Pentland Township waits for rate study amid sewer settlement terms

By Sterling McGinn

The Pentland Township Board is waiting to hear from the Village of Newberry on a rate study that will be used to determine future sewer rates for the treatment plant.

The matter was discussed at the September 8 meeting of the board, which took place at 6 p.m. in the township hall.

Earlier this year, Pentland announced that they cannot construct a sewer lagoon, which would have allowed them to disconnect from the village’s system.

As part of the 2024 settlement agreement from the Pentland vs. Village of Newberry litigation for sewer billing, if Pentland hasn’t constructed their sewer system for the 2027 calendar year, then the parties will share the cost (15% by Pentland 85% by the Village) for a periodic rate study and agree on the charge determined by the study.

Pentland Clerk Greg Rathje said that the township’s engineer had reached out to the Village prior to the September 8 meeting but had not received an answer.

In other business, Rathje discussed an email received from Village Manager Allison Watkins regarding two Newberry Fire Department accidents that took place by the same driver.

The email, provided as part of the meeting packet, indicated that Watkins had been investigating an incident that occurred with one of the department tankers at the Bump and Run Derby at the fairgrounds recently. A firefighter used the truck to wet down the track but had no authorization for that use.

“He was there on standby in case of fire, but not authorized to use the truck for anything else,” the emailed stated. “If he had not been on the track, the truck would not have been damaged.”
Several weeks later, the same driver hit the west side garage door of the fire hall rendering it inoperable. The firetruck was not believed to be damaged. Watkins suspended the firefighter’s driving privileges indefinitely.

Though the Newberry Fire Department is solely owned and operated by the Village of Newberry, the village, McMillan Township and Pentland Township each pay a third of the expenses of the department.

Rathje proposed that the board submit a response to Watkins, asking if any vehicle is trapped behind the door, if insurance will be paying for the accidents, or are the three governments going to be expected to cover the bills.

The township would also like to know if the suspension on driving is still in effect and if the investigation is still ongoing.

Finally, as part of Pentland’s new asset management plan, the engineering firm is sending an architect to visit the township hall on September 19 to inspect the building. The inspector will pay special attention to the roof, which had some damage from the previous winter.