Lincoln Township officials are confident a resolution is coming to a disagreement with their counterparts in St. Joseph Township regarding the use of a sewer line. The St. Joseph Township Board of Trustees this month expressed frustration over a 50-year-old agreement that allows Lincoln Township to use the Maiden Lane sewer line owned by St. Joseph Township free of charge. They want Lincoln Township to start paying for use of the line. Speaking to us Tuesday, Lincoln Township Supervisor Dick Stauffer said he’s confident an agreement is near.
“We don’t have any disagreement on the fact that we should be paying for the use of their sewer system, our share of the use of their system,” Stauffer said. “The lawyering is all done. Where it gets confusing is to determine the annual expense due to the infiltration numbers, operation and maintenance that they incur. All of that has to be done on an annual basis, and to pull that information together is a difficult thing to do.”
The original agreement was for 30 years and has since had to be renewed periodically. Either township can terminate the agreement with two years notice. In December of 2021, St. Joseph Township issued that two-year notice of termination. St. Joseph Township Manager Denise Cook issued a statement this month, saying the termination of the agreement will proceed. However, Stauffer tells us he’s confident a resolution will be worked out in time.
