Township board fails to support special assessment district
Courtesy photo
Several lakefront property owners on East Lake in Orange Township had hoped for a special assessment district to be created to help fund for the management and testing of the lake. According the John Laczkowski, root masses and other vegetation growing in the 100-acre lake have become an issue over the last three to five years, often making parts of the lake “un-navigable.”
ORANGE TWP - The members of the Orange Township Board of Trustees might have had their reasons for not supporting a proposed special assessment district for lakefront property owners on East Lake, but only they know what those reasons were after the board’s regular monthly meeting Monday, Aug. 12.
The four board members, including township supervisor Eric Hendricks, remained silent after he called for a vote on the proposal submitted by East Lake property owner John Laczkowski. The proposal would have established a special assessment district, with funds for the district going to fight excessive root masses and weed growth in the lake, as well as provide for annual water testing.
The motion died for lack of support, without a vote even needing to be taken. No board member commented on the proposal, either before or after Hendricks called the question.
Laczkowski, one of 51 lakefront property owners on East Lake, said the proposal calls for each property owner to pay to help fund for the management and testing of the lake. Part of the funding would also go to reimburse the township and board members for any work required by them in creating and maintaining the district for the 100-acre body of water.
According the Laczkowski, the root masses have become an issue over the last three to five years, often making parts of the lake “un-navigable.”
The root masses are also what spurred the formation of an ad-hoc committee of lakefront property owners tasked with researching the issue and coming up with recommendations on potential solutions.
Overall, Laczkowski said formation of the special assessment district would have provided for an estimated $44,000 over 10 years to address the concerns of the property owners, adding that 37 of the 51 lakefront residents signed a petition circulated in support of the district.
Laczkowski told board members that establishment of the district would be at no cost to the township.
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