The Lincoln Township Board of Trustees has instructed its attorney to enter into discussions with the attorney for St. Joseph Township as a dispute over a sewer line continues between the two municipalities.
Lincoln Township Trustees held a special meeting Thursday so they could discuss the latest in the Maiden Lane sewer line saga with attorney Scott Dienes. After a closed session of about an hour and 40 minutes, they reemerged and voted for the attorneys to proceed with discussions.
The legal dispute is entering its third year as the two townships continue the back and forth while costs mount. Lincoln Township Clerk Michael Brown told us he doesn’t have a total, but the costs have been necessary.
“They’ve been significant,” Brown said. “We want to make sure that the agreement for the township lasts for another 30 years. So, we’ve had some significant legal expenses, as I’m sure St. Joe Township has, but we’re open for an agreement that it’ll last for another 30 years, so at this time, they’ve been worth it.”
When asked if the legal bills on this matter have exceeded $100,000, Brown said they have, but he didn’t have further information.
The dispute over the sewer line goes back several years, after St. Joseph Township moved to terminate a 50-year-old agreement that allows Lincoln Township to use the line free of charge. Negotiations over maintenance of the line then began but have so far resulted in no new agreement.
Lincoln Township Supervisor Glenn Youngstedt told us Thursday the board is acting in the best long-term interest of residents, but he could offer no additional comment.
