The yellow postcard in your mailbox announced the December 8, 2015 Public Hearing on the Whitmore Lake Road Special Assessment District (SAD).  What does it mean?

It means that Northfield Township's Board of Trustees plans to borrow $800,000 to extend a sewer line from North Territorial Road south along Whitmore Lake Road down to the scrap yard (Regal Recycling).  Several businesses will benefit but several private homeowners may need to move as a result of the huge assessments ($130,000+) being levied against them.

The sewer expansion also paves the way for developers.  Why should we finance that?

If any of the property owners involved fail to pay their part of the $800,000, you will be taxed to cover it.

There may be other unforeseen consequences of this sewer line and debt.

The Board invites you to attend and be heard at a meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 7pm at Township Hall, 8350 Main St.  This was intended to be the final meeting at which objections could be raised.

PS:

• Our Sewage Treatment Plant is near capacity right now and our township has commitments to several other SADs which, if hooked up, would require a $20-25M plant expansion.
• Just to be fair, some on the Township Board and the Township Manager claim that this has nothing to do with Biltmore.  The Township Manager says that Biltmore could run its sewers to US-23 and then north, parallel to or possibly even connected to sewers now serving the US-23 rest stop, completely bypassing the Whitmore Lake S.A.D.'s three inch forced mains.
• PPS - Why did the Township send a postcard filled with legalese and confusion?  The postcard is required by Township Ordinance to notify Taxpayers of significant financial obligation.  The wording was determined by current administration. 

[The complete December 8th meeting video is here, audience questions are audible in this version.  The LiveMeetingMinutes, here, are being assembled.  I apologize for taking so long; this was a really depressing showing by the Township Board.]