11, the board voted to approve the withdrawal of Mudroch as the engineer.
In their proposal to the township, Hubbell, Roth and Clark noted that though a preliminary feasibility study had been conducted, along with meetings with EGEL and the purchase of property, the township is in the very early stages of developing.
The plan is to complete the new sewer system by December of 2026, as per the consent agreement between the township and the Village of Newberry. If Pentland Township is not able to finish the project by that date, the monthly service fee to the village for wastewater services will be increased.
One of the first steps that the engineering firm requested of the township was to find an entity that could analyze Pentland’s wastewater flow. Utilities superintendent A. J. Downey found that the City of Escanaba lab has the proper licensing to conduct lab work for outside municipalities. This work will be a chemical analysis from the two sites that the pumping will take place.
The first formal work meeting with the firm and representatives of the township board was held last Thursday. “This is a standing meeting—every two weeks for the foreseeable future we are meeting and talking about how the project is going,” said township clerk Greg Rathje. A monthly report from the project engineer will be included in the meeting packets.
The lagoon will be constructed on a 40-acre parcel, which is now owned by the township on County Road 457 near where the road curves next to Neumann Lane. Both engineers believe this land will be feasible for this project, though the permit application has not yet been approved by EGLE.
Rathje said he submitted a request for congressional funding to Senator Peters’ office. He will also be contacting Congressman Jack Bergman, State Senator Ed McBroom, and Representative Dave Prestin for support on the project.
Pentland is also applying for a USDA loan to help cover costs to construct the sewer system and is in the beginning stages of finding an attorney that specializes in state and federal laws and can help find financing for projects.
